Bacon is a staple in every American household. From breakfast to dinner, it’s the food you can have at every hour of the day. A warm, soft piece of bacon, on top of your eggs, or as a side with your waffles is bound to cheer you up. I’m sure your mouth is watering at the thought of it.
But if you’re someone as lazy as I am, you might hate the hassle of making soft bacon on the stovetop. Every day, for all my life, I woke up, went to the kitchen, fried a couple of pieces of bacon in a pan, and ate it. But something as small as a piece of bacon could create a pile of dishes to wash.
Only recently did I have the thought to come up with a way to make delicious soft bacon in the microwave. Yes, you heard me correct. I, like everyone else, only used the microwave as a means to reheat food. But as a source of heat to cook, why can’t a microwave be a perfect appliance for cooking?
This led me to get on the internet and look for a microwave soft bacon recipe. To my surprise, I couldn’t find much there. Apart from a few recipes, which were all failures, there was nothing to be found there. That’s when I decided to put on my apron and come up with a recipe myself.
That’s the story of how I started to make soft bacon in a microwave. It’s delicious, and you’ll only have to clean one dish later. Convenient, right?
If you wanna find out how to make soft bacon in a microwave, keep on reading!
The Art of the Perfect Soft Bacon
Soft bacon is a piece of lean and meaty bacon, which is cooked enough to get just a little crispy without getting flabby. Unlike crispy bacon, it is much better to use thick slices to make soft bacon. A slice of bacon with the right amount of fat and meat will give you the tastiest soft bacon.
In a microwave or an oven, the cooking time to make soft bacon is reduced so the pieces won’t fry in their fat. But on a stovetop that can be controlled. By using a lid on top of the pan, extra moisture is trapped which allows the bacon strip to get soft and meaty.
If you’re cooking many strips, I’d recommend you to use a stovetop or even a sheet pan in the oven. It’ll help you keep an eye on the bacon, so you can get your desired cook. But if you cook bacon slices just for yourself, using a stovetop or oven can be very time-consuming. You’ll have to brush your pans with grease and mess up many dishes, that’s just too much work.
I recommend always microwaving bacon if you’re cooking just a small amount. Microwaving won’t just be faster but also will reduce the clean-up time afterward. But whatever cooking technique you’re using, just keep in mind that crisping the pieces in rendered fats is not an option.
How to Microwave Soft Bacon?
Your microwave has so many settings, sometimes it might get confusing. That is why I’ll make it easier for you. You don’t have to change any settings before making soft bacon. The normal setting works completely fine if you follow the instructions given below.
Start with looking for a microwavable plate (Trust me, you don’t want to mix microwaving and unsafe cutlery). Now line the plate with paper towels, enough to cover the whole plate. I’d recommend using 3 paper towels, one on top of the other.
Bacon slices tend to stick to each other, and you’ll want to avoid that. When laying down the bacon on top of the paper towels, try to keep them apart. And remember to always cover this plate with a microwave-safe lid. If you forget to do this, you’ll end up with a sticky and greasy microwave. Yikes!
Microwave-made bacon slices will be slightly softer than stove-top ones. But if you overdo the cooking time, you’ll end up with a dry and rubbery mess. Initially, cook the slices for 3 minutes, then take them out and touch them to determine whether you’ve gotten your required result. If it’s still a little under, place them in the microwave for a minute more.
If they’re still not what you wanted, keep microwaving it for 30 seconds intervals until you’re satisfied with your soft bacon. If you want crispy bacon, microwave the bacon for about 4 to 6 minutes. This will help the bacon get rendered in its fat and give you a crispy, tasty finish.
Reheating Soft Bacon in a Microwave
No one likes a cold, fatty slice of meat, right? Bacon tastes good when it’s warm. But isn’t it a big hassle to reheat leftover bacon on a stovetop? Well, don’t worry. Reheating bacon in a microwave is as easy as cooking it in a microwave. The following instructions, if followed correctly, will satisfy your cravings for hot, soft bacon.
- Wrap the cold strips of bacon in a paper towel.
- Place them in a microwavable safe dish, and cover with a paper towel or a microwave-safe lid.
- Heat the bacon for 30 seconds.
- Take the plate out, and if it isn’t as warm as you’d like, warm it up again for 30 seconds.
Is Soft Bacon Safe to Eat?
Yes, it surely is. But only if cooked properly. Bacon needs to reach an internal temperature of 415 degrees Fahrenheit before it becomes safe to consume. When cooking your bacon in a microwave, don’t forget to check the internal temperature using a thermometer. No time-saving is worth a serious health risk!
Tips to Make Soft Bacon in a Microwave
These are a few tips to always keep in your mind when microwaving soft bacon. They’ll help you in getting the tastiest result. Let’s get into them.
- Always use a microwave-safe dish.
- Lining the plate with paper towels will help retain the moisture and provide a soft texture.
- Don’t let the bacon pieces touch each other. They stick! Overlapping them is also a big no-no.
- Cover the slices of bacon with a paper towel or a microwave-safe dish to avoid grease splattering everywhere.
- No matter what preventative measures you take, there’s still a chance that bacon grease splatters all over your microwave. Use dish soap and a sponge to wipe the grease away, and lemon juice to remove the greasy odor.
- Microwave the bacon for 3 minutes initially, and then check whether it’s done or not.
- You can cook it for an additional 30 seconds if required.
- Wear gloves when removing the plate from the microwave. The bacon fat will be sizzling hot.
- Remember that all microwaves are unique, so there is no fixed time I could give you. This might be a trial and error process.
Recipe
This was what you were waiting for, right? A recipe. This recipe is a creation of mine that I’m incredibly proud of. It’s fool-proof and will give you exactly what you want. Hot, soft bacon in under 4 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 strips of bacon
Instructions
- Line a microwave-safe plate with 3 paper towels.
- Lay the bacon strips on the towel (evenly space them and don’t let them touch).
- Cover the plate with a lid or a paper towel.
- Microwave on high heat for 3 minutes.
- Check if it has reached the desired texture, and if not, put it back in for 30 seconds intervals.
- Repeat the process until you get it the way you like it!
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is entirely possible to cook soft bacon in a microwave. Just by following some simple instructions, using the right products, and keeping some things in mind, you’ll get the perfect bacon.
Now that you know this, what’s stopping you to go into the kitchen and making a delicious soft bacon piece? Cooking doesn’t always have to be stressful and lengthy, sometimes it can be easy and quick, yet rewarding.
You’re now ready to step into the kitchen and microwave yourself a piece of soft bacon. Enjoy!