How to Make Perfect Bacon – 3 Ways

We all love Bacon. Everything tastes better with Bacon right? I got a t-shirt that says it does. But what I have come to find out is that not everyone knows how to cook bacon properly. So I am now sharing with you How to Make Perfect Bacon – 3 Ways.

There are probably more than 3 ways to cook bacon but I am going to focus on the 3 easiest ways: fry it, bake it and microwave it. Each method requires a different approach so I am going to share all three methods with you.

I know that some like their bacon super crispy while others like their bacon on the “softer” side. It really depends on what you are using the bacon for.

It will be up to you to experiment a bit with the times listed on the recipe card below to find what you are looking for but the cook times I am listing below is a great starting point.

If you’ve ever wondered what part of the pig Bacon comes from check out the picture below. Surprised?

#1 – How to Bake Bacon

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Arrange Bacon on the baking sheet.
Bake for 18 to 25 minutes at 400°F. You do not need to preheat the oven.

#2 – How to Microwave Bacon

Cover a plate with paper towels and line up bacon strips. Cover with more paper towels and micro on high for approximately 60 seconds per strip. So if you plated 5 bacon strips then you will need to microwave for at least 5 minutes.

#3 – How to Fry Bacon

Place bacon strips in a cold skillet and cook on both sides over medium heat. If you need crumbled bacon, dice before frying.

Show me how the Bacon turns out

My favorite way of making bacon is frying it. I guess I am just old school. It can get a little messy but if you start cooking the bacon with a cold skillet you will get less splatter. Anyways, this is what the fried bacon looks like:

The advantage of baking your bacon is it’s less messy. Especially if you line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Once done baking the bacon, let the sheet cool and simply toss the parchment or foil in the trash. Here’s what baked bacon looks like after 16 minutes in my oven:

And probably my least favorite way of making bacon is in the microwave. Not that it tastes bad or anything but I am just not a fan of using the microwave for anything. Personal preference.

Important to note that you need to microwave the bacon for about 60 seconds for EACH bacon strip. This is what I got after roughly 6 minutes in the micro:

Air Fryer Method

I recently posted on how to make Bacon in the Air Fryer. I realize that some of you may not have an air fryer yet but for those who do, check out my Air Fryer Bacon post.

So now that you know How to Make Perfect Bacon – 3 Ways, check out all the recipes you can make with bacon like my Turkey Bacon Ranch Sliders or my Bacon Jalapeño Popper Cheesy Bread.

For more great recipes with Bacon, I suggest you check these recipes out: