There are a lot of different methods out there for cooking bacon—you can bake it, broil it, pan-fry it, microwave it, griddle it, and waffle-iron it. (For more on all of those methods, check out my post at the link below!) For every way you can cook bacon, there’s a group of people out there who think that’s the only “true” way to make it.
Related: 14 Surprising & Easy Ways To Cook Perfect Bacon!
While bacon is beloved by many, there is very little consensus on the best way to cook it, which is why I’m going into today’s post knowing full well that it could prove controversial for some. That’s because today I’ll be sharing two different ways to cook up crispy bacon, both of which involve your microwave. (Gasp!)
But before you grab your torch and pitchfork, I’d ask you to keep an open mind, at least until you finish learning about these two methods for making deliciously crispy bacon, as well as the “pros” and “cons” of each method. You know what they say—”don’t knock it til you try it!” :-)
2 Easy Ways To Make Perfectly Crispy Bacon
Method #1: Microwaved Bacon
Prepare a microwave-safe plate with 4 sheets of paper towel. Place 2-5 pieces of bacon* on top of the paper towels in a single layer, then cover them with 2 more sheets of paper towel. Place the plate in your microwave, cook for 1 minute per slice of bacon on the plate, and voila, you’ll have delicious strips of crispy bacon in no time!
*Note: This is not a good method to use for thick-cut bacon. It won’t get cooked all the way through and you’ll end up with a greasy mess. I like the Smithfield brand of bacon at Walmart for this, because the slices aren’t too thick or too thin. Just my two cents!
Pros:
- No mess! The paper towels absorb all the grease, and you can just toss them out afterwards.
- Less bacon smell! (This could be considered a positive or negative thing, depending on how much you enjoy the smell of cooking bacon.) ;-)
- Good for small amounts! This method is perfect for cooking up a couple of slices of bacon to eat with breakfast, or to make homemade bacon bits for a salad.
Cons:
- More waste. You have to use 6 sheets of paper towels for this method, which is quite a bit to just toss out.
- No bacon grease. Because the grease gets absorbed into the paper towels, you can’t keep it to use for other things.
- Very crispy. This could be considered a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your tastes. I like my bacon crispy, so it’s perfect for me, but if you like it a little chewy, this may not be your favorite method.
Method #2: Prince Harry’s Bacon
For this method, you’ll start by cooking your bacon until it’s just shy of done. You can do this in a pan or under the broiler in your oven. I prefer the broiler method—just place a cooling rack onto a baking sheet, then spread a few strips of bacon out on the rack. Place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes on one side, then flip the bacon over and cook it for another 3 minutes or so.
The next step is to finish off your bacon in the microwave. Wrap the pieces of bacon in a paper towel and cook in your microwave for 1 minute. The microwave gives the bacon a crispy finish that is hard to achieve otherwise!
(Why is it called Prince Harry’s Bacon? I’m glad you asked! The story goes that a precocious 8-year-old Prince Harry learned about this method for cooking bacon during a trip to Disney World. Apparently he liked the bacon so much, that he requested it specifically from the royal chef from then on! So if you like crispy bacon that is also approved by royalty, then this method is for you.) ;-)
Pros:
- Crispy bacon. The bacon comes out crispy without being brittle.
- Leftover bacon grease. Because you cook the bacon before microwaving it, you’ll have bacon grease in your pan or baking sheet that you can save to use later.
Cons:
- Still some waste. You still have to use a few paper towels that you’ll end up tossing out.
- Some cleanup required. Using a pan or baking sheet to pre-cook the bacon will leave you with some dishes to tackle after breakfast.
So there you have it, two unusual yet reliable methods for making crispy bacon. Give them a try!
More Ideas You'll Love
What’s your preferred method of cooking bacon?
I prefer to cook bacon in a frying pan, it might not be as
Please log in or create a free account to comment.quick but you can see it better and then put it on paper towel when done That’s how I like my crispy bacon.
When I was growing up, I think my family got a microwave in about 1972? Early enough that some of my friends thought we were rich! :-) One of the very first things we mastered was BACON…it was so good! And to this day, I still do it that way. Jillee, we use the same bacon from the same place. I can sometimes get the thick slice to work if I re-arrange the slices midway. (move the middle slices to the outside and outer, more done to middle) This only works if I get a package that has been evenly sliced! And, I can do a whole package in two batches. This is ONE time I just decide not to worry about the number of paper towels used…to me, it’s well worth it! Unfortunately, I have tried many ways, but simply cannot master cooking bacon in the oven, but it’s fine. The given method just seems like too much work and too much mess, at least for me. Besides, by the time my second batch is done, I have eaten the first batch! Whoops! I have a magnet on my fridge that reads, “If bacon is wrong, I don’t want to be right…”
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve always used the first “microwave” method when I don’t have time to mind the frying pan on the stove, or don’t want to have to hand wash the pan. 1 min per slice of bacon + 1 minute is a no fail way to achieve the perfect, crispy bacon! Just make sure that you have the carousel spinning, otherwise you’ll have to turn every 90-120 seconds manually.
Love reading all of your tips Jillee!!! Xoxo
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use our George Foreman grill for the thick, slab-cut bacon that our family loves. One hour, one package, so many delicious meals. Put a cookie sheet under the drip tray/grill instead of the drawer provided, that way you can save the grease with no extra crossover from earlier meals!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the microwave method, but not near that many paper towels…I usually use just 2-3 on the bottom (depending on how many slices) and one on the top. I also time it first for 30 seconds per slice, then turn each slice over, and cook again for 15-30 seconds per slice, depending on how crispy I need it. Haven’t tried doing it on my Foreman Grill…I’ll have to check that out! Love this site, Jillee, and all the good suggestions!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I hate the mess associated with bacon, so I usually buy it at Costco. It is already cooked and stored between waxed paper. However, I have to try your waffle maker idea. I sent that idea to all my sons, grandsons etc. Love all your creative ideas. Are you a Gemini?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m an Aquarius :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I cook a pound or two at a time. I line a half sheet pan with parchment, & put a cooling rack int he pan. Make sure not to overlap the bacon slices. Bake till almost crispy, cool then lay out on plastic wrap or wax paper, roll up, bag & freeze. I just take out as many slices as I need & microwave them on paper towel to crisp up. I get to keep the bacon grease, easy clean up pop the cooling racks in the dishwasher & put the pan away (unless I accidentally spilled the bacon grease when pouring it in a jar).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This works great for making candied bacon as well. Just sprinkle brown sugar on the slices before you bake them. Make sure to label your freezer bag so you know the bacon is candied.
I use the Costco brand bacon (Kirkland-delish) and cook it in the oven. Parchment lined jelly roll pan…375*…doesn’t curl or shrink at this temp… for about 25 minutes, if you want it crispier try another 5 minutes. When done it goes on a paper towel and the grease is poured into a glass container to dispose of when it hardens. I usually cook 2 pounds at a time and freeze it. When I want to use it I put my slices in a frying pan and turn it to med/low for about 7 minutes…no splatters and it is really nice and crispy! In the past I have tried all of the above and this is my favourite method.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Don’t dispose of the bacon grease. According to the newest scientific study it’s among the 10 healthiest foods. Plus it tastes good.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In our grandparents and our parents day, they used the bacon fat to brown cut up cooked potatoes in. It give them a great flavor. Just use the bacon fat in place of shortning or oil.
Isn’t it amazing just how many things that “health food” people screamed and hollered at us old-timers (at least me) for eating? Yet my aunt is 104 and grew up on everything that grandma cooked being cooked in lard and bacon grease! Also, many people are terrified of a microwave, but if they really thought about it, almost everything today is bad for us one way or another. Man has pretty much ruined the very air that we breathe in at about 15 times (or so) per minute. If only my microwave and bacon fat were the biggest worry I had!! :-)
I put bacon on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil (shiny side down), place it into a cold oven, turn it on 350 degrees, and cook for between 22-25 minutes I think (I just check it every once in a while depending on thin or thick sliced). We do not use a microwave for anything.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is how I cook our bacon, I place it in a cold oven and cook it that way. Hubs preheats the oven and cooks the bacon. I like the cold oven method better.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For many years since my husband saw it on TV we have been using “The Baconator” to cook our thick bacon to crisp perfection. We use one paper towel to contain any splatter and the plastic device goes easily into the dishwasher for cleanup. All the grease runs down and is collected in the Baconator for disposal or other use.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If I have a lot of bacon to cook, such as 1/2 pound for quiche. I bake it in the oven on a stoneware cookie sheet, and I pour off the grease to make gravy. It takes 20 minutes at 400 degrees and the bacon comes out flat and crisp. You do need to blot with paper towels, but it takes a lot less.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love that you recycle the fat. This is good fat and adds lots of flavours to meatloaf etc
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been using the microwave method for years but recently discovered (by accident, of course) that the bacon come out best if it goes into the microwave frozen! Because packaged bacon is usually not cut into evenly thin slices, it was difficult to have all the pieces come out evenly done. Since I freeze my bacon in individual slices (there are only 2 of us in the household so this makes the bacon last longer), I threw it into the microwave frozen one day. It comes out perfectly every time!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How interesting! I’ll have to try it :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you Jillee! I have been hearing about microwaving bacon for several years and how crispy it comes out, but I just couldn’t believe it. I tried it and have been preparing it this way ever since! We love it! I do miss the fat from an frying though. I save it for flavoring
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We like thick bacon. We cook it in the oven in a 9×13 or jelly roll pan (depending on the quantity) that has been lined with parchment paper. The time varies according to the quantity but we always set the oven at 400 deg. We also like it crispy so start checking after 20 min. Pros: I generally use 1 sheet of paper towel to cool the bacon on and after the pan has cooled you can collect the solidified fat for further use or you can toss it with the parchment. You should have a clean pan if you used enough paper to extend over the edges of the pan. Cons: you have to clean the oven more frequently and it takes longer than the microwave. It’s more practical for larger quantities.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use my George Foreman grill. No splattering, no curling, and the grease is caught in the tray:)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I cook my bacon in the microwave with recycled paper towels and while it works really well for crispy bacon, I always find the bacon sticks to the paper towels. Has anyone any solutions for this?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi, love the microwave for cooking bacon, but those sticky paper towels can be a bummer! I have been successful in reducing the stickiness by putting the bacon directly on a stoneware or other microwave-safe ceramic plate and covering it with 3 layers of paper towel. I just check it a couple of times during cooking, sometimes swapping the positions of the bacon strips, and it comes out crispy and yummy!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can’t wait to try this as I love crispy bacon. Thanks for the great tips.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love my bacon crispy…and my men crispier. Yay Pride. I make mine in my air fryer and although some items do not come out as crispy in the airfryer, you’re cooking a fatty food. I put on a small rack over a pan for drippings. Takes about 10 minutes on 375 – 400 setting. Check it after 5 minutes though. My airfryer was cheap but it’s probably one of the best out there. It’s called “Rollibot”. Looks like a small oven. All digital and is about $70. I don’t work for them. I’ve just tried about 6 different air fryers and this is the only one I kept. Been using it for months and it’s the best.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the tip, I checked out the Rollibot and it seems like it has promise but my kitchen is too small for another countertop appliance. My mom used to broil the crap out of bacon in metal pie pans, it tasted awesome with no spattering but you’d have to watch it like a hawk otherwise it’d just be greasy carbon! Crispy LOL!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Any tips on how to keep my glasses from getting that ugly white film from the dish washer !
Please log in or create a free account to comment.put 1/2 cup of vinegar in the dishwasher when you begin the cycle.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In Australia we have Finish Tablets that have an added ingredient in them to stop this and the etching that also comes with it. Its brilliant, but you need to get the “Finish All In One” and then keep making sure you always use the latest Finish product available, as you can be assured it will always protect your best glasses and dishes. I never have trouble with this product and I promise they don’t pay me to endorse their product, and I do not work for them. I just believe in using the best product out there to protect my investments.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use Lemi Shine dishwasher booster. You find it near the rinse aid at Wal mart.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yep, what a small amount of vinegar in a very little cup or bowl on your top rack and add one or two very very small drops of dawn to your powdered soap tray in the bottom. I have not had to replace my glasses for over 10 years! Used to have to replace him every few months
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A small cup of white vinegar placed on the top rack will definitely help!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was told by my plumber not to use the tabs in the dishwasher and to use the rinse stuff. Did that and no more problems with the dishwasher and my glasses sparkle
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use about a tsp. of lemishine with the detergent with every load and that helps.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.