How Long Does It Take To Defrost Bacon In The Microwave? (3 Easy Ways)

If you’re in a rush, defrosting bacon and other frozen meals in the microwave is a fast and effective approach. Just place your bacon slices in the microwave on the defrost setting and you will have defrosted bacon in no time. How much time does it take?

The time it takes to thaw bacon in the microwave is determined on the weight of the meat. A pound of bacon normally takes 5-10 minutes to thaw on the defrosting mode or at a low temperature.

This difficulty may be handled by measuring your bacon using a kitchen scale; this way, you’ll know exactly how long your bacon needs to thaw fully.

If you want to learn more about how to thaw all varieties of frozen bacon in the microwave, then continue reading the article.

How Long To Defrost Bacon In Microwave

You can thaw whatever kind of bacon you like. You can cook raw bacon, bacon chunks, or previously cooked bacon in the microwave. How long does it take to thaw bacon in the microwave? It is entirely dependent on the weight of the bacon itself. It normally takes no more than 5-8 minutes to cook a pound of bacon. Here’s how to fast thaw bacon in the microwave, just in time for supper.

Instructions For Defrosting Bacon In The Microwave

1. First and foremost, always measure the frozen meat before defrosting it. The weight of the bacon represents the amount of time spent defrosting. If you’re short on time, consider defrosting little portions of bacon.
2. Only thaw one kind of bacon in the microwave at a time. Defrost just raw bacon or cooked bacon slices, for example; do not combine them.
3. If the bacon bits are stuck together, separate them with a sharp knife or similar kitchen instrument and throw a paper towel on top to absorb any residual moisture. Bacon is often fatty and wet.
4. When defrosting anything in the microwave, use the defrosting setting. If your microwave does not offer a defrosting option, reduce the power to 30% to avoid mistakenly cooking the surface of the bacon while leaving the interior frozen and uncooked. Who wants grayish-looking bacon in the first place?
5. Microwave the bacon in a microwave-safe container for 5 minutes, checking often. If your bacon need extra time, return it to the oven for another 3 minutes.
6. You may turn the bacon halfway through the cooking time to allow it to thoroughly thaw.
7. Cooking your bacon soon after it has fully frozen protects it from being exposed to hazardous microorganisms.
8. The same defrosting procedure applies to streaky bacon, also known as Panchetta, and any other variety of bacon from throughout the globe.
9. After the bacon has thawed, fry it over medium-high heat to create crispy bacon.

[Related Article: 5 Best Bacon Cooker And Purchasing Advice For 2021]

How Do You Freeze Bacon?

Many people have no clue how to freeze bacon, and I must say that I have never felt the need to do so since every time I bring it home from the grocery store, it goes in less than two days.

Yet, some individuals (not me) like to purchase their food in bulk and must freeze their meats and other perishable items. Therefore, organized individuals, this one is for you.

Freezing Uncooked Bacon

• The optimum time to freeze bacon is soon after purchasing it or two days later. Raw bacon is a perishable commodity that will only keep in the fridge for a few days.
• Individual bacon streaks may be placed in separate ziplock bags, or you can use one for all of them, separating them with a paper towel.
• You may also freeze bacon in an airtight container, or even better, in its original packaging if you haven’t unwrapped it yet.
• It is recommended to freeze raw bacon in its original container since it prevents air from entering.
• The next step is to simply find a spot to store your bacon in the freezer and utilize it within 6 months.

Freezing Already Cooked Bacon

• Pre-cooked bacon can be frozen in the same way that raw bacon can.
• I prefer to remove any residual oil from the frying or backing operation before freezing it.
• To avoid freeze burn, place your bacon strips in a ziplock bag or an airtight container.
• You may use several ziplock bags and place one part of cooked bacon in each bag so that when you just need one portion of bacon, you don’t have to thaw a whole batch. Products that have previously been defrosted cannot and should not be frozen again.

Other Ways To Defrost Bacon If You Don’t Have A Microwave In Your Home

Many individuals do not use microwaves because they do not feel they are safe, which is perfectly OK. There are several alternative methods for reheating or defrosting frozen meals. Let us go through them again.

The Refrigerator Method

This approach is by far the safest way to thaw bacon or any other form of meat, and it defrosts your frozen food entirely and evenly. The refrigerator technique of defrosting frozen bacon inhibits bacteria development and keeps the bacon appearing fresh and pink rather than gray and lifeless.

Keeping perishable food like meat, cheese, milk, and so on at room temperature is not a good idea, particularly if the products have already been opened. That is why defrosting bacon in the fridge is the best option.

That is, of course, assuming you have enough free time. Just remove your bacon from the refrigerator, place it in an airtight container or its original packaging, and leave it for 24 hours.

Although though this technique takes a long time, and I understand that most people want to thaw food as soon as possible since they forgot to do it the night before, it works great if you’re not in a rush.

If you aren’t going to use the whole defrosted piece of bacon in one meal, don’t panic; you can keep the newly fresh bacon in the fridge for up to a week.

Cold Water Method

The cold water approach is another safe way to thaw frozen bacon. Well, I know what you’re thinking: wouldn’t frozen bacon defrost more slowly if thawed in cold water?

The answer is, kind of, but it is a fully safe and approved method of defrosting any type of meat. Fill a bowl with cold tap water and place the frozen bacon in a plastic zip-lock bag to ensure no water gets near the bacon. Leave the zip-lock bag in the cold water bath to finish the thawing process.

The defrosting duration is determined by the weight of the bacon, although it does defrost faster than the refrigerator approach.

When the required length of time has elapsed and the bacon has defrosted (typically 20 minutes per pound), take the slices of bacon from the bag, drain the excess fluids, and pat the bacon dry with a paper kitchen towel.

The cold water approach inhibits bacterial development and does not pollute your living space. This procedure should only be used on raw bacon, not cooked or leftover bacon.

The Warm Water Method

The warm water approach is similar, except it uses warm or hot water instead of cold. I suggest using warm water since hot or boiling water might turn your frozen bacon grey and unappealing, rather than the baby pink tint that bacon generally has.

As previously said, place your bacon in a watertight zip lock bag. Fill a large mixing basin halfway with warm water.

Do not overfill the bowl since the volume doubles when you place your ziplock bag in the water and the water may easily overflow and cause a mess everywhere.

Put the bacon in the water dish and let aside for 5 minutes to defrost. Check to check whether your bacon has defrosted in 5 minutes; if not, leave it for a little longer.

Defrosting Bacon In The Oven

If you don’t have a microwave or are just trying to be more environmentally conscious, there is another alternative. It is entirely doable and quite simple to defrost your bacon in the oven.

Set your oven to low to medium heat. Remove the frozen bacon from its packing and lay it on a baking pan lined with baking paper. Wrap the bacon in aluminum foil and set aside.

You may place your oven in the oven to defrost when it has been suitably heated. After five minutes, remove it from the oven and examine the development.

If it need extra time, keep it out for a little longer. Your bacon should only be thawed for around 10 minutes.

Defrosting Bacon On A Frying Pan

Many of us do not have the time to wait for our bacon to thaw naturally, and others of us dislike using microwaves. So, what do you do when your favorite breakfast item isn’t ready?

You can thaw it on the pan without any issues. Cover a standard frying pan with aluminum foil to prevent the bacon from cooking from the exterior while remaining raw on the inside, then place your bacon pieces on top.

Turn the bacon pieces to thaw them more quickly and uniformly, and you’ve got yourself a perfectly fine technique to defrost bacon when you don’t know what else to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Safe To Defrost Bacon In The Microwave

Yes. It is safe to use a microwave to thaw frozen bacon. Just take your slice of bacon, remove any plastic packing, place it in a microwave-safe plate, and microwave it for five minutes on the defrost setting.

Check on it on a regular basis. If the bacon is still frozen after 3 minutes, microwave it for additional 3 minutes.

How Do You Defrost Bacon Quickly

If you have a microwave in your house, the simplest method to thaw bacon is to use it. If you don’t have one, the cold water technique will suffice.

Allowing your bacon to defrost in cold water can thaw it in less than 30 minutes. Put your bacon in a ziplock bag and immerse it in cold water. After 20 minutes, you’ll have defrosted bacon.

How Long To Defrost Bacon In Fridge

Refrigerated bacon may be defrosted for 12-14 hours. So, take the bacon out of the freezer and place it on a dish in the refrigerator overnight. You may use it the next day or store it in the fridge for up to a week.

How To Cook Frozen Bacon 

You may thaw your bacon in a frying pan or skillet just before using it in a recipe. It is not a good idea to cook frozen food.

Defrosting all of your meat before cooking ensures that it is properly cooked through and does not remain frozen in the centre.

Can Bacon Be Air Fried

Yes. You can cook your bacon in an air fryer, but it will not be as crispy as frying it in a pan or skillet.

Alternatively, if you want to reduce the amount of oil you use in your cooking, an air fryer is the right option.

Be careful to cook your bacon at the correct temperature, otherwise it will become soggy and not even somewhat crispy.