To avoid having to wait for the bacon to thaw, learn how to cook it more quickly and easily from frozen. Instead of using a microwave, there are better options! My preferred methods for defrosting bacon are also included.

Bacon is a delicious treat for breakfast or any other meal of the day with its crisp, delectably savory flavor. Fortunately, it’s simple to prepare bacon that has been frozen. It can be prepared nearly exactly as usual with only a few minor adjustments.

How to Cook Frozen Bacon?

Bacon can go directly from the freezer to the heat, unlike larger cuts of meat like pork butts and chicken breasts that must be thawed before cooking. Before cooking, you must, however, separate the individual bacon strips.

If your strips are stuck together, try prying them apart with your hands or a fork. In the event that this is challenging, you can slightly thaw the bacon by submerging it in ice water for a short period of time.

You can cook individual frozen bacon strips in the same ways you would cook thawed bacon once you have them. The only difference is that the strips will take a little bit longer to cook.

In the Air Fryer

Use an air fryer to cook bacon that is supremely crispy and evenly cooked. Start by adding frozen strips directly to the air fryer. Water will be released as steam as the bacon thaws. The air fryer will start crisping up the bacon strips once the extra water has evaporated while allowing extra fat to drain.

It should take 12 to 14 minutes to cook frozen bacon in an air fryer. There are so many great recipes to try in the air fryer – like these bacon-wrapped sweet potatoes!

On the Stove

A tried-and-true method is to cook bacon in a pan on the stove. And frozen bacon still functions just as well!

Simply arrange frozen bacon strips in a frying pan made of nonstick, stainless steel, or cast iron. Make sure the strips don’t overlap to ensure even cooking.

Cook the strips for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through, on medium heat.

This technique not only yields crisp bacon strips but also enables you to store the bacon grease for future use.

In the Microwave

The microwave is the quickest method to cook bacon if you’re in a hurry!

Lay your frozen bacon strips in a single layer on a plate after separating them. To contain dripping grease, wrap the strips in a paper towel. For between five and eight minutes, cook the bacon in the microwave, checking for doneness at the five-minute mark.

In the Oven

If you need to feed a crowd or are looking to cook up a big batch of bacon to store and enjoy throughout the week, use the oven.

A 400°F oven should first be preheated. Put a wire cooling rack and a baking sheet on top of one another after that, and then layer the bacon strips on the cooling rack.

The bacon should be cooked for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how done you like it.

Tips for Thawing before Cooking

In the refrigerator, thaw. This usually involves the least amount of mess when defrosting a package of bacon. It can simply be defrosted in the refrigerator in its original container until it has a consistently soft texture. Depending on your refrigerator’s temperature, this could take a few hours to a day or longer.

• This method of thawing usually keeps the bacon usable for the longest time; it’s almost like you just put fresh bacon in the fridge. Within a week, you can cook or reheat bacon.
• Before defrosting, put loose slices of bacon inside a container or sealed plastic bag. The dehydrating effects of cool refrigerator air can be avoided in this way.

Thaw in cold water. From the faucet, fill the sink with cold water. Place the bacon package in the water, then wait. Use a heavy pan or plate to sink it if it floats. Smaller packages will need 10 to 15 minutes to defrost completely. Larger packages could take an hour. If it takes more than 30 minutes, drain the water and then re-fill with cold water.

• Use cool or warm water sparingly. By doing so, the bacon’s texture will be ruined and potentially harmful bacteria growth will result in the bacon’s exterior warming up more quickly than its interior.
• If you’re not defrosting the bacon in its original packaging, be sure to place it in an airtight bag and seal it. You don’t want the bacon to come into direct contact with the water as this can be unhygienic and could alter the flavor or texture of the bacon.

using a microwave to defrost Place the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels and defrost it for three minute intervals, checking the texture after each defrosting. To hasten the defrosting process, separate the bacon as it cooks.

• You can keep the bacon in its original packaging, but if you do, make some holes in it so that it can breathe. If you don’t, steam may accumulate and result in an explosion.

Cook frozen bacon as usual. You are prepared to begin cooking once the bacon has completely defrosted. Cook it as usual by transferring it to a frying pan (or another container if you’re using a different cooking technique, like baking).

• After handling defrosted bacon, make sure to wash your hands. Warming uncooked bacon to luke-warm heat (like most defrosting methods do) makes it a prime breeding ground for bacteria.
• To prevent bacterial contamination, most frozen bacon should be cooked quickly. The exception is bacon that has been thawed in the refrigerator; because it is kept cool, it is typically safer to store.

Can You Cook Bacon from Frozen?

Yes and no, you must first separate the parts. The best approach to take in this situation is to 1. unwrap the package 2. set the chunk on a microwave safe plate and heat for 1 minute. You should be able to pull or cut them apart with a knife if you turn it over halfway through.

This is vital to oven baked bacon as you don’t want them to overlap or else the pieces underneath won’t get browned. Same goes for making air fryer candied bacon, separate is key. You must now find a way to keep them off the baking sheet. Why? Because the grease will drain from the meat and all of the sides will become crispy.

This might be referred to as a cooling rack or wire rack. When I bake cookies, I put them on these so they can cool nicely without remaining and overcooking on the cookie sheet, and I use them for both purposes. Really, that sums up the situation. How simple can that really be, I ask?

Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray for a really simple cleanup, and when it’s finished, put it in the dishwasher. No matter what you cook or cool on them, cleaning them is a pain. Everything that can be thrown in there, I use my Bosch for.

If cooking bacon in the oven you will follow these basic directions. To make them more accessible, I’ve included a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article.

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