All the bacon lovers will have lots of bacon in their freezer but before cooking them, you will need to defrost them. If you are wondering how to defrost bacon quickly without a microwave, you have landed on the right place.
The fastest way to defrost bacon is in a microwave but if you do not want to do so, there are other equivalent good ways in which it can be cooked.
Following are the methods to defrost bacon without a microwave:
1. Overnight in the refrigerator
In this method, the bacon is allowed to sit overnight in the refrigerator. This will ensure that the bacon is completely defrosted and you can use it. Below is the step by step process:
- Remove the package of frozen bacon from the freezer.
- Place it in a container and put it in the refrigerator for the whole night.
- It will be safely defrosted in the next 8-12 hours (overnight).
- Now, you can cook the bacon.
Once the bacon is thawed with this method, it can be kept in the refrigerator for a week without cooking.
Pros – It is perfect for those who pre-plan their meals and is the safest way to defrost bacon. In this method, the bacon is not exposed to harmful bacteria.
Cons – It takes a long time of 8-10 hours and is not suitable for those who want to use it immediately for cooking. This method requires pre-planning.
2. Defrosting in a cold water bath
This is a quick method by which bacon gets defrosted easily. Follow the below steps:
- Transfer the bacon in a Ziploc bag or let it be in the original packing and then keep in a bowl of cold water.
- Be careful that there should not be any leakage in the Ziploc bag or original packing.
- In some time, the water in the bowl will become extremely cool due to the frozen bacon cooling it. Discard this water and add more cold water to the bowl. Repeat this step as required.
- Soak the bacon in cold water for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is defrosted completely.
- This process can be accelerated by thawing it under the running cold water from the tap. But this process will also take time and you will waste more water.
Pros – It is a faster method as compared to defrosting in the freezer.
Cons – If the bacon is left out for defrosting using this method for more than 2 hours, the probability of harmful bacteria growing on it will increase.
3. Defrosting in a skillet
Bacon can be defrosted in a skillet but it should be large enough. Follow the below steps for this method:
- Take out the frozen bacon from the freezer and remove its packaging.
- Put it on a skillet that is large enough.
- Place the skillet on the stovetop in a medium-low setting.
- To speed up the process, cover it with a lid or some aluminum foil.
- As the defrosting process begins, you can separate each strip.
- Flip each strip so that defrosting occurs equally on both sides.
Pros – It is a fast method and the bacon gets defrosted in 5-10 minutes.
Cons – This method cooks the bacon along with the defrosting. So those who want to cook in some other way after defrosting should not use it.
4. Defrosting in a stainless-steel frying pan
It is another method of defrosting bacon in which heat is conducted effectively and defrost the bacon quickly. Steps are:
- Take a heavy frying pan and place aluminum foil on it.
- Take out the frozen bacon from the freezer and place it on the pan with foil, with or without the packaging.
- Put the pan on the stovetop and allow it to stand until the bacon gets defrosted.
- Turn the bacon halfway to ensure it defrosts evenly.
Pros – It is a quick method to defrost bacon evenly.
Cons – If the frying pan is not of a heavy base, it will lead to the burning of aluminum foil or bacon.
Which is better bacon fried on the stove or microwave?
It is better to cook bacon in a microwave as compared to frying it on the stove. Reasons are:
1. Quick method
Bacon is cooked quickly in a microwave. It takes just 3-4 minutes in a microwave whereas when frying on a stovetop, you will have to spend around 10-12 minutes.
2. Calorie content
Each slice of bacon cooked in a microwave has 15 calories whereas it is 42 calories per slice when cooked on the stovetop.
3. Fat content
A slice of microwaved bacon has 1.86 grams fat whereas it is 3.18 grams fat when cooked on a stovetop. This is because while cooking in a microwave, paper towels are used to absorb most of the fat from the bacon.
How long should you cook bacon?
Time taken to cook bacon depends on the method used to cook it. Below is the time required to cook bacon:
| METHOD OF COOKING | TIME TAKEN |
| Cooking on a skillet. (Method to cook 8-10 slices at a time) | 8-12 minutes |
| In an oven (For cooking a large batch of bacon at once) | 25-35 minutes |
| In a microwave (For cooking few pieces of bacon) | 4-6 minutes |
Does bacon need to be defrosted before cooking?
No, bacon does not need to be defrosted before cooking. Immediately after taking it out from the freezer, bacon can be cooked by any method like in a microwave, on a skillet, or in an oven. You just need to add extra time to get it cooked nicely.
But it is always recommended to defrost the bacon before cooking because if frozen bacon is cooked without defrosting, it will take a longer time and will not cook evenly.
Also, the frozen bacon will not get crispy as there will be many releases of water from it and you will not be able to fry it in the rendered fat.
What temp do you cook bacon in an air fryer?
The temp at which you should cook bacon in the air fryer is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the bacon will become crispy and there will be no burn or smoke to the bacon.
It is always safe to cook bacon in the air fryer but the temperature should be proper and you should clean the air fryer properly before starting to cook the bacon.
Following steps should be followed to cook bacon in an air fryer:
- Cut the bacon slices into half and place them in the air fryer basket. Add pepper if required.
- Set the temperature of 350 degrees F and cook for 5-9 minutes depending on the thickness of the bacon.
- Once done, remove the cooked slices of bacon from the air fryer and place them on a plate with a paper towel lining.
Conclusion
It is important to defrost the frozen bacon before cooking to get a crispy texture. Apart from the microwave, you can defrost it either in a refrigerator by keeping it for 10-12 hours, in cold water, on a skillet, or in a stainless-steel frying pan.
All these methods are efficient in defrosting bacon perfectly. While defrosting you must take care that it should not be thawed in hot water.