Crispy Bacon

Crispy Bacon

Once you make bacon in the microwave, you may never do it on the stovetop or in the oven again. The strips get super crispy and the cleanup is so much easier. Just note that quantity of bacon will affect cook time, as will the bacon's thickness, so you may need to add or reduce cooking time depending on the cut of the strips (more pieces and thicker strips will need more time; fewer pieces and thinner strips will need less).

There are two methods to cook bacon in the microwave: one with paper towels to make extra-crispy bacon (perfect for BLTs!), and one without which still yields crispy but slightly more tender bacon and lots of bacon fat, a.k.a. liquid gold! We'll give you instructions for both.

All of Anyday’s recipes are tested (and retested!) in many different microwaves and home kitchens to make sure they work — and work well. 

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Select your microwave wattage in the dropdown. The cook times in this recipe will automatically change accordingly.

To find your microwave’s wattage, look at the front panel, the side of the door, in the back, in the user manual, or Google the model number. If both an input and output wattage are listed, use the output.

Wattage translates to how powerful the microwave is. The higher the wattage, the faster your food will cook. The lower the wattage, the longer the cook time.

When in doubt, start with less time — you can always add more.

1000w

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Product Size

  • Small Dish
  • Medium Shallow
  • Large Shallow
  • Medium Deep
  • Large Deep

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

3-7 mins

Free Time

to squeeze some fresh OJ

Ingredients

  • 2-4 strips of thin or thick-cut bacon, cut in half

Preparation

Paper towel method:

  1. Place a paper towel at the bottom of the Anyday dish, and add as much bacon as you can fit in a single layer (bacon will shrink as it cooks). Place another paper towel on top, and repeat until all bacon is in the Anyday dish. Cover the last layer of bacon with one more paper towel.
  2. Cook uncovered in the microwave for 3-6 minutes, or until bacon is as crispy as you like. If needed, add more time in 30-second intervals. Bacon will continue to cook and crisp slightly as it cools down.

Lid-on method:

  1. Add as much bacon as you can fit in a single layer in the Anyday dish.
  2. Cover with lid (knob lifted) and cook in the microwave for 4-7 minutes, or until bacon is as crispy as you like. If needed, add more time in 30-second intervals. (NOTE: When taking the Anyday dish out of the microwave, put it on a trivet or kitchen towl. Placing the hot Anyday on a cold counter or in the sink may cause the dish to crack.) Remove bacon from the Anyday dish, allowing excess bacon grease to drip off, and place it on a plate lined with paper towels. Discard or save remaining bacon grease. Bacon will continue to cook and crisp slightly as it cools down.

Serving suggestions & tips

  • For chewier bacon, reduce cooking time.
  • To make bacon bits for a salad topping, cook the bacon and then chop or crumble.
  • Use leftover bacon fat (if using method #2 and saving) to whisk into vinaigrettes, toss with potatoes for roasting, and sautéeing veggies.
  • Microwave ovens vary, even with the same wattages. Adjust cooking times as needed.