ATK Kids

Microwave Your Way to Crispy (Not Flabby!) Bacon

 It’s quicker, easier, cleaner, and more hands-off than any other method.
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Published Feb. 17, 2022.

I love bacon, plain and simple. It just makes everything—from tacos and galettes to rice cereal treats and doughnuts—better. What I don’t love? Actually cooking it.

With the stovetop method, you end up with grease splatter everywhere. With the oven method, you have to wait for the oven to preheat and then wait another 15 minutes for it to cook through (or more, if you like it supercrispy like me). But with the microwave method, you can get crispy, splatter-free bacon in 5 minutes flat. The key: paper towels.

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Sandwiching the bacon between two layers of paper towels allows the towels to absorb fat as the bacon cooks, preventing grease from splattering all over your microwave. That means cleanup is as easy as sticking a single plate in the dishwasher.

It’s a technique that we love at America’s Test Kitchen Kids, and one that we turned to frequently when developing our brand-new cookbook for teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teen Chefs. There, we call on microwave-fried bacon in recipes for Breakfast Sandwiches, BLATs, savory buttermilk waffles, and more.

Book

The Complete Cookbook for Teen Chefs

Whether looking to make a TikTok–worthy giant cookie or simply learn the basic cooking techniques to get started in the kitchen, this teen-approved cookbook has something for everyone.

And while we're on the topic of microwave frying, why not learn how to microwave-fry shallots, capers, and olives, too? They make for wonderfully crispy garnishes.

Microwave-Fried Bacon

Place up to 6 slices of bacon between 2 layers of paper towels on microwave-safe plate.

Microwave until bacon is crispy and golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on your microwave).

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