Got some left over bacon? There are a thousand ways to reheat bacon, but not all of them are worth your time.
Do you like dry, soggy, or burnt bacon? Me neither.
In this article, I’ll walk you through a few proven ways that deliver great results. Nothing is as tasty as fresh bacon right off the skillet, but these methods are pretty darn close.
And if you’re looking to par cook bacon so you’re ready to serve it in a flash whenever needed, I’ve got the best solution for you!
Here’s the high level summary:
| How To Reheat Bacon | Time | Best for |
| Microwave | 20-60 sec. | leftovers |
| Air Fryer | 3-4 min. | leftovers |
| Convection Oven | 10-15 min | when capacity needed |
| Sous Vide (par cooked) | 1 min* | planning / meal prep |
Keep reading for the detailed instructions and pros and cons for the best ways to reheat bacon.
Table of Contents
Microwave
If you’re only dealing with a few slices of bacon, there isn’t a method more convenient than reheating in the microwave.
When subjected to radiation, fat and grease heat up quickly. Practically speaking, this means that you don’t have to wait very long to construct your breakfast sandwich.
Here are a few simple steps to follow.
- Put a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate to absorb any excess grease.
- Place the bacon strips in a single layer.
- Heat on full power for 20 to 60 seconds.
- Then check if it’s properly heated. Microwave for another 20 seconds if required.
- Serve immediately, or it will become soggy and soft again.
Make sure you put a paper towel on the plate, or your bacon will swim in fat. Cover the top in this way, too, to avoid grease splatter. If the bacon you’re reheating is frozen, it will take longer to heat through.
The only downside to reheating bacon in the microwave is that it can only accommodate smaller quantities. So you may have to do it in multiple batches.
Air Fryer
Using an air fryer is nearly as simple as using a microwave, but it is easier to achieve a crispy exterior this way. Depending on the design of your air fryer, it may also be messier if there isn’t an easy way to squelch grease splatter.
Here are the straightforward steps:
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F.
- Spread the bacon out on the basket. Make sure they’re not touching or overlapping with each other.
- Heat it for 3-4 minutes or until it’s crispy.
- Serve immediately.
If you want, you can skip the preheating of the air fryer and leave the bacon in for an extra minute or so.
To reduce your effort during the cleanup, line the fryer basket with foil or parchment paper before adding the bacon. This won’t prevent upward splatter, but it will help with dripping through the basket if you don’t have a catch tray.
The main challenge of this method is that it’s easy to overcook the bacon. Keep a close eye on the bacon as it cooks, until you nail the best time and temperature for your air fryer.
Convection Oven
A convection oven is the most effective way of reheating bacon. The oven’s convection fan allows circulation of heat, which reaches the bacon tray from all sides.
Although not as fast as the other methods, this method is equally simple and usually less mess so long as the tray is covered,
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the bacon on a lined baking tray in one layer.
- Cover the tray with aluminum foil.
- Place the tray in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is properly heated.
- Remove the bacon tray from the oven. Then lay the bacon on some paper towels to absorb all the extra grease.
- Serve immediately.
Don’t skip the step to cover the tray with aluminum foil. If you do, the bacon will splatter and dirty the oven. Oven cleaning is an extensive cleanup process that nobody wants.
The best part about using an oven is that you can heat larger quantities at the same time, unlike the microwave or air fryer. At the same time, oven cooking requires a lot more time and energy consumption to achieve a similar result.
How To Make Reheated Bacon Crispy
Making crispy bacon isn’t exactly rocket science.
The challenge is to make it crispy enough to enjoy but not too crispy that it gets dehydrated and chewy while reheating. And the solution is to pre-cook (or partial cook, aka par cook) it in a way that isn’t crispy, and then crisp it during re-heating.
Par Cook Bacon
The best function, and least known, way to accomplish this is by cooking sous vide bacon. It’s easier than you might expect and delivers a truly exciting result, so long as you start cooking well in advance of when you want to eat.
But once you par cook bacon sous vide, you can store it for a week or more in the fridge and for a few months in the freezer. And then simply reheat for about a minute in a frying pan for out of this world bacon.
Just thaw the bacon if it’s frozen. Here are the best ways to defrost bacon quickly.
Read this if you need help with the question: how long does cooked bacon last in the fridge?
Word to the wise, if you’ve ever considered eating raw bacon, don’t. If you really need convincing, read why here.
FAQs: Reheating Bacon
Yes, you can reheat cooked bacon. Especially when you’re trying to plan and prep ahead of time. Cook the bacon only until it starts to crisp up. Then remove it from the heat, and make sure you cool it before storing it in the refrigerator. But make sure you reheat it only once, or it can turn very dry and overcooked.
You can reheat bacon in minutes while keeping it crispy using multiple methods. You can do it in the oven, air fryer, microwave, broiler, or on a skillet or griddle. Keep in mind that different methods may give different results and take varying amounts of time and effort. I would recommend doing it in the oven if you have time or in the microwave if you’re in a hurry.
Sous vide is the best way to par cook bacon. It’s super simple, but take some forethought as it will cook for 8 hours or so. The results are phenomenal.
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