How To Reheat Bacon

Is there anything better than starting your day with the enticing smell, crispy texture, and delectable taste of bacon?

If you find yourself with leftover strips of bacon that you don’t want to go to waste, or if you’re looking for a quick way to make your favorite breakfast food without completely throwing off your schedule for the day – good news!

So how do you reheat bacon? You can effectively reheat bacon using a microwave, an oven, a skillet, or an air fryer.

Enjoy Your Bacon For Longer: How To Reheat

Reheating bacon isn’t complicated, but if done improperly, your bacon could go dry or it could end up so overcooked that all you’ll be left with is a tiny strip of overly crisp meat. Therefore, it is important to follow the steps outlined below in order to properly apply each bacon reheating method.

There are four ways to reheat bacon, each involving a different kitchen appliance: a microwave, an oven, a skillet, and an air fryer.

Using A Microwave

This is the most commonly used way to reheat bacon, as it is easy, convenient, and fast.

What you’ll need:

• A microwave
• Several pieces of paper towel
• A microwave-safe plate

Steps to reheating bacon in a microwave:

1. Line the microwave-safe plate with a few sheets of paper towel. The paper towel will absorb the oil that the bacon secretes as warms.
2. Place each bacon strip side-by-side on the lined plate. Do not stack your pieces one on top of the other, as that will prevent each piece from reheating evenly.
3. Once all of your bacon pieces have been put on your plate, cover the plate with another piece of paper towel so that both sides of each piece of bacon are covered. Again, the paper towel will absorb the oils from the bacon.
4. Microwave your plate of bacon for 20-second intervals, checking your bacon strips after each interval to ensure that they have reheated thoroughly. For crispier strips, reheat a bit longer.
5. Be careful when removing your reheated bacon from the microwave. Let your bacon strips cool for a minute before eating.

Using An Oven

Another popular way to reheat bacon is using an oven. This method is especially effective if you are reheating a larger quantity of bacon at once, as most ovens are spacious and can accommodate cooking more than one thing at a time.

This is also a popular method to use if you wish to keep your bacon pieces crispy. The dry heat is used to reheat the bacon, and the coagulated fat will melt on the top of each strip to give them a crispy texture.

What you’ll need:

• An oven
• Aluminum foil
• A baking sheet
• Cooking oil

Steps to reheating bacon in an oven:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line the baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil. This will prevent your bacon pieces from losing their moisture as they reheat.
3. Spray or pour nonstick cooking oil on the aluminum foil to prevent your bacon strips from sticking to the foil as they reheat.
4. Add the strips of bacon to the covered baking sheet in a single layer. Do not stack your pieces one on top of the other, as that will prevent each piece from reheating evenly.
5. Once the oven finished preheating, insert your tray of bacon into the oven and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until you can smell that they are done.
6. Be careful when removing your reheated bacon from the oven. Let your bacon strips cool for a minute before eating.

How to Reheat Bacon on the Stove

This method is preferred by those who enjoy their bacon strips piping hot. For this method, you can use a cast-iron skillet, a normal skillet, or a frying pan. The cast-iron skillet is ideal because the bacon cannot get burnt or charred when reheated in this type of pan.

What you’ll need:

• A frying pan or skillet
• A plate lined with paper towel

Steps to reheating bacon in a skillet:

1. Place the skillet on the stovetop and turn on the burner to medium-high heat. Allow the pan to get hot.
2. Once the pan has warmed up, place your bacon strips next to one another on the skillet. Do not stack them one on top of the other.
3. Adjust your heat down slightly to medium and let the bacon reheat on the surface of the skillet for 1-2 minutes. You do not need to use any cooking oil with this reheating method since the bacon will reheat in its own oils and fat.
4. When your pieces start to sizzle, flip them over so that they cook evenly on both sides. Leave them in the skillet for another minute.
5. Turn off your burner and move the strips of bacon to a plate lined with paper towel. The paper towel will absorb the excess oils, fat, and grease. Let stand for a minute before eating.

Using An Air Fryer

Similar to an oven, an air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around the food using convection. Not only can bacon be originally cooked in an air fryer, but it can also be reheated in one. Air fryers tend to use less energy than an oven and, like with ovens, bacon cooked in an air fryer tends to be very crispy.

What you’ll need:

• An air fryer
• A pair of tongs
• A plate lined with paper towel

Steps to reheating bacon in an air fryer:

1. Air fryers come in various shapes and sizes, and most of them have a round basket that serves as the platform upon which y. Therefore, you will likely need to prep the bacon pieces by cutting the slices in half in order to get them to fit properly in the air fryer.
2. Arrange the bacon in the air fryer in a single layer, side-by-side. Do not layer the bacon on top of each other, though it is ok if your pieces are slightly overlapping on the edges so long as they aren’t stacked one on top of the other. Doing so would prevent your pieces from reheating evenly.
3. Depending on your make and model air fryer, you should plan on cooking your bacon pieces at a temperature of 360 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 4 minutes.
4. Once your bacon is done reheating, use the tongs to remove your small strips and place them on the plate lined with paper towel. Allow your pieces to cool for a minute before eating.
5. Optional tip: If your air fryer seems to be smoking a lot, just add a little bit of water to the tray underneath the basket.

Is This Safe?

Before cooking bacon for the first time or reheating it as leftovers, it is important that you pay close attention to the appearance, smell, and texture of your bacon in order to know whether or not is safe to eat.

Changes in color, smell, or texture of bacon indicate spoilage. Specifically, here is what you should check for when determining whether or not your bacon is still fresh:

• Color: the vibrant reddish-brown hue will become dull and appear gray or pale brown.
• Smell: sour or rotting odors indicate the meat has gone bad.
• Texture: if the bacon strips become slimy or sticky rather than soft or moist, the meat should be thrown out immediately.

It may be harder to tell if leftover bacon is safe to reheat, as many of the tell-tale signs listed above are more obvious signs of spoilage before the bacon has been cooked the first time. As always, use your best judgment, and when in doubt, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Conclusion

Sometimes it is impossible to handle everything first thing in the morning – whether it’s waking up for an early morning workout, rushing to get the kids ready for school, having to care for a pet, or just needing to get yourself ready for a busy day ahead – being able to save time on meal prep can oftentimes be the difference between starting your day off right or feeling like you fell behind the moment that you woke up.

Luckily, you can now face your busiest days a step ahead of the game, fueled by your deliciously reheated bacon breakfast that you comfortably know how to make.