How to Cook Bacon in the Microwave

Reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs

Last Updated: December 3, 2024 Approved

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If you love crunchy, crispy bacon, you'll be glad to know that there is a quick way to cook bacon without making a greasy mess. Just be sure to cook enough of it though, because you'll want to go back for more!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Paper towel method

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Prepare a microwave-safe dish, preferably glass or Pyrex. Place several layers of paper towels over the dish. The paper towels will absorb all the bacon grease, leaving a mess-free kitchen, which means no dirty dishes to wash.^{[1]
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Lay up to six uncooked bacon strips across the paper towels. Don't overlap them, or the bacon won't cook evenly.^{[2]
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This will prevent splattering grease from creating a mess in your microwave.^{[3]
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Heat the bacon in the microwave for approximately 3 minutes on the highest setting, or 30 seconds per slice. Note that the time may vary by microwave and according to the amount of bacon cooking.^{[4]
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5
Drain the bacon. Remove the bacon from the plate and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess grease.^{[5]
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- Allow it to sit for about 1 minute to cool.
- Remove the bacon from the paper towels promptly or it will stick, leaving pieces of paper towel on the bacon.
Bacon cooked this way is crispy and delicious, and it won't have as much fat as pan-fried bacon, so it's actually healthier.^{[6]
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Research source} Enjoy the crisp bacon with your eggs or pancakes, in a toasted bacon and tomato sandwich, or as a snack.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Microwave Bowl Method

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In this method, the bacon is draped over the side of the bowl. As it cooks, grease runs down into the bowl and onto the plate below for easy cleanup.^{[7]
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Place as many slices of bacon as you want around the rim of the bowl. If you don't want the bacon sticking together, keep gaps between the pieces; otherwise, don't worry about it.^{[8]
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3
Cook the bacon. Place the bacon-draped bowl into the microwave. Cook the bacon on the highest setting for about 90 seconds per slice. If you're cooking a full pound of bacon, it may take up to 15 minutes.^{[9]
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- To avoid splattering the microwave with grease, you can lightly cover the bacon with a few paper towels.
- Rotate the microwave plate at 10 minutes. This will ensure even cooking of the bacon. Or, if you don't like your bacon crisp, take it out at this point. Be careful! The plate is hot and the hot grease has dripped onto it.
- Keep checking the crispness to see if it's to your liking.
4
Remove the bacon from the microwave. You may need to use an oven mitt, as the bowl and plate will be hot. Carefully take it from the microwave and put it down on a heat-safe surface. Use tongs to take the bacon slices off the bowl and lay them out flat on a paper towel.
- If you let the bacon slices cool on the bowl, they will form a "U" shape for serving.
- Be very careful not to spill the bacon grease as you remove the plate from the microwave.
5
Save the grease. If you want, the grease can be saved for cooking. Either pour the grease into a storage container straight from the plate, or place it in the fridge (as shown here) and allow it to harden with cooling and scrape off.^{[10]
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Research source} It makes fried eggs very tasty!
- Dispose of the fat if you don't want to use it for cooking.
- Be very careful handling the bowl and plate, as they're extremely hot.

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Question

How do I clean a microwave if it is splattered with fat?

Violet_Potatoes

Community Answer

Whenever my microwave needs cleaning, I mix some dish soap and warm water. Simply use a dishrag to scrub out the microwave and use a second one to dry it.

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What if I don't have paper towels or napkins?

Community Answer

If you have a brown paper grocery bag, you can tear off a piece of that and put your bacon onto it for microwaving.

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What happens if I don't have any paper towels?

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Use paper dinner napkins.

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Tips

You can open the microwave to check on your bacon without worrying about 'letting the heat out'. When the microwave oven is turned on it will instantly get hot.

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If you have a bacon setting on your microwave, use it.

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If left too long the bacon will get too crisp, but it is still delicious.

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