How to Defrost Bacon – Top Effective Methods

Are you wondering how to defrost bacon quickly and easily? You have no idea what to do after taking such hard frozen bacon from your freezer. This is the right article for you. Don’t miss these valuable methods!

This article is a chance for you to know how to defrost your bacon without wasting time and losing its nutrients. You can vary the method if you want because there are many useful ways stated here. These must-know tips attached here will indicate some rules you should not do when defrosting bacon.

Don’t hesitate anymore. Jump quickly with the highest speed into this article, and you will find out which one is the best for your cooking style.

Bacon – An Overview About A Wonderful Kind Of Meat?

Bacon is a sort of salt-cured meat with a high-fat content (But bacon and salt pork are two different products). People usually use the pig belly, sides, or loin to make bacon. Bacon is a popular savory snack because of its crispiness, saltiness, and fat content. ⁽¹⁾

Different nations have various styles of making bacon. For example, US bacon and UK bacon are completely different though the former originates from the latter. Or the meaty texture of pig’s back is a distinct feature of only Irish bacon. 

Smoking is a standard flavor-enhancing cooking method for bacon. In general, bacon is reddish-brown when smoked. It is served in either thick or thin slices with many other side dishes.

The Table Of Comparison Between All Bacon Defrosting Methods

You can notice the table below as a quick reference to compare those practical defrosting methods in this article.

How To Defrost Bacon Effectively And Safely

On behalf of a bacon lover, I believe that you wonder how to defrost it more than once. You may nail at storing bacon. But if you’re careless in the thawing step, all will be a waste. Don’t worry, today, I’m going to share with you a detailed and helpful guide to defrost it properly.

There are up to 6 methods for you to thaw your bacon. You can select and use them according to the time and kitchen equipment you have.

Defrost Bacon Quickly Using Microwave

A microwave is a good and quick method for defrosting bacon. There is nothing better than this way when you are in a hurry. However, keep in mind that the approximate weight of your bacon determines thaw durations.

Estimated duration: 1 to 5 minutes.

Equipment:

• A microwave
• The special cooking dish used for microwave
• Paper towel

Step 1: Prepare The Microwave Cooking Dish

Take the bacon out of the freeze and remove its packaging. Place the frozen bacon on a microwave-safe dish that has been set with a paper towel. To make things go more smoothly, you can use a top-rated defrosting tray meant for the microwave.

Line the separated slices of bacon on the dish because it can help you to thaw those slices quickly and evenly. If your bacon slices cling to each other due to freezing, you need to thaw them for 2 minutes and then start to line easily on the dish.

You should use another paper towel to cover the bacon. It helps to reduce leaking nutrients and moisture when defrosting. Besides, bacon has a lot of fat, so it can leak the grease onto the microwave and spoil it.

Step 2: Defrosting Bacon In The Microwave

Put the dish with bacon on it in the middle of the microwave. Then select the mode “defrost” from the microwave’s menu by rotating the adjustment knob or pressing the respective button.

You should regularly check and turn the slices over every 60 seconds. This action can prevent your bacon from being overcooked. You also can decide whether the process completes, depending on each condition and situation.

Step 3: Cook Your Defrosted Bacon

When your defrosting process finishes, take your dish out and unwrap the bacon.

After thawing bacon in the microwave, you must cook it right away. You can fry, bake, or microwave it whatever you like. Do not let your bacon be at room temperature for too long. It will facilitate the environment for bacteria to grow.

Likewise, cooked bacon won’t last long at room temperature for an extended amount of time is also not a great idea. I’d recommend consuming it as soon as possible after cooking for the best taste and food quality.

NOTES

• Depending on the weight of bacon, you must estimate the time to turn off the microwave and take them out. Remember not to heat it for over 5 minutes.
• You may use a food scale to weigh your bacon or just simply glance at the net weight indication on the plastic box. The estimated time for each pound of bacon is 5 minutes, but just 1 minute for 0.25 pounds of bacon.
• You should use the defrosting mode of your microwave to defrost bacon instead of cooking mode. In defrosting mode, the power and heat are lower than usual. It ensures that both outside and inside of your bacon are defrosted perfectly.
• If your microwave doesn’t have that setting, it is necessary to turn its power down. Otherwise, you will get bacon with a burnt exterior and frozen interior. The suitable power for defrosting is more or less 30 percent.
• If your bacon is still unopened in the store package, you can use a fork to make some holes in the package. This way, when steam evaporates during the defrosting process, it can leak out and prevent the package from exploding.

Remember to watch the time. Only set the short-timer as 60 seconds burst. Check it regularly. Unless you notice, your bacon can be overcooked.

Don’t leave the package or plastic wrapper in the microwave for too long. They can melt easily, and their harmful substances can affect your food.

• When defrosting in the microwave, only wrap your bacon with a typical plastic wrapper that can experience the heat. If not, remove them. You can use a cooking dish or bowl to place your bacon. It is much safer.
• Also, do not use a foam tray to contain your bacon because it is easily melted or releases harmful substances at high temperatures.

Remember these quick and flexible steps for defrosting bacon in a microwave.

Defrost Bacon Quickly In A Conventional Oven

A conventional oven is an alternative to using a microwave. This traditional oven includes two heating sources that cook the food by heating the airflow into the oven.

Estimated duration: 5 minutes

Equipment:

• A conventional oven
• An oven-safe dish (or A baking sheet)
• Parchment Paper

Step 1: Prepare For The Oven And Cooking Dish

Set the oven to the preheated mode of at least 370 degrees Fahrenheit. Use parchment paper to line neatly on the bottom of the oven cooking dish or a baking sheet. Because when it’s done, you can easily take the bacon out of the plate without leaving any remains.

Step 2: Thaw Bacon In The Conventional Oven

Take your bacon out of the freezing bag, plastic bags, or packages. It’s because when the heat reaches a certain temperature, those wrappers can melt and negatively impact your food. Put the bacon on the dish (or baking sheet).

Then, place the cooking dish inside the oven and heat it for a maximum of 5 minutes.

NOTES

• Don’t forget to check your bacon regularly to avoid overcooking.
• You can use aluminum foil to wrap your food. But you need to take your bacon out earlier than the estimated time because this foil is an excellent heat transmitter.

Defrost Bacon Properly In An Air Fryer

Take advantage of this modern device in your kitchen. An air fryer cooks food using convection baking, so there is no real frying here.

Estimated duration: 5 minutes

Equipment:

• An air fryer
• A tong

Step 1: Put The Bacon In The Air Fryer Basket

You do not need any other cooking dish or baking sheet with this device. Just put the bacon in the air fryer’s basket in a suitable amount and thaw it. Do not overload the basket.

Step 2: Operate The Air Fryer And Separate The Bacon Slices

375°F is appropriate for defrosting bacon by an air fryer. Check the state of bacon regularly. When the batch of bacon begins to thaw, you separate it into individual pieces to ensure the heat they receive evenly.

Step 3: Take The Bacon Out

When some slices have returned to normal, you can take them out earlier and continue to defrost the rest until all’s done.

Regularly, it takes 5 minutes to defrost bacon. But this duration still depends on the weight of meat and the temperature of your air fryer.

Defrosting and cooking bacon in an air fryer is easy as pie. Let’s enjoy cooking tips every day.

Defrost Bacon Simply Using The Cold Water

You should only use it this way if your bacon is still sealed. When you are not in a hurry, and you don’t want to get involved in any other equipment. This method is for you. A sink filled with cold water is an excellent alternative.

Because it does not require heating like the other three methods above, it is the safest way to thaw bacon.

Estimated duration: 1 hour

Equipment: Only cold water and a large enough bowl

Step 1: Put The Bacon In Cold Water

Fill a sink with a suitable amount of cold water. Put bacon with the full package into water. Make sure it is a sealed package.

On the other hand, if the package has been opened or leaked, you can put your bacon in another watertight container as well. You can buy waterproof bags or ziplock bags from the supermarket. It can help to prevent the water from invading and affecting your bacon.

NOTE: You need to choose a sink or bowl suitable for the size of your bacon package.

Step 2: Watch The Time And Check

You can do other work when waiting. But remember to set a timer for 15 minutes to turn the package over. If you don’t want to watch the time carefully, use a bowl to weigh the package so it is completely submerged in cold water.

When the water is not cold anymore, you need to change to a new cold one to maintain the defrosting process. The estimated time for cold water to warm up is about 30 minutes.

Step 3: Everything Is Done!

Bacon after defrosting is so soft and flexible that you can easily bend the package with your hands. With each 1 pound of bacon, you need at least an hour to defrost it.

You can refer to this defrosting process of meat and apply it to your bacon.

NOTES

• You can use an alternative way to defrost your bacon easily. You just need to put your bacon package on a grill, cooling rack, or a grate inside a sink. Then, let the cold water run over it.
• When you do not require a very quick defrosting method, I believe that using cold water is suitable for you.
• In contrast, if you are thinking about using warm or hot water to defrost bacon more quickly, discard this thought from your mind. It may affect your food quality and provide a great habitat for bacteria to grow.

Defrost Bacon Easily In Your Fridge

It is the simplest and safest way to defrost bacon as long as you have time. So it’s essential to plan your meal schedule before. You must thaw bacon in the fridge the day before if you plan to cook it today.

Estimated duration: up to 24 hours.

Equipment: Only a refrigerator.

Step 1: Take The Frozen Bacon Out

Take the bacon out of the freezer and discard all packaging.

Step 2: Put It In Your Fridge

Place the frozen bacon in a box or container. Then, put it in your fridge to thaw it overnight. After that, you can cook your bacon right away.

NOTE: The shelf life of frozen bacon when refrigerating is about five days to a week. Try to use it before it turns spoiled.

An effective way to defrost bacon is just simply to put it in your fridge and wait. Is it surprisingly simple?

Defrost Bacon Successfully Using A Skillet

Another way to use heat for defrosting bacon is using a skillet. This method is quite quick and effective.

Estimated duration: 15 – 20 minutes

Equipment:

• A large enough skillet with a lid.
• Tongs

Step 1: Prepare The Bacon And Skillet

Remove bacon’s package first. Put the skillet on medium-low fire with a lid on it.

Put bacon in the skillet. Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil to speed up the thawing process because the steam will do it.

Step 2: Thaw Bacon In The Skillet

You will be able to pull the strips apart with tongs when thawing the bacon in the skillet. Make sure the bacon is thawed on both sides by flipping it over.

Step 3: Take The Bacon Out

In 15-20 minutes, bacon pieces will be crispy. It’s time to take them out.

NOTE

Because the outside pieces may be crispy first, you can take them out. Then put them on a baking sheet. Preheat the stove to 250 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the cooked bacon warm while waiting for the rest.

Defrost Bacon Rapidly In A Frying Pan

This is quite similar to using a skillet except for the size. A frying pan is larger than a skillet, so you can use it for a large portion of bacon.

Estimated duration: 15 – 20 minutes

Equipment:

• A Frying Pan
• Aluminum foil
• Tongs

Step 1: Prepare The Frying Pan

After washing and draining the surface of your frying pan, spread the aluminum foil flatly on the pan. The foil can help prevent water from spoiling or making the pan dirty. It’s also useful as a heat transmitter. Then put the bacon on it, either take it out of the package or not.

Step 2: Defrost Bacon In A Frying Pan

Set the frying pan on your stove. Do not heat with a high fire because it can cook, even burn your bacon soon. Try to spread the surface of bacon as widely as possible.

You can use tongs to press it slightly. Remember to flip the bacon to make sure its two sides receive the heat evenly.

NOTE

The frying pan is very effective in defrosting bacon because it is made of a metal that conducts heat well, such as iron, copper, or aluminum. Thus, it can boost the time of defrosting bacon.

Some Actions That You Need To Avoid When Defrosting Bacon

When you consider one of these methods to thaw your bacon, you’d better stay away from them. These methods can not only affect the quality and taste of your bacon, but they also make it go bad easily.

• Thawing at room temperature: You should strictly avoid letting your bacon thaw naturally in this condition. 2 hours is the maximum time for letting bacon in a normal state. After that, bacteria will grow rapidly and make your bacon rotten. ⁽²⁾

By the way, thawing at room temperature can cause the outside flesh to defrost, but the inside is not.

• Defrosting by warm water: You will be in trouble when defrosting bacon with warm water and leaving it out for a long time. First, warm water may change your food texture. Then, it can create the best condition for bacteria to appear.
• Do not keep defrosted bacon in the kitchen cupboard, pantry, or other areas consisting of basements or garages. It is safer to put it in your fridge when you are not ready to use it.

How To Split Frozen Bacon Into Slices

Sometimes, it’s difficult to cut or split frozen bacon into slices. I would like to suggest some useful ways to separate your frozen bacon. Review this text, and you can choose the most appropriate one for your desire.

Splitting With The Refrigerator

It sounds easy. But if you don’t do it properly, it can affect the quality of your bacon. Thus, read these steps carefully before doing.

Step 1: Place The Frozen Bacon In Your Fridge

Put those grouped slices of frozen bacon in the fridge until you can begin to pull those slices apart. But note that they are still frozen in the middle.

Step 2: Starting Separating Slices Of Bacon

After you realize that your bacon is ready to split, you can start to open the package and split those slices of bacon apart.

Step 3: Flash Freeze Those Separated Bacon Slices

Place those individual slices of frozen bacon on a cooking sheet. Put the cookie sheet in your freezer and do a flash-freezing for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Line Them Into A Stack

After 30 minutes, take them out. Now, they are firmer and harder. Line them into some stacks. You should put a piece of cut parchment paper or paper towel between each slice to ensure they won’t stick together again.

Step 5: Put Them In Zip Lock Bags

Put those stacks in zip lock bags for longer storage time. Label each bag. Then, place them neatly in the freezer again.

Using A Butter Spreader

A butter spreader or a butter knife is an efficient tool for separating frozen bacon slices. Let’s check it out for a useful cooking trick.

Step 1: Heat The Butter Spreader

Prepare the butter spreader by heating its blade while the frozen bacon slices are still cold and packaged in the fridge.

Step 2: Separating Them By The Spine Of A Butter Spreader

Slowly insert the spine of a butter spreader between the slices of frozen bacon. Slightly shake the blade to split 2 slices into individual ones. Continue to do these steps for the rest.

Here is how to use a butter spreader to separate frozen bacon slices easily and effectively.

Using Warm Water

This is a simple trick that you just need a little fresh water and a pan or skillet to split the frozen bacon slices.

Step 1: Prepare The Bacon And Skillet

Take the bacon out of your freezer. Put a suitable-sized pan or skillet on your stove.

Step 2: Heat The Skillet On Low Fire

Warm them on a low heat setting after putting frozen bacon slices on the skillet. Remember not to put the fire too high because it can cause the bacon to be cooked or grouped.

Step 3: Stir Bacon

Carefully stir the bacon around the skillet. Then, you will see they are separating from each other naturally.

Step 4: Take The Bacon Slices Out

When slices of bacon separate into individual parts themselves, it’s time to take them out of the skillet. And, you can do anything with your bacon slices from now on.

NOTES:

• If you want to cook them immediately in the skillet, you should drain the water first. Then add a little oil to the skillet. With a frying bacon dish, I usually wipe all droplets of water before cooking because I don’t want it to spit as the oil warms up.
• If your bacon is still in its package, you can put it in a large pan and pour the warm water over it. You need to check the water temperature regularly since the frozen bacon can cool down the water. Just top it out with new warm water if it’s already cool.
• Less than an hour is the estimated time to defrost 1 pound of bacon using this approach.

Useful Guide To Cook Frozen Bacon

Sometimes, you are too tired to wait for thawing bacon. You can refer to this helpful guide for cooking frozen bacon right away.

Cooking Frozen Bacon In A Normal Way

These are some common steps that you should consider when cooking frozen bacon:

Step 1: Check Whether Your Bacon Is Separated Into Slices

Noticeably, frozen bacon can also be cooked right away as normal bacon in many ways, such as frying, baking, or microwaving. The only problem is that it becomes hard and large grouped frozen bacon. This large block of bacon will cause you trouble. So, you must check it first.

Step 2: If Your Bacon Is Not Separated Properly

When you didn’t freeze the separated slices of bacon before, those bacon slices now are sticking to each other. Don’t worry. You have three tips that I did include in the nearest section above. You can choose any way convenient for you most.

Step 3: If Your Bacon Is Separated Successfully

It’s easier now. You just cook your slices of frozen bacon as usual. One different thing is that you need more time to cook. This extra time is the time for frozen bacon to thaw and then become heated normally.

Keep in mind this handy information to watch the time perfectly. While other frozen meats need up to 50% more time than the normal cooking time, it only takes bacon for an extra 1 or 2 minutes to cook it. It depends on the thickness and size of bacon slices.

Step 4: Your Cooked Bacon Is Ready

Line a paper towel on your desired dish or plate.

No matter if you fry or bake your bacon. When your bacon slices are browned evenly, turn off the fire and take them out. Put them in the prepared dish, and now it’s time to enjoy your meal.

In case you can’t finish all the bacon, you should store it in the fridge instead of leaving the meat at room temperature. The time length cooked bacon can last in the fridge is quite long, whereas it can only remain safe to eat when it’s left at room temperature for no more than 2 hours.

This is a must-known way to cook bacon from frozen bacon with your skillet.

Making The Frozen Bacon Into Lardons

Lardon (Or Lardoon) is a common ingredient in French cuisine. It is a short and small strip or cube of bacon. People use it to enhance savory dishes and salads in several cuisines.

This is the easy-to-do procedure for making lardons from frozen bacon. I’m sure that everyone can do it perfectly the first time.

Step 1: Cut Frozen Bacon Into Pieces

Take the bacon out of your bacon out of the freezer. Do not need to thaw it. Use a very sharp knife to cut it horizontally into bite-sized cubes.

Step 2: Transfer Lardons In To A Fry Pan Or Skillet

After cutting the frozen bacon, lay those cubes in a frying pan or skillet. Keep your stove in medium heating mode.

Step 3: Separate The Defrosted Lardons

When you see the lardons defrosted, they will naturally split into distinct pieces. You can ensure this by shaking the skillet a few times while frying.

Step 4: Finish Your Lardons From Frozen Bacon

After they thaw, continue cooking until they are perfectly crispy. Turn off the stove and take your yummy lardons out. These lardons will be excellent toppings for mixing in salads and quiches. It can increase flavor and brittleness to your dishes.

Making lardons from frozen bacon just takes a bit more than from normal ones.

How To Refreeze Bacon After Defrosted

Sometimes, the amount of frozen bacon you thaw is more than you need. And you have no idea about what you can do with the rest. I will tell you now. It is okay to refreeze your bacon after defrosting as long as you do it properly.

There are two safe situations in which you can freely refreeze your bacon. First, you have thawed your bacon in your fridge overnight. Second, it is not over three days since you thawed your bacon.

How To Tell If Your Bacon Has Gone Bad

You know, it may happen that you left your bacon in the freezer for too long. And it has gone bad without you knowing. Now, you want to defrost it but are unsure if your bacon is still safe to eat. Well, you can look at these spoiling symptoms below:

• Appearance: Bacon often has a nice pink color with white/yellow fat. Thus, if you find your meat turning brown or gray, it’s time to throw it away. The same goes with green or blue shade.
• Smell: If your meat has spoiled, it’ll smell kind of rotten, not the meaty scent like always.
• Texture: Your bacon should be soft and moist when touching, not slimy. When that happens with a sour odor, wrap it with cling film or plastic before putting it in your garbage bin.

FAQs

If you are still wondering about other problems related to defrosting bacon methods, I would like to provide some helpful information right here.

Is It Helpful For Your Wonder?

You can thaw frozen bacon in different ways, such as in the fridge, cold water, microwave, etc. They are convenient and beneficial. However, it may contain critical information that you must keep track of. That’s why I offer you some expert advice that may help.

I hope you love these handy tips and don’t forget to share them with your friends, family members, and relatives. And remember to leave your feedback and difficulties here when following my sharings. I am always ready to hear!

References

1. En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Bacon – Wikipedia.
2. Food Safety and Inspection Service. 2022. The Big Thaw — Safe Defrosting Methods.
3. En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Bacon – Wikipedia.
4. Food Safety and Inspection Service. 2022. The Big Thaw — Safe Defrosting Methods.