Bacon is healthy and delicious and can be cooked quickly and easily in a microwave. It contains high-quality animal protein along with vitamins. Some minerals are also present in it like zinc, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Along with healthy nutrients, it also contains saturated fat and cholesterol.
Since cooking bacon in the microwave releases fats or oils, it requires paper towels to absorb them. But if you want to cook bacon in the microwave without a paper towel, you can use dish clothes which can be reused by washing in warm soapy water.
Procedure to cook bacon in the microwave without a paper towel-
- Take a microwave-safe plate and small bowl and ensure that the plate is at least 1 inch wider than the bowl.
- Keep the dish cloth on the plate and then put the bowl upside down on it.
- Place the slice of bacon on the top of the bowl.
- Run the microwave for 1-2 minutes till the bacon turns crispy. It may take a little longer if the bacon is thicker.
- Remove the bowl and the plate. Be careful as they can be hot.
- Transfer the bacon to your plate and let it cool slightly. Enjoy delicious perfectly baked bacon.
When a paper towel is not used but bacon is cooked in the microwave on the top of a bowl, it helps to remove some of the fats as it is heated. The fat drips down on the side of the bowl and accumulates on the dish cloth.
Do you need paper towels for bacon?
Yes, you need paper towels for bacon though its not a must. This helps in cooking bacon in the microwave by absorbing all the extra fat that is released from the bacon. Paper towels are useful to prevent splattering in the microwave and you can just throw paper towels in the trash after use.
This is the simplest way to cook bacon, otherwise, we have mentioned step by step process above if you want to cook bacon without paper towels.
While cooking bacon in the microwave, take a microwave-safe plate and cover it with at least 2 layers of paper towels. Then put bacon strips on the paper towels and microwave it for 1-2 minutes until it becomes crispy.
Normally, one slice of bacon requires 1 minute in the microwave to be cooked perfectly. Paper towels will absorb the fat released in the form of oil from the bacon.
But if you do not have paper towels or do not want to use them, dish clothes or microfibre clothes can also be used. They can also absorb the oil released and can be reused by washing them.
Always wash these oil-soaked clothes with your hand as you do not soak such fabrics in the washing machine along with other clothes.
How long do you microwave bacon?
Around 3-4 minutes is required to microwave bacon if you have a standard microwave of 1000 watts and there are 2 slices of bacon.
Given below is the time required to cook bacon in the microwave with different power:
| Power of the microwave | Time taken to cook 2 slices of bacon | Time taken to cook 6 slices of bacon |
| 600-800 Watts | 4-5 minutes | 9-11 minutes |
| 900-1000 Watts | 3-4 minutes | 8-10 minutes |
| 1100-1200 Watts | 2-3 minutes | 5-7 minutes |
However, the time required to cook bacon in the microwave varies according to the following factors-
Wattage of the microwave
This refers to the power of the microwave which is indicated on the sticker inside the door. When the wattage of the microwave is more, less time will be taken to cook.
Slices of bacon
As compared to 6-9 slices of bacon, the time taken to cook 2-3 slices in the microwave will be less.
Thickness of bacon
Bacon differs in thickness and thicker the bacon is, the time taken to cook it will be longer.
How to get the bacon smell out of the microwave?
Bacon smells good when cooked but the microwave in which it has been cooked can smell for days as it is an odor magnet. The smell of the food cooked in the microwave can remain for days.
The smell of bacon is strong and to get the bacon smell out of the microwave, you should follow the following procedure:
- First, clean all the splatters and spills by using suds made from dish soap and water. A sponge dipped in this solution can wipe everything.
- Take a microwave-safe container and fill it halfway with water.
- Put a lemon after cutting it into quarters in the container with water.
- Keep it inside the microwave and run it for 5 minutes.
- Allow the container to sit inside the microwave for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the container from the microwave and be careful as it can be hot.
- You will find that you have a fresh-smelling microwave again as you don’t have a bad smell anymore.
How to cook bacon in the microwave on a bacon tray?
To cook bacon in the microwave on a bacon tray, the following procedure can be followed:
- Take a bacon tray and lay slices of bacon on it. Most of the bacon trays have grooves so that the bacon slices do not touch each other.
- Cover the bacon with a vented lid or paper towel to prevent mess inside the microwave.
- Run the microwave for 4-5 minutes till the slices look crispy. It can take less or more time depending on the number of the slices and their thickness.
- Once done, remove bacon from the tray and transfer them to another plate
Can you microwave uncooked bacon?
Yes, you can microwave uncooked bacon. The raw bacon can be cooked perfectly in just 4-5 minutes in the microwave and you can enjoy your delicious meal.
To microwave uncooked bacon, you just need uncooked bacon, a microwave-safe plate, and some paper towels.
It is very simple to cook bacon in a microwave as you just have to place 2-3 layers of paper towels on the microwave-safe plate and put slices of bacon on it. Then put the plate in the microwave and run it for 4-5 minutes.
Rest things will be done by your microwave and you will get crispy hot bacon with no effort at all.
How long do you microwave turkey bacon?
About 3-4 minutes is required to microwave turkey bacon. It is the time required to cook 2 slices of turkey bacon in a standard microwave of 1000 watts.
However, the time varies with the number of slices and the power of the microwave.
If the power of the microwave is less, more time will be required to cook the same number of slices that are required to cook in a high power microwave.
Also, the thickness of the slices of turkey bacon affects the cooking time. The thicker turkey bacon takes more time to become crispy in a microwave.
The process to cook turkey bacon in a microwave is the same as that of the bacon mentioned above. You can follow the same procedure and get delicious turkey bacon in very little time.
Conclusion
Based on the above discussion, it is found that bacon can be cooked in the microwave easily even without using paper towels. The main purpose of the paper towel is to absorb fats and oils released from the bacon during microwaving.
Also, dish clothes, if used, can serve the purpose of the paper towel and absorb the oil. Once the bacon is perfectly cooked in the microwave, you can enjoy your day with a delicious meal.