How to Reheat Bacon in the Microwave (With Ease)

Bacon is a very popular item among meat-eaters & who doesn’t love strips of bacon in their breakfast?

Cooking bacon in a busy morning can be tiresome & may need some patience so it is always a good idea to cook bacon for the week beforehand in the weekend & reheat it when required.

There are various ways to reheat bacon but using a microwave to do so is the easiest method.

Using a microwave also prevents any grease spill or any unexpected accident that might occur. It is also easy to clean up after reheating bacon in the microwave.

So, here’s a comprehensive article with tips, instructions & frequently asked questions on how you can appropriately & safely reheat bacon in the microwave & use it for further consumption.

How to Prepare Bacon for Reheating in a Microwave

If you are purposely cooking bacon in advance so that you can reheat it quickly in the microwave & have it anytime, then make sure to not cook it till it becomes crispy.

You can leave the bacon partially or barely cooked so that when you reheat it in the microwave, it becomes soft, crispy & perfect as desired.

Before you reheat bacon in the microwave, always place the bacon strips on a sheet of paper towel & then put another sheet of paper towel on top of it.

How to Reheat Bacon in a Microwave

Active Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

Place a sheet of paper towel on a microwave-safe plate.

Keep the bacon strips in a single layer on it & place another sheet of paper towel over it. Set the microwave to 400°F & reheat it for 20 – 60 sec.

Keep checking every 10 – 20 sec & remove it once the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Print

Materials

• A microwave-safe dish or bowl, something made of glass, ceramic or microwaveable plastic.
• Paper towels
• A food thermometer

Tools

• Potholders

Instructions

1. Set the bacon strips on a microwave-safe plate – Place a sheet of paper towel on a microwave-safe plate. Keep the bacon strips in a single layer on the paper towel .
   
   Do not pile onto each other & avoid crowding. Make sure the bacon strips are not overlapping.
   
   Now, place another layer of paper towel over the bacon strips. This will prevent any spillage & help in cleaning up fast.
   
   The covering will also help to absorb the grease releasing from the bacon strips while reheating.
   
   You can also use a microwave bacon cooker to reheat the bacon evenly & to get rid of the grease easily.
   
   
2. Microwave settings – Keep the microwave-safe dish inside the microwave & set the temperature at 400°F & reheat the bacon strips for 20 – 60 seconds. Keep checking in between to get the perfect reheated bacon.
   
   Reheat few bacon strips at a single time as we don’t want to overcrowd. Keep repeating the process for a large amount of bacon.
   
   
3. Keep a check on the bacon – It is very important to keep a check on the bacon strips every 10 – 20 seconds . Check the doneness & reheat if required.
   
   
4. Check the internal temperature of the bacon – Use a food thermometer to check that the internal temperature of the bacon reaches 165°F .
   
   If it doesn’t reach the temperature initially then allow some standing time.
   
   
5. Remove the bacon from the microwave – Once the temperature has reached 165°F & is noticeably hot, then remove the plate carefully using potholders & place the bacon strips on another plate lined with another sheet of paper towel.
   
   If you want the bacon to be extra crunchy & crisp, then wait for a minute for the bacon strips to cool down before serving.
   
   

Notes

Preparation time: No such preparation required

Temperature: 400°F

Tips to Remember while Reheating Bacon in a Microwave

Please follow the tips while reheating bacon in a microwave quickly & safely:

• Use microwave-safe containers – Use glass or ceramic bowls & microwaveable plastic containers. Do not use disposable plastic wares as they may melt in high temperatures & cause serious health issues. Please check the bottom of the container to read labels that indicate whether it’s safe or not to use it in the microwave.

• Refrain from using metal or foam – Do not use any metal container in the microwave. Avoid using foam trays or aluminum foils, regular paper napkins & colored paper plates as they can melt or release toxins .

• Use microwaveable paper towels – When bacon strips are reheated, lots of fat is released from the strips which makes the appliance unclean & messy. So, to prevent any type of scattering paper towels are used to absorb all the releasing grease.

• Check the temperature – The internal temperature of the reheated bacon should reach 165°F . This will ensure the absence of any microbes & the meat will be perfectly reheated at this temperature.

• Keep the bacon strips arranged in a layer – Do not pile all the bacon strips one on top of the other at a single time. This will not allow even reheating of the bacon. Arrange the bacon in a single layer. Leave enough space between each of them to prevent crowding or overlapping.

• Do not serve it immediately – If you want the bacon to be crispier, tastier & better then try to cool it a little bit before serving it hot.

• Use a microwave bacon cooker – If you cook bacon often then it’s beneficial to get your hands on a microwave bacon cooker . This helps in easy & even reheating of the bacon without worrying about the grease that follows as there is a separate place to collect all that fat.

• Use potholders – While removing the plate of reheated bacon, be careful about the excess steam & heat burning your fingers & using potholders will be the best option to go for.

How to Reheat Ham Slices in a Microwave

Place the ham slices in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate without overlapping on each other Cover it with a damp towel.

Reheat it in the microwave for 30 sec initially then flip it & reheat again for 30 sec. Repeat the process till the thermometer records 165°F & then the ham slices will be ready!

Arrange the ham slices on a microwave-safe plate

Place the slices of ham in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate or bowl.

Try heating one slice at a time but if you want to reheat numerous slices, then make sure there is enough space between each of them.

Do not overlap or pile onto each other. This will hinder the process & cause uneven heating. You can also use a microwaveable plastic container to reheat the ham slices in the microwave .

Cover the bowl of ham slices with a damp paper towel

Take a spray bottle & sprinkle water on the paper towel.You can also wet it using your hands but using a spray bottle will spread the water particles over the towel & dampen it better .

Now, cover the slices with the damp paper towel so that the ham doesn’t dry out while getting reheated in the microwave. The paper towel should be in close contact with the slices.

Do not use plastic wrap or aluminum or tin foil in the microwave as they can melt at high temperatures

Microwave settings

Place the bowl of ham inside the microwave & reheat it for 30 sec initially at normal settings. Then flip the slices & reheat for another 30 sec.

Keep flipping & reheating for an increment of 30 sec until it is noticeably warm .

Check the temperature

It is advised for any leftover food to be reheated to 165°F for further consumption so that the food is free of microbes .

Take a food thermometer & record the temperature. Allow some standing time for attaining the safe internal temperature.

Remove the ham slices from the microwave

The reheated meat will be extremely hot to hold. Use an oven mitt or potholders to handle the plate & wait for some time to remove the wet paper towel from around the meat.

There the ham slices are ready to be served!

Alternate Ways to Reheat Bacon

Bacon can be reheated appropriately & quickly on a stovetop . Take a frying pan & place it on a medium-high flame & heat it for a few minutes.

When you feel the heat on your skin while keeping your palms a little above the pan, place the bacon strips in the pan.

Leave the bacon strips to be reheated in their own fat for 1 – 2 minutes or till it becomes considerably hot.

Then flip the bacon to the other side with kitchen flippers or tongs & reheat for another minute.

Check the temperature with a food thermometer as the USDA recommends 165°F to be the safe internal temperature for reheated foods.

Then remove the bacon strips on a plate lined with a paper towel & the bacon is ready to be hogged on!

If the bacon is too cold then try keeping it out of the refrigerator, at room temperature for a while before using this method, or else the bacon will be hard & cold to chew .

If you have enough time in hand to spare then using an oven to reheat bacon is the best possible way.

You can reheat a large amount of bacon in the oven in a single time & be certain that it will be scrumptious.

You can also skip the mess of cleaning up grease that comes with reheating it.Firstly, set the oven to a temperature of 350°F & preheat .

Place the bacon in a layer on a baking sheet or in a glass or Pyrex dish . Then cover the dish with aluminum foil & place it inside the preheated oven.

Reheat for 10 – 15 min. The more amount of meat, the more time will it take.

Check once after 8 – 10 min whether the bacon is evenly reheated . Take out the dish using an oven mitt & remove the aluminum foil.

Place the bacon on a plate covered with a paper towel & let it cool for a while then enjoy!

How to Store Reheated Bacon

Cool the reheated bacon to room temperature & wrap it properly in aluminum foil or plastic wraps or paper cloth & keep it in an air-tight container to store it in the refrigerator below the temperature of 40°F. It should be refrigerated within 2 hours of reheating for longer shelf life.

The temperature range between 40°F – 140°F is very dangerous for reheated food as it is suitable for any bacterial growth that may rot the food .

So, the reheated bacon should be cooled down & refrigerated within 2 hours of reheating it.

Make sure to wrap the bacon properly in plastic wrap or an aluminum foil or a paper cloth & place it inside a sealed container.

This will prevent the bacon from absorbing any kind of scents from various other foods around & it will also not cause the fridge to stink.

Keeping the bacon unwrapped causes it to become dry & lose its texture. So, storing the bacon properly is key to the quality of the bacon.

Will there be any Change in Texture of the Bacon after Reheating it in a Microwave?

The change in the texture of the reheated bacon is decided by how you had stored the cooked bacon that you are reheating in the first place.

You need to wrap the bacon tightly with a paper cloth or a plastic wrap & keep it inside an air-tight container in the refrigerator to prevent it from drying .

This will help the bacon retain its chewy, soft & crunchy texture.

You should also refrigerate the leftover bacon soon to prevent any kind of microbial growth & spoilage that may not only affect the texture but also the taste & nutritional value of the food.

FAQs

Bottom Line

I hope this comprehensive article helped you in reheating bacon in the microwave easily.

If you have any queries regarding the process, feel free to ask us.

Also, if you know any other methods or tips please let us know so we can add them to our article to make it even better!

Do share this with your family & friends who may want to reheat bacon in the microwave & help them out too.