Bacon is everyone’s favorite it it just screams breakfast at you. Of course, you can have it any other moment of the day and it’s just as good but there’s just something about morning bacon, right ?
So, if you’re like most people and want more than a couple of slices of bacon on your plate, you’ve likely made a lot of bacon and maybe you’ve got some leftovers. Can you reheat the leftovers for dinner ? How do you reheat bacon to get that perfect texture again ? Let’s find out.
Can you reheat bacon ?
Yes, you can reheat bacon and you can get both a chewy and a crispy texture, depending on how you reheat it and what you’re looking for. The simplest way to reheat bacon simply calls for heat, no extra oil or anything complicated. And the best part is you can cook in large batches and have enough bacon for several people or meals, only to reheat them each time you need some bacon. Now let’s see how you can reheat these.
Reheating bacon in the oven or air fryer
The most efficient way to reheat cooked bacon is the oven, or air fryer. All you really need is hot air to get the bacon to its crispy glory, though you should be careful to not dry it out too much.
The method works the same for air fryers and for ovens. Preheat your oven or air fryer, and line the baking tray with parchment paper, then add your bacon.
Let the bacon sit in the cooking chamber until it’s warm. If you want it very hot you may end up with an overly dry bacon, so open it every couple of minutes to make sure it’s still okay. The bacon should be nearly hot in about 5 minutes, especially if it’s a thin slice.
Read also: Why Is Bacon Salty ?
Reheating bacon on the stove (frying pan)
Another way to reheat your bacon is to use a frying pan, only this method means you may have to flip the bacon halfway through. Get a frying pan or skillet, and place the bacon in it. Turn the heat on and let the bacon slowly heat up. If it’s thick bacon it might render some more fat.
Once the bacon is done heating, you can pile it to the side of the frying pan and crack an egg in there to finish your breakfast.
Don’t bother reheating bacon in the microwave
You might think reheating bacon in the microwave is a good idea, and we’re here to tell you it’s really not that great. The main problem is that if you don’t cover the bacon, it will sputter all over the microwave. If you do cover it, it will soften due to the trapped moisture.
If you really don’t feel like reheating bacon in an oven or skillet, and want to use a microwave, be sure to cover the bacon. Soft bacon is infinitely better than having to clean your microwave oven.
Tips on cooking bacon
When you’re cooking your beloved bacon there are a few things you should take into consideration. The first is how much bacon sputters, so you have to be sure to use a low enough temperature, and also make sure the bacon does not sit in its own fat so it won’t have anything to sputter.
Bacon also shrinks, a lot, but don’t crowd the pan just because you’ll get some extra space. If you overlap the bacon it will pull the rest of the slices and they will still overlap.
Bake your bacon in the oven for larger batches
When cooking large amounts of bacon, more than would fit in a frying pan, do yourself a favor and use the oven. It’s less messy, and you only need to put them in and take them out.
You need a baking tray with reasonably high sides to catch the dripping fat. You also need something like a metal rack to lay the bacon across, so it will drip the fat.
Don’t preheat the oven, let the bacon slowly render out the fat as the oven heats up. Don’t set your oven to extra high, just set it to medium and you should be fine. Cooking bacon like this usually takes about 15 minutes. It takes less if you want your bacon softer. Don’t bother flipping the bacon, it will be cooked on both sides because of the hot air.
Never overlap your bacon
Don’t overlap your bacon strips. Once they start to shrink it may look like you could’ve added more strips, but in truth it’s not like that. If you overlap them, they will just stick together and you’ll have some latticework bacon. If that’s what you’re going for then go ahead. But if you want separate bacon pieces, don’t overlap them.
It’s okay for the edges to touch just a little, but don’t overlap.
Keep the bacon grease
As the bacon renders the fat, it will drip down onto the baking tray. Don’t throw out that grease, keep it for future use. Pour it into a small jar, close it tightly, and store in the fridge for up to 3 months. You can fry eggs in bacon grease, add the grease to soups, to mashed potatoes, anything you want.
Can you reheat eggs ?
Yes, you can reheat eggs though you have to be careful how you do this because of the yolk is whole, it may well explode on you. This usually happens with boiled eggs and fried eggs (sunny-side up) and much less with omelettes.
For boiled eggs, reheat them in boiling water for a couple of minutes. The more you boil them, the hotter they get. Don’t microwave or bake them in the oven !
For fried eggs, the frying pan is your best bet. The yolks will fully harden, but other than that you should be fine. Be sure to use the lid so the top side of the eggs heats faster. If you try to microwave the fried eggs be sure to use medium heat and only heat them for a few seconds.
For omelettes any method works. You can lightly microwave them, re-fry them in a frying pan, or heat them up in an oven and you will get good results.
Keep in mind that reheated eggs can easily turn rubbery, so it’s best to only get them warm. If you let them heat through completely, their texture will change a lot. If your eggs are leftover, be sure they’re cooled immediately after cooking and kept in the fridge until you need to reheat them.
