Method 1: in the pan

The classic method is easy to do, and will give you guaranteed crispy results every time. However, if you’re cooking for many people it can be time consuming and messy. Pan cooking is best for:

  • Small amounts of bacon
  • Camping and remote cooking

Fill an unheated pan with bacon, ensuring the rashes are close together but aren’t overlapping. Place the pan over a medium heat and allow to cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, before flipping it over and cooking on the other side.

Method 2: in the oven

If you want to make enough bacon to feed an army, or you need to leave it to cook by itself without a lot of supervision, this is the method for you. Remember to let it drain on paper towel once done to soak up all the excess grease. Oven cooking is best for:

  • Cooking large amounts of bacon
  • Unsupervised cooking

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a tray with foil and place the bacon in a single layer on top. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Allow the bacon to drain on a paper towel lined plate, then serve while still hot.

Method 3: in the microwave

When it comes to easy cooking nothing beats the microwave. Here, you can use a specifically designed microwave bacon pan, or just opt for a microwave-safe dish to do the job. Regardless of which option you go for, don’t miss adding paper towel on top of the bacon to prevent it from spattering grease all over your microwave. Microwave cooking is best for:

  • Cooking small amounts of bacon
  • Mess-free cooking
  • Quick cooking

Line a microwave-safe dish with three layers of paper towel. Place the bacon in a single layer on top of the paper. Add three additional layers of paper towel on top of the bacon to create a sandwich. Place the dish in the microwave and cook for 1 minute for every slice of bacon in the dish. Check the bacon and if it requires more time, microwave in 10 second bursts until fully cooked. Immediately remove the bacon from the dish to prevent it from sticking to the paper, and allow it to cool slightly on a plate before serving.

Know your bacon

There are several different cuts of bacon, all suited to different things. Here are some of the most common:

Middle rashers

These are taken from the side of the pig, and have a moderate fat content, and a good flavour. Middle rashers have a round ‘eye’ piece of lean meat a small tail of streaky bacon.

Breakfast or picnic rashers

This is the cheapest bacon, that can be made from the shoulder, or from older pigs or leftover trimmings that are shaped to resemble bacon. This cut in prone to becoming tough when cooked.

Streaky bacon

This is the most flavourful cut, due mainly to its high level of fat content, which can be seen by the long layers of fat running parallel to the rind. This cut doesn’t include the lean round ‘eye’ of meat.

Best bacon recipes

Now that you have all the ways to easily cook bacon, put it to good use in one of these recipes: