Bacon is basically a requirement on weekend mornings for leisurely breakfasts. But if you don’t have all the time in the world or are just looking for a way to do it faster, the microwave is a quick and easy solution. So can you microwave bacon? The answer is YES!
As a bonus, when you microwave bacon, there will be less grease to clean up afterwards. No greasy splatters all over the stovetop and no oily pans.
How to Cook Bacon in the Microwave
Now that we have answered the question ‘can you microwave a bacon’, let us look at how to cook it with microwave.
A brilliant thing about microwaving bacon is that special equipment is not a requirement. If you use enough paper towels, cleaning is easy because you just have to toss the greasy paper towels in the trash.
- Line a microwave-safe plate (preferably glass or Pyrex) with 3 or 4 paper towels.
- Lay a maximum of 6 slices of bacon on top of the paper towels. The slices should not touch and each slice should be surrounded by paper towel. If you overlap, it won’t cook as well, and slices will stick together.
- Put another paper towel over the top of the bacon to reduce mess.
- Run the microwave for 4 or 5 minutes depending on the wattage of your microwave. Keep a close eye on it and continue cooking in 30-second increments until it is crispy enough for your liking. If you prefer, you can switch the location of the bacon near the outside of the plate with the bacon near the middle of the plate to ensure even cooking. If you prefer the bacon to be chewy, nuke it for a shorter time. It’s normal to hear sizzling and popping, so don’t be alarmed.
- Stop cooking the bacon a moment before you guess it’s ready because it continues to cook and get crispy for a few seconds once it’s out of the microwave.
- The bacon is very hot, so be careful not to get burnt when removing it from the paper towels. Remove it quickly to avoid sticking.
- Place the bacon on a new paper towel to drain and absorb extra grease, and allow to cool
How to Microwave Bacon on A Bowl with Fewer Paper Towels
Most microwave methods for cooking bacon require the use of many paper towns. Here’s a method that still requires paper towels, but you’ll be able to get away with using fewer paper towels if you do it this way.
On top of a microwave-safe plate, turn a microwave-safe bowl upside down. Drape the bacon over the top of the bowl and run the microwave for approximately one minute per slice of bacon. The grease will drip down the side of the bowl and into the plate, leaving you with crispy bacon. If you prefer, you could also drape the bacon over the rim of a bowl that’s facing up. Lay a paper towel on top of the bacon so that grease that pops upward will be soaked up and you avoid making a greasy mess in your microwave.
How to Cook Bacon in the Microwave with A Bacon Tray or Rack
There are many special gadgets to help you cook bacon in the microwave. Bacon racks or trays are not essential for cooking it in the microwave, but they can make it much simpler to cook a larger portion of bacon in a less messy way and can help to cook the bacon more evenly.
You should follow the instructions for the specific bacon tray or rack that you are using.
Most can benefit from being covered by a paper towel to reduce splattering. Most will include a chart outlining the amount of bacon, temperature, and time settings to use. You need to be careful when you remove the plate from the appliance because it will be very hot.
If your microwave bacon cooker calls for the bacon to be draped over something, bear in mind that after cooking, the bacon will stay in the bent shape, and if you try to straighten it, it will snap into two pieces.
Positive Things about Cooking Bacon in the Microwave
- You don’t need any special equipment
- Good method when you only want to cook a few slices
- Faster cooking time
- Bacon gets crispy
- Covering the bacon greatly reduces the amount of mess
- Wiping a microwave is much easier than a stovetop of oven if there is some mess
- The smell of bacon is not as strong and doesn’t linger in the kitchen for as long
Negative Things about Cooking Bacon in The Microwave
- You usually use a lot of paper towels
- Typically, you’ll get uneven cooking (it might be chewy in the middle and crispy on the edge)
- You won’t be able to save the bacon fat for cooking
- Only a few slices can be cooked at the same time
Amount of Time to Cook Bacon in the Microwave
A really great thing about using the microwave to cook bacon is that it’s much quicker than other methods. There are a few things that affect the cooking time:
- Crispiness: Cook it longer to make it crispier.
- Thickness: The thicker the bacon, the longer it takes to cook.
- Amount of bacon: If you are only cooking one or two slices, it cooks much faster than if you cook multiple slices.
- Wattage: The microwave cooks with power measured in watts. There should be a sticker somewhere on your appliance stating the wattage.
Is Microwave Bacon Healthy
Microwaved bacon is healthier than you think. Firstly because the fat renders out of the bacon and is easy to mop up with paper towels, thereby reducing the amount of cholesterol and fat that you consume.
Barbara Miller did a study at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Arkansas. The study concluded that instead of cooking bacon in a pan, cooking it in a microwave oven can avoid producing cancer-causing substances called nitrosamines.
