Bacon is an everyday culinary staple that you may find in a variety of recipes. If any of the excellent remaining bacon bits are not devoured at the moment, you may not want to waste them. But, just in case you have any leftover bacon, do you know how to reheat it?
There are three methods to reheating bacon. You can reheat bacon by using a microwave at 165 degrees Fahrenheit or using a skillet set on medium heat on a cooktop and by preheating an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cooking it in aluminum foil for five minutes.
It’s not tricky to reheat bacon. However, if you’re not cautious, your bacon can dry out or get so overdone that you’ll have a teeny-tiny strip remaining.
No matter how easy a meal may seem, it will turn out badly if you don’t know what you’re doing. With that said, what are the safer steps to reheating bacon?
How to Reheat Bacon Just Right
Nothing beats crispy, hot bacon for many folks when it comes to breakfast. Its texture and taste will add flavor to any dish! It is one of the most frequent guilty pleasures for many people, whether eaten alone or as part of a sandwich, among other things!
Bacon, on the other hand, isn’t excellent if it’s been cooked for hours. When thin strips of beef are newly cooked, or at least when they are hot enough, nothing tops them. With that, I’ll show you how to reheat bacon in the rest of this piece.
There’s no need to worry if you have leftover bacon in the kitchen. You don’t have to toss it away. You also don’t have to eat it cold. Instead, use the steps below to reheat your bacon and make it taste as good as it did when it was first prepared—starting with your microwave.
1 – How to Reheat Bacon Using a Microwave
If you keep leftover bacon correctly in the fridge or freezer, the texture will not alter when reheated in the microwave. When storing cooked bacon for storage, wrap it securely in a paper towel and place it in an airtight bag or sealed container as soon as possible.
Bacon is a potentially dangerous item that has to be kept refrigerated to avoid deterioration. Although the microwave is the fastest way to reheat bacon, you must be careful when doing so to preserve the texture, taste, and ideal doneness of the prepared delicacy.
By following these microwave reheating recommendations, you may have soft, crispy, and chewy bacon:
Things You Will Need:
- Microwave.
- Paper Towel.
- A microwave-safe plate.
Instructions:
- Using a paper towel, cover a microwave-safe dish with a single layer of bacon strips.
- Using another layer of paper towel, cover the bacon.
- Place the platter in the microwave for 20 seconds to reheat the bacon.
- Ensure that the bacon pieces are hot enough by microwaving for another 20 seconds or until the bacon reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit on the inside.
- Transfer the bacon strips to another dish with a clean paper towel to drain the extra fat after they’re done to your liking. While it’s still hot, serve and enjoy.
Your chewy, soft, and crispy bacon pieces have been warmed and are ready to serve.
Tips When Reheating Bacon in the Microwave
Pre-cooking bacon strips ahead of time may save a lot of time on a busy day, especially if you expect visitors or have a busy work schedule. You may warm them in the microwave for a few seconds or offer them hot and excellent bacon to your guests.
Though you can reheat your bacon strips in a pan, oven, or microwave, the microwave is the best and quickest way to do it. Here are some suggestions for reheating bacon in the microwave:
- Make sure you use a microwave-safe dish.
- As the bacon cooks, paper towels help absorb excess oil and moisture.
- Arrange the bacon strips in a single layer, overlapping and crowding them as little as possible.
- To decrease splatter and make cleanup easier, cover the dish with another piece of paper towel.
- To keep an eye on the bacon strips, microwave in short bursts. It is ideal for checking the completion every 10 to 20 seconds.
- To comply with USDA food safety rules, cook the bacon until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- To drain the extra fat, place the heated bacon on a clean sheet of paper towel.
- Allow one minute for the bacon to cool before serving so that it may crisp up and be extra crunchy when it’s time to eat.
- If you routinely cook bacon in the microwave, a microwave bacon cooker is advised. They come with a drip tray that evenly cooks the bacon and collects all the fat at the bottom.
Is It Safe to Reheat Your Bacon in the Microwave?
You may reheat bacon safely in the microwave. Cooking bacon ahead of time is an excellent idea, especially if you have a busy work schedule or expect a significant number of guests the next day.
If you’re going to prepare bacon ahead of time, don’t make it crispy. After warming in the microwave, partially cooked bacon is the most acceptable option for delivering crispy, soft, or chewy bacon to your visitors.
You may reheat par-cooked bacon until it gets crispy or to your preference if it is barely done and remains chewy. You can’t undo the amount of doneness after the bacon has reached crispy.
2 – How to Reheat Bacon Using a Skillet
Do you like your bacon to be sizzling hot? Then try reheating bacon in a pan. In just a few easy steps, you can reheat bacon in a frying pan.
When utilizing the skillet, the bacon has a propensity to become quite hot very rapidly. Use a cast-iron skillet to prevent the bacon from burning. To reheat bacon, separate and place the bacon slices on the skillet first before heating it on the burner.
What You’ll Need
- A Skillet.
- Paper towels.
Instructions:
- Place the skillet on the burner and arrange the bacon on it.
- Set the temperature to medium. Toss the bacon slices in after the skillet has heated enough. When reheating already cooked bacon, no oil is required. It is because the bacon will release the oil from the bacon itself.
- Consider the beginning of the smoke as a sign that your bacon is almost ready.
- Transfer it to a dish lined with paper towels to soak up any remaining oil. Before serving, allow the bacon to cool for a few minutes.
Check that the strips aren’t too close together. This approach might not work if your bacon comes from the fridge. It should only be done if the bacon is slightly chilled.
3 – How to Reheat Bacon Using an Oven
If you need to reheat a lot of bacon at once, the oven is the most fantastic option. It’s worth noting, though, that warming bacon in the oven takes some time. If you are in a bit of a hurry, it is thus preferable to use the microwave or a skillet. However, when using an oven, you can never go wrong!
What You’ll Need
- Oven.
- Aluminum foil.
- Some cooking oil.
- Baking tray.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line the baking dish with foil. Spray some nonstick frying oil on the foil and flatten it.
- Cover the foil with bacon strips. It will help if you make sure the strips are adequately spaced so that they don’t overlap.
- Cook for up to five minutes in the oven. Depending on how you cooked them earlier, it may take longer.
- Note: If you want your bacon to be crispy, reheat it for a few minutes longer, but be careful not to overcook it, or it may burn. The coagulated fat from the bacon will melt into the meat, giving it a crunchy, delicious texture.
If you have a lot of bacon slices to reheat, the oven is a great option. Because most ovens are large, it’s feasible to heat a large amount at once. This way is more convenient, quicker, and more manageable.
Reheating Bacon: Tips and Reminders
If at all feasible, only reheat the bacon once. The taste diminishes with each reheating. Furthermore, it increases your chance of developing foodborne infections, especially if the bacon has been left out for an extended period. Reheat bacon only if you’re convinced it’s still safe to consume. If not, toss out the ruined bacon as soon as possible.
It’s critical to place the bacon pieces on the baking surface or pan correctly. Make sure each item has enough room to reheat evenly. Stacking pieces on top of one other is not a good idea. The warming periods in this list are only meant to be used as a guideline for refrigerated bacon.
If you’re using it straight from the freezer, warm it for a little longer. It’s not necessary to wait for the bacon to thaw before reheating it. After you’ve cooked your bacon, make sure to keep it correctly. Keep it refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below in a ziplock bag or an airtight container.
Only keep the bacon in the fridge for five days at 40 degrees Fahrenheit before reheating. You can extend the shelf life of bacon by freezing it at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for up to three months.
Is It Okay to Prepare Bacon the Night Before?
Yes, you absolutely can! You may prepare bacon ahead of time to save time in the morning. It’s also a terrific alternative if you’re having guests around for breakfast or brunch.
You can also store bacon in the refrigerator or freezer. You may keep cooked bacon in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. On the other hand, You may store cooked bacon in the freezer for up to a month.
You may finally enjoy your breakfast without racing to finish everything on time now that you know how to reheat fried bacon. Follow these simple instructions for warming bacon and serving a delicious breakfast in minutes. Plus, you’ll never throw leftover bacon out again!
How Do You Choose the Best Bacon?
Naturally, not all bacon is created equal; the higher the quality, the tastier the first time you cook it, and the better it will reheat. If you generally buy bacon from the supermarket’s refrigerated area, it’s time to step up your game. Preservatives are commonly added to packaged bacon to extend its shelf life.
You won’t find the finest bacon next to the sausage and salami, but you will find vast slabs of uncut bacon if you look at the meat/deli counter. In this manner, you may chop the bacon to your liking.
Also, center-cut bacon is made from the leaner and meatier section of the hog belly, and it is usually better when cooked and reheated. Also, center-cut bacon is made from the hog belly’s more lean and meatier section; it is generally better when cooked and reheated.
How to Pack Precooked Bacon?
Within 2 hours of cooking, you should keep bacon below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It will not only lengthen the life of your bacon but will also allow you to enjoy soft, chewy, and crispy bacon after microwave warming.
If you have leftovers or want to save time on a busy day, put cooked bacon in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to reheat it. It would be best not to store them unopened in the refrigerator with other foods because it may absorb their odor or emit unwelcome odors.
Furthermore, the texture of your bacon may alter due to exposure to circulating air in the fridge, which causes it to dry up. Likewise, freezing bacon can aid in the preservation of taste and juiciness. You can reheat leftover bacon if you have it kept in an airtight container in your freezer.
Once you’ve adequately kept the cooked bacon, you’ll need to know how to reheat it to keep the flavor and texture. You’ll want to reheat that leftover delight after it’s been stored!
Final Thoughts
It’s often hard to get everything done in the morning, from getting the kids ready for school to cooking breakfast and taking care of your daily routine. Preparing as much as possible a few days ahead of time might make your task a lot simpler.
Knowing how to reheat bacon is one of those lifesavers that will allow you to take your morning coffee sips more slowly and calmly since you will finally have the time.
You may reheat your bacon in the microwave, the oven, or a pan. Choose the one that best meets your needs and follow the on-screen instructions.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard.