How to cook bacon three ways: stove, oven and microwave

Ahh bacon…what makes it so addictively good? Crispy strips of savoury, salty, sweet and smoky pork, a combination of flavours that's downright delicious.

Bacon brings goodness to everything it’s added to, from the classic breakfast combination of eggs and bacon, to pasta, casseroles, savoury pies and even on sweet treats such as waffles and pancakes.

Here are three easy ways to cook bacon to get the best crispy results, either in a frying pan, in the oven or in a microwave.

Can you eat raw bacon?

No, bacon needs to be cooked before eating. Unlike ham, bacon is not necessarily cooked or brought up to high enough temperatures to make it safe to eat out of the packet.

But that’s okay, because a great piece of bacon takes only minutes to prepare!

How to cook bacon on the stove

Unlike most other meats, when cooking bacon in a frying pan you want to start with a cold pan. This allows the fat to render out slowly, so the bacon cooks in its own fat. Your bacon will be extra tasty, and you don’t need to add any extra oil. Win-win!

Place bacon rashers in a cold frying pan, making sure not to overlap. Bring pan to medium heat slowly.
Turn bacon frequently for about 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Pour off fat into a heatproof bowl (see note) and drain bacon rashers on paper towel.

NOTE: Don't pour bacon grease down the drain - to dispose of it, let it cool, put into sealable container and place in the bin.

Alternatively, strain warm bacon fat into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months, or freezer for up to 12 months. Use to add flavour when cooking eggs, vegetables and more.

How to bake bacon in the oven

When cooking bacon for a crowd, the oven method is the easiest way to get great results with lots of bacon. Similar to the frying pan method, start with a cold oven.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Line up bacon rashers evenly in one layer, making sure to not overlap.
Place in a cold oven and set oven to 200°C.
Cook for 15-20 minutes without turning. Drain bacon on paper towel before serving.

How to cook bacon in the microwave

This is one of the simplest ways to cook bacon, and you may be surprised by the crispy result that’s as good as any other technique.

Line a microwave safe plate with a sheet of paper towel (see note). Place 2-3 rashers of bacon on the paper towel, leaving a small space between each rasher. Cover with another piece of paper towel to prevent fat from spitting over the microwave.
Cook on HIGH for 3-5 minutes. Check after 3 minutes as all microwaves will vary in power. No need to turn, and bacon fat will be absorbed by the paper towel.

NOTE: Don't use recycled paper towels for this cooking method as they may contain small pieces of metal that shouldn’t be microwaved.

Bacon recipes

Now you know how to cook great bacon, find heaps of brilliant bacon recipes below and get cooking. Don’t forget that if you have a myfoodbook account you can save these recipes to your own personalised cookbooks to share or print!