How To Cook Bacon in Frying Pan

how to cook bacon in frying pan

Here’s your complete step-by-step guide on how to cook bacon in frying pan. Learn when to turn over bacon strips, how to fix it when they curl up, and other expert tips from a former restaurant manager. Also, see guidance on best pan, best skillet, and how to store bacon. This is a part of our Sides, Pork, and Breakfast categories.

making bacon in a pan

Making Bacon in a Pan

Best Ways for making bacon in a pan are shown here. Shows cooking bacon in a skillet and making bacon in frying pan. Tips when using stainless steel pan or cast iron skillet.
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Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 12 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 315kcal

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Ingredients 

  • ½ lb bacon thick or regular cut bacon slices
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil optional

Instructions 

  • Heat up pan or skillet on burner to medium heat or a little lower.
    preheat skillet to medium heat for frying bacon in pan
  • Cut bacon strips in half.
    cutting bacon strips in half before cooking bacon in stainless steel pan
  • When pan or skillet is hot, optionally add in some oil. Then, place the half strips of bacon until filled and cook for about 4-5 minutes
    ½ lb bacon, 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
    placing strips of bacon stove top in preheated pan
  • Turn over bacon and press down (5-15 seconds) any curling parts using spatula or bacon press. Cook until done, about 4-5 minutes, with options to turn over again to complete cooking fully.
    pressing down curled parts of frying bacon on stovetop
  • Place bacon onto paper towels for grease absorption. Turn off burner and remove pan or skillet from burner.
    draining pan fried bacon on paper towels
  • Serve bacon onto individual plates or serve all in a single serving platter, bowl, or plate.
    serving cooked bacon

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 150mg | Vitamin A: 28IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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SOURCE: DarnGoodRecipes.com™

Frying Pan Bacon on Stove: Step-by-Step

It’s easy frying pan bacon on the stove top. Just follow these easy steps and you’ll be ready to cook bacon on the stove in a pan or skillet. Then, you can readily serve it alongside scrambled eggs or sunny side up eggs also.

Without cutting strips in half, Fit Foodie Finds shows another way “How to Cook Bacon on the Stove“.

Best Pan for Frying Bacon

While you can use any kind, there is a preferred best pan for cooking bacon. Technically, there is a best pan and a best skillet. For starters, they are not the coated types of pans or skillets. I’ll discuss briefly both types now. The Foods Guy also discusses “The Best Bacon Pans“.

Best Frying Pan for Bacon

The best pan for frying bacon is the stainless steel pan. Another good option is cooking bacon in cast iron pans. When you’re cooking bacon in stainless steel, you’ll get good, even results. Also, if you preheat it for 2-3 minutes first, frying bacon in stainless steel pan doesn’t stick as much, if at all. Finally, frying in stainless steel pans are best in at least a 3-ply pan.

Best Skillet for Bacon

The best skillet for frying bacon is going to be a cast iron skillet. However, stainless steel skillets are great too. For an exception, I avoid the coated skillets, even the ceramic ones. Also, when frying bacon in cast iron, just preheat it for about 3 minutes initially and that will reduce sticking as well as provide more even cooking.

Can You Cook Bacon in a Nonstick Pan?

You can cook bacon in a nonstick pan. However, I try to avoid them. I’m just not comfortable with the coatings added to cooking wares, mainly because of long term health findings. Also, they tend to deteriorate in a short period of time and no longer perform well. With that said, a regular stainless steel pan can have low or fully nonstick properties when preheated for 2-3 minutes first. After that, an optional addition of a quick oil spray or 1 Tbsp of oil added also helps to reduce or eliminate sticking.

How To Keep Bacon From Curling

There are 2 popular ways on how to keep bacon from curling I learned as a restaurant manager. and there is a 3rd way not known by many, even in restaurants. The 4th way I don’t use but Food Republic mentions a way to use the oven for “The Sheet Pan Hack that Prevents your Bacon from Curling“.

Method 1. Use a Spatula to Keep Bacon from Curling

Just use your spatula and press down curled areas for 5 to 15 seconds and release. Repeat if needed.

how to keep bacon from curling by pressing down with a spatula
Press down with a spatula for 5-15 seconds

Method 2. Use a Bacon Press to Keep Bacon from Curling

Presses are typically rectangular but can also be round. Similar to spatula, just lay the press over the curled areas, press down & let go.

without holding using a press to keep bacon from curling
Without holding, use a press to keep strips from curling

To speed up cooking time, press down and hold. Either way, remove the press when curling is fixed or remove when ready to flip the bacon over.

use press and hold down to keep bacon from curling
Use a Press and hold it down to keep bacon from curling

Method 3. Use a Pot to Keep Bacon from Curling.

This is handy if you don’t have a bacon press. Similar idea of a meat press, find a small pot, pan, or skillet, and lay it’s outer bottom side on top of curled areas to act like a meat press. You’ll need to hold it in place while pressing it down for several seconds.

In restaurants, for massive quantities, I used to use a large, rectangular stainless steel steam pan over rows of strips. I either pressed down or I added in some heavy items to weight it down.

Bacon Nutritional Values

bacon nutritional values for hearty serving at breakfast meal
Bacon nutritional values for hearty serving at breakfast meal

A hearty serving of 2.7 ounces of bacon is about 315 calories 1 gram of protein, and 10 grams of carbs. See the more detailed nutritional values in recipe. Also, there are some benefits about cooking turkey bacon compared to pork. So, here’s a good article on “12 Types of Bacon and Their Nutritional Values“.

Breakfast Dishes with a Side of Bacon

Here are some breakfast main and side dishes that go perfectly with fried bacon strips. Some of the sides are more related meat ideas for those extra large breakfasts or many guests.

Storing Bacon and Shelf Life of Grease Drippings

Storing bacon is fine in the fridge or freezer. I find that I avoid storing raw bacon in the fridge longer than 3 days and I generally focus on cooking it within 1-2 days. For cooked bacon, it stores well for me for about 2-3 days max. Overall, bacon grease shelf life is up to 3 months in the fridge.

shelf life of bacon grease in food container is about 3 months in fridge
Shelf life of bacon grease in food container is about 3 months in fridge

For the freezer, I store raw bacon no longer than 3 months and I ensure it’s double bagged in food bags or wrapped well in butcher paper. When planning to cook bacon, I find it thaws out easily (in plastic bags) overnight in the fridge.

When storing cooked bacon in the freezer, I’ll put it into a plastic food container so it won’t get crushed. However, I also sometimes crumple it up as bacon bits and then store it easily in double bagged food baggies. I never keep it past about 3 months frozen.

For bacon grease, I find the flavor shelf life is good up to 6 months but I tend to stay within 3 months, like the fridge. I always let it thaw in the fridge, which takes 1-2 days if it’s thick.

Recipes Using Bacon or Drippings

Whether it’s regular crumbled bits of bacon or drippings, here’s a few great tasting recipes you’ll enjoy using one of those ingredients.

Conclusion of How To Cook Bacon in Frying Pan

You’ve now seen how to cook bacon in frying pan using stainless steel as the focus. You also know that it cooks very well in a cast iron skillet, as the other preferred cookware. You’ve learned that preheating the pan or skillet for 2-3 minutes helps significantly reduce sticking. And you’ve also seen how to handle curled up bacon by pressing it down a few seconds. Finally, you’ve learned it stores well in the fridge or freezer, raw or cooked. And, even saving the grease in the fridge works well for reusing it for other recipes.

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