Bacon.

Bacon. Bacon. Bacon.

BACON!

Crispy or chewy? The answer is Yes.

Now that we’ve established that bacon is Joy and Salty Deliciousness, let’s talk about how to cook it so we can hurry up to enjoying it.

Pan-frying bacon is the best known method of cooking it, and also the quickest. (Excepting the microwave but we don’t talk about Bruno.) Also potentially the most messy method. There are splatters and pops, usually if your skillet is too hot or if you aren’t draining away the extra fat. Splattering can be controlled with keeping your skillet on a nice medium heat, or with a handy dandy splatter screen laid over your skillet.

Alright, I know, get to the bacon already!

How To Pan-Fry Bacon in 10 Steps

Step 1:

Collect your supplies. Those will include the star-of-the-show BACON! Also a large skillet, a heat-safe plate or platter, paper towels, your splatter screen or skillet lid, and some tool for turning be it a fork, a spatula, or tongs.

Step 2:

Put your skillet over a burner that most closely matches the size of the skillet bottom. This will help ensure the bacon cooks as evenly as possible.

Step 3:

Turn on the burner to a medium heat and allow skillet to heat up. If it’s smoking, you waited too long. Pull the skillet, let it cool off, then heat. A droplet of water in the skillet should go bouncing around.

Step 4:

Lay the bacon out in long strips, side by side, like little toy soldiers. You want to avoid them touching as much as possible, because that will make the turning process easier later. It’s not the end of the world if there’s a little soldier shoulder brushing, but make sure the strips aren’t overlapping. Depending on the quantity of bacon being cooked, you will most likely have to work in batches. The skillet should not be crowded.

Step 5:

Cook bacon for a few minutes, until the edges are turning crisp and brown. The time needed will vary, depending on the length of your bacon strips, and the thickness of the cut.

Step 6:

While bacon is cooking, line a heat-safe plate with paper towels.

Step 7:

Carefully, turn over bacon strips to cook on the other side. It should take between 2-4 minutes further cooking, depending how crispy you have made the first side.

Step 8:

Remove bacon from skillet to paper towel lined plate, to drain. Pat tops of bacon slices with additional paper towel to remove additional excess grease.

Step 9:

If cooking more bacon, drain skillet of grease, into a heat safe container. I personally love my bacon bin grease saver. The piggy is so cute! Whatever you do, do not put hot grease down your sink. It will clog up the pipes. But I implore you not to waste that delicious bacon grease. It’s like free cooking fat and flavor, all rolled into one.

Step 10:

Continue as directed as above, if more bacon needs cooked. Otherwise, consider sharing your bacon with your family. I said consider! I understand not wanting to share.

If You Have a Griddle: Griddle frying bacon is pretty much identical to cooking in a pan. The primary difference is you will definitely need to stay on top of draining the bacon grease off the griddle between batches, or it will go spilling over the sides. Or! Get yourself a tilting griddle! (What a good use of a tax refund, eh?) I personally have the Presto Tilt n’ Drain and I love it. The griddle can be used flat for pancakes, or tilted to let the griddle drain into a catch pan, when cooking delicious things like burgers or BACON!

So there we are, friend! Happily arrived at crispy bacon, with plenty of bacon fat set aside for later cooking projects! Leave a comment and let me know your favorite use for bacon. I happen to love a good BLT myself.

And don’t forget to pick up your FREE copy of my guide: 30 Best Groceries on a Budget.

Eat well! Momma

Pan-fried Bacon

Recipe by HRM Coupon Queen

Is the anything tastier than delightfully crispy bacon? This recipe shows you how to pan-fry your bacon. Details on cooking on a griddle are included in the notes

Ingredients

BACON!!!
a solid bottom large skillet
heat-safe plate or platter
paper towels
tongs/fork/spatula, for turning

Directions

Set stove top temperature to a medium and heat skillet.
Lay strips of bacon into hot skillet, lined up like little soldiers but not quite touching.
Bacon will shrink as it cooks.
While bacon is cooking, line a heat-safe plate or platter with paper towels.
Cook bacon for a few minutes, until edges begin to crisp and turn brown. Time will vary depending on the thickness of the cut.
Using tongs/fork/spatula, carefully turn bacon over and cook on other side for 2-3 minutes.
Remove bacon from skillet to paper towel lined plate. Laying them flat will allow for beautiful long strips.
Use additional paper towel to pat the tops of the bacon to remove any excess grease.
Consider sharing delicious bacon with your family.

Notes

To cook bacon on a griddle, follow the same general directions as for pan fried. However, be aware that the bacon grease will pool. Either use a tilting electric griddle that will drain and catch the bacon fat, or be prepared to pour off grease into a heat-safe container between batches.