Who would’ve thought bacon could be cooked without the traditional methods like a frying pan or an oven? Well, it actually works perfectly and it comes out just as crispy and juicy
Bacon in the microwave sounds so wrong, but the results are actually finger-licking. This recipe is the perfect alternative for those who don’t want to deal with the hassle of pulling out a pan, and the messy clean-up afterwards. Although most people prefer to cook their rashers of bacon in the frying pan or under the grill, this super-easy and quick method is life-changing.
Food expert Emma Christensen at The Kitchn shared a recipe that will soon become your go-to way to cheffing up your pieces of meat. She said: “I tested this method of cooking bacon with thick-cut and regular bacon, with just a few slices and with several layers of bacon, and with different amounts of paper towels.
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“The results were universally – and somewhat surprisingly – good! The bacon became crispy in just a few minutes while also being entirely hands off and about as mess-free as bacon can be.”
How to cook bacon in a microwave
The method is so simple, and it doesn’t need a lot of expertise or extra time spent from your busy schedule. Pull up some bacon from your local supermarket, grab some paper towels and of course, a working microwave.
To achieve the perfect microwave bacon, the point is to “sandwich uncooked bacon between a few layers of paper towels in a microwave-safe dish or plate.” Then, using the highest setting, the bacon will cook, with the paper towels absorbing all of the fat and preventing it from splashing all over the microwave.
Emma also said that the average cooking time is around one minute per slice of bacon. A little less for thinner slices, but a few more seconds for those with a thicker cut. “You also want to stop cooking the bacon just before you think it’s actually done; it will continue to cook and crisp for a few seconds out of the microwave,” she added.
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This easy, but delicious technique works perfectly for those who want small portions of bacon to top up their dishes, such as sandwiches or salads.
Despite the convenience of cooking bacon in the microwave – avoiding the hassle of cleaning dishes and pans, and a safer alternative than handling a hot pan – it does require the use of a lot of paper towels. Nonetheless, chefs should use the microwave for smaller batches, and switch to the oven or frying pan whenever preparing larger ones.