Bacon Popping

The microwave is a technological innovation that lets you cook almost anything faster and with less effort.

Bacon pops as it goes from ice cold to smoking hot in a matter of seconds. However, if handled carefully, the chances of it popping and causing a mess are reduced.

Why does bacon pop in the microwave? Bacon has a high-fat content, which makes it pop in the microwave. If you drop water into a pan, the reaction is similar. Dab your bacon slices on clean paper towels to prevent such issues.

You can do different things wrong when cooking your bacon aside from them popping in the microwave. Read on to know more.

The Right Way To Microwave Your Bacon

Microwaving bacon is a favorite of some people. The most common reasons for cooking bacon in the microwave are ease, speed, and clean-up. To soak up all of the bacon fat, you’ll need a lot of paper towels.

One of the best things about microwaving bacon is that you don’t need any special equipment. Cleaning is simple if you use enough paper towels. All you have to do is throw the greasy paper towels in the garbage.

Place three or four paper towels on a microwave-safe plate.

Place up to 6 bacon slices on top of the paper towels. Each bacon slice should be surrounded by a paper towel and should not touch. It will not cook as well if you overlap the bacon slices because they will stay together.

To avoid a mess, place another paper towel on top of the bacon.

Next, microwave the bacon on high for 4-5 minutes, according to your microwave wattage. Keep an eye on it and cook it in 30-second intervals until it reaches your desired crispiness.

Swap the position of the bacon near the outside of the plate with the bacon near the center of the plate. Nuke the bacon for a shorter time if you find it chewy. Do not be surprised if you hear any sizzling and popping.

The bacon will steadily cook and crisp for a few seconds after it comes out of the microwave. Stop cooking it a few minutes before you think it’s finished.

Since the bacon is extremely hot, take care not to burn yourself while removing it from the paper towels. To stop sticking, remove it as soon as possible.

Enable the bacon to drain and absorb any excess grease on a fresh paper towel before serving.

Microwaving Bacon Hacks

Using Tray Or Rack

Bacon can be cooked in the microwave using a variety of special gadgets. Bacon racks or trays are not needed for microwave cooking.

However, they can make it much easier to cook a greater portion of bacon less messily. It will also help the bacon cook more evenly.

There is one rule you should always follow regardless of the microwave model you are using. Remember always to follow the manufacturer’s directions for the particular bacon tray or rack you’re using.

To prevent splattering, most will benefit from being covered with a paper towel. Most may come with a chart detailing the amount of bacon to use.

They may also come with temperature and time settings to utilize. When removing the plate from the appliance, be careful because it will be hot.

Using Microwave-safe Plate Or Bowl

The majority of microwave bacon cooking methods necessitate the use of numerous paper towns. This method still includes paper towels, but you can use less if you do it this way.

Turn a microwave-safe bowl upside down on top of a microwave-safe plate.

Place the bacon over the top of the bowl. Then, cook for one minute per slice of bacon in the microwave. The grease will spill down the side of the bowl and onto the pan, leaving crispy bacon on the plate. You may as well drape the bacon over the rim of a bowl facing up if you prefer.

Put a paper towel on top of the bacon to absorb any grease that splatters upward. It will prevent a greasy mess in your microwave.

Things To Avoid When Cooking Bacon In The Microwave

Do not be stingy with the paper towels! The layers are needed to absorb the grease!

Do not overcook your food! Unless you want super dry crispy bacon, which would be good for crumbles in a salad, that is. Keep a close eye on it the first time you make it. Check how your microwave handles the kind of bacon you have.

Do not let the bacon come into contact with each other! Otherwise, the bacon will not be cooked all the way through!

Other Mistakes Must Avoid When Cooking Bacon

Everyone likes bacon—except when it is underdone or overcooked!

Choosing The Wrong Bacon

It can be hard to determine which choice is best when so many different bacon brands are at the grocery store.

It is even harder when choosing your local butcher or farmers market. While thin, flimsy bacon is less costly, it does not cook as well as thicker-cut slabs of bacon.

Cooking Too Much

If you are cooking bacon for one or two people, skip the big pack. Get a slice or two from the butcher counter instead. Not only will it be fresher than the pre-packaged strips, but it will also last longer in your refrigerator.

Trying To Cook Cold Bacon

Bacon is meat, fatty meat. The key to evenly cooking meat and fat is to start them at about the same temperature.

Enable your bacon to come to room temperature for about fifteen minutes before cooking it. It will speed up the rendering of fat, resulting in crispy, not burnt fat.

Burning It

You will never burn anything if you pay attention to it. However, the difference between extra crispy bacon and burnt is that acrid bacon is razor-thin. Remember that the hot fat will continue to cook for a minute even after removing it from the pan/microwave.

Taking Things Day By Day

Mornings at your house are a bit hectic? It doesn’t have to be all lunch and dinner when you do your weekly meal prep on Sunday!

You can prepare breakfast in a variety of ways, so make your bacon ahead of time. Microwave your pre-cooked slices for 10-15 seconds each morning to crisp them up.

Cooking In A Hot Pan

While it might seem the right thing to do, starting with a high temperature may result in overcooked bacon. Not only that, but it will also produce insufficient fat.

It will leave you with a slightly undercooked and slightly burnt strip. Nobody wants that, so start low and slow and gradually increase the heat.

Throwing Out The Fat

Your pan’s sizzling mixture of oil and rendered fat is ideal for frying potatoes, adding richness to soups, or making cornbread.

Don’t even think about tossing out the bacon fat before you clean up! Put your fat in a silicone ice cube tray to make it easier to clean later.

Cooking Bacon Too High In The Oven

What you want is bacon that will snap as you bite into it but not burn it. If you are using the oven, go for a low and slow process. I recommend cooking your bacon for 20 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Not Paying Attention To The Smoke Type

Hickory, applewood, and mesquite are all popular, but each has its flavor profile. Understand the differences between the flavors.

While hickory is a medium wood with a smokiness, applewood has a nice sweetness to it. Mesquite is the smokiest and most strong spice.

Draining The Fat Too Late

Are you saving your bacon fat to drain at the end? If this is the case, the fat in the pan will roast your bacon, preventing it from being crispy. Drain the fat halfway through cooking for full crispness.

The Pros And Cons When Microwaving Bacon

Pros:

No special equipment is needed.
The amount of mess produced by covering the bacon is significantly reduced.
If there is a mess, cleaning a microwave is much better than wiping a stovetop or oven.
The scent of bacon isn’t as intense and doesn’t last as long in the kitchen.
When you need to cook a few slices, this approach is ideal.
Less cooking time.
Bacon becomes crispy when cooked.

Cons:

You won’t be able to save the bacon fat for frying. As a result, the middle will be chewy while the edges will be crispy.
You can only cook a few slices simultaneously.
You use plenty of paper towels regularly.

Microwave Bacon Cooking Time

The microwave is a fantastic way to cook bacon because it is much faster than other methods. Some factors influence the amount of time it takes to cook:

Amount Of Bacon – It cooks much quicker if you cook one or two slices than if you cook several bacon slices.

Wattage – The microwave uses watts of electricity to cook. The wattage of your appliance should be printed on a sticker somewhere on it.

Crispiness – To make it crispier, cook it for a longer time.

Thickness – The longer the bacon takes to cook, the thicker it is.

Conclusion

Every microwave is unique, just as every stove is. If your microwave has a bacon feature, you won’t have to think too hard about it.

If it does not, then make use of the magical button! When you microwave bacon, you have to consume all of the delicious bacon fat that drips out.

The Reason Why Your Bacon Pops In The Microwave: Bacon Hacks