You love bacon a lot; it’s just that you often find it frozen and not ready for the breakfast that you’re hosting. Defrosting bacon can be cumbersome and takes time.

Most of us know bacon as that tasty, yummy, and crispy strip of meat that we all love, especially for breakfast and snack time.

Sometimes we cook bacon for breakfast or brunch (or dinner or a snack—is there ever a wrong time for bacon?) to a tender-crisp.

Mouth-watering bacon is sometimes an ingredient and sometimes it’s the hero of your meal.

But do you know how to thaw bacon the right way?

If you’re wondering how to thaw frozen bacon, then you’ve come to the right place, as we’ll discuss the different ways of defrosting bacon using simple methods.

One of the fastest is by using the microwave and by using cold water. However, there are specific ways on how to do this.

In this article, I’m going to tackle how to defrost bacon using five methods and some safety tips to ensure food safety.

Table of Contents

How to defrost bacon

There are five fantastic ways to defrost your favorite breakfast food—in an oven, in a sink, in a microwave oven, at room temperature, in the fridge, and in an air fryer.

Method 1: How to defrost bacon in cold water

Estimated time to defrost: 30 minutes or less

A sink full of cold water is a good option if the bacon package is still sealed.

Submerging bacon in a cold-water bath is one of the safest ways to defrost the food as it doesn’t involve heating like oven, microwave, and air fryer methods.

Plus, it takes 30 minutes or less from start to finish!

Here’s how to do it:

Tools needed:

- Bacon, still sealed in package
- Cold water
- Bowl

Instructions for how to defrost bacon in cold water:

1. Run a sink full of cold water.
2. Place an unopened package of bacon in the water. In case you store your bacon strips in a freezer bag, repeat the same procedure above.
3. Set a timer and turn the package over after 15 minutes, or weigh the package with a bowl so it stays fully immersed in the cold water.
4. Bacon that is thawed will be soft and pliable, and you can bend the package easily with your hands.

Note: While it’s tempting to speed things up by using hot or warm water to thaw bacon, it can not only affect the texture, it can create an environment ideal for bacteria to grow if the bacon is left in the water for too long.

One of the most natural ways is by putting it in the sink and running cold water all over it.

Depending on the size of the bacon package, smaller ones should defrost faster than larger ones.

Method 2: How to defrost bacon in a microwave

Estimated time to defrost: 1 to 5 minutes.

The microwave method is the best way to defrost bacon when you’re short on time. But keep in mind that defrost times depend on the approximate weight of your food.

You can weigh your bacon using a kitchen scale or simply look at the net weight label on the plastic packaging.

For every pound of bacon, the defrosting time should be five minutes while 0.25 pound of bacon can take only 1 minute.

Tools needed:

- Bacon
- Microwave-safe dish
- Paper towel
- Microwave

Instructions for how to defrost bacon in a microwave:

1. Line a microwave-safe dish with a paper towel and then put the frozen bacon on the dish.
2. Cover the bacon with another paper towel. This is because the much fat in bacon can cause the oil to spit in the microwave.
3. Place the dish inside the microwave and select the “defrost” setting in the microwave.
4. Heat the bacon for about 1 to 5 minutes, depending on its weight.

Quick tip: You can also defrost the bacon in its original package, just ensure that you won’t leave it unsupervised as there’s a possibility of plastic melting.

If your microwave doesn’t have this defrost feature, simply set the power to about 30 percent.

To do this, simply place your frozen bacon instead into a bowl or on a plate before placing it into the microwave to thaw.

Note: DO NOT microwave or heat bacon in a plastic wrap or foam tray, as they aren’t heat stable at high temperatures.

Method 3: How to defrost bacon at room temperature

Estimated time to defrost: Up to 90 minutes, depending on the temperature in the room

Another safest way to defrost slices of bacon is to let them thaw naturally at room temperature by letting it sit on your kitchen counter or table on a towel or plate.

This easy method works well for opened packages or household containers of frozen bacon.

Tools needed:

- Bacon
- Paper towel, plate
- Kitchen counter, table

Instructions for how to defrost bacon at room temperature:

1. Line your kitchen counter or table with a paper towel or you can use a large plate.
2. Place the frozen bacon on the paper towel or plate.
3. Thaw the bacon naturally at room temperature.
4. Cook thawed bacon afterwards.

Pro tip: Cook or place in the refrigerator immediately after bringing bacon to thawed state, which should be cold and not lukewarm.

It’s also recommended to put the frozen bacon inside a large bowl to prevent the water from coming out as it defrosts.

Method 4: How to defrost bacon in a conventional oven

Estimated time to defrost: 5 minutes

Be sure to remove all packaging from bacon defrosting in a conventional oven or the plastic will melt and ruin the bacon.

Here’s how to defrost bacon in an oven:

Tools needed:

- Bacon
- Baking sheet, oven-safe dish
- Parchment paper
- Conventional oven

Instructions for how to defrost bacon in a conventional oven

1. Preheat the oven to a minimum temperature or 370°F.
2. Line a baking sheet or any oven-safe dish with parchment paper.
3. Remove bacon from the package and place it on the baking sheet.
4. Heat the bacon for up to five minutes.

Pro tip: Remember—your goal here is to thaw the bacon. So it’s a good idea to regularly check it during the thawing process to avoid cooking the food.

You can also wrap the bacon with aluminum foil but keep in mind that foil is a great conductor of heat, so expect to thaw the food quickly.

Method 5: How to defrost bacon in refrigerator

Estimated time to defrost: May take up to 24 hours

If you’re planning to cook bacon the next day, then you can defrost bacon inside the fridge.

It’s a safe, reliable way to bring your bacon to thaw! Here’s how to do it:

Tools needed:

- Refrigerator
- Bacon

Instructions for how to defrost bacon in refrigerator :

1. Transfer bacon in the refrigerator from your freezer.
2. Let it defrost for as long as 5 days.

You can leave it for a maximum of five days without cooking it immediately.

Once thawed, the bacon has a shelf life of five days in the refrigerator so keeping it inside for a long time can ruin the food.

For best results and quality, it’s best to consume or cook the bacon within these

Method 6: How to defrost bacon in air fryer

Estimated time to defrost: May take up to 24 hours

As mentioned, the thawing time or cooking time of the frozen bacon depends on the approximate weight of your food.

But generally, defrosting bacon in an air fryer takes about five minutes.

Here’s how to do it:

Tools needed:

- Air fryer
- Bacon
- Tongs

Instructions for how to defrost bacon in air fryer:

1. Preheat air fryer to 375°F
2. Place the frozen bacon in the air fryer basket.
3. Defrost the bacon for about five minutes.
4. Using tongs, separate the bacon into individual pieces.
5. Remove separated pieces of bacon from the air fryer.

🥓🥓 Learn how to cook bacon in an air fryer. 🥓🥓

How long does it take to thaw a pound of bacon?

It takes 12 to 24 hours to thaw a pound of bacon in the refrigerator.
It takes about 8 to 10 minutes to thaw a pound of bacon on the defrost setting of your microwave.
It takes about an hour to thaw a pound of packaged bacon in a sink full of cold water.

Since it’s a larger package at a pound of bacon, it can take longer.

The fastest is the microwave, which takes about 1 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, the most extended method is defrosting it inside the refrigerator, which can take up to 24 hours.

Can you cook frozen bacon?

Yes, you can cook frozen bacon. An excellent way to cook frozen bacon is by frying it. Cover and fry on medium until the slices begin to separate.

Separate with tongs and then keep heat on medium, cooking uncovered (or using a screen to cover the pan to keep grease from popping).

Cooking bacon in a microwave is also possible. Though it takes a bit of time to fully cook the food as you need to thaw it first, it’s a fast, helpful option.

Here are other creative ways to cook bacon:

Cook and combine bacon with sugar and butter to create this easy spread.
Thaw and cook bacon to make this cheesy potato and bacon soup.
Cook and crumble crispy bacon then sprinkle on these deviled eggs.

🥓 Drool over these 21 Better Bacon Appetizers! 🥓

Can you leave bacon out overnight?

No, you can’t leave bacon out overnight.

The food can only be left outside the fridge for a maximum of four hours, and beyond that, harmful bacteria can multiply, which can cause food poisoning when consumed.

It’s best to discard unrefrigerated, raw bacon if left out on the counter overnight.

While bacon has preservatives, it is not foolproof, and should be properly handled.

When unrefrigerated, the USDA recommends using dry-cured sliced bacon within ten days and up to four weeks when refrigerated.

🤢 How do you know if your bacon is bad? Find out here. 🤢

Can you refreeze bacon?

Yes, you can refreeze bacon. If you take a whole package of bacon out of the freezer but only use some of them, yes, it’s safe to refreeze them.

As long as it’s defrosted inside the refrigerator, it’s safe to refreeze them. Thawing bacon at room temperature is at risk for bacterial growth if left out past the thawed state.

The bottom line

Bacon is an all-time favorite, and it’s only proper to learn the correct way to defrost bacon.

Depending on the availability of time and equipment, you can pick any of the five methods mentioned above that best fits your needs depending on time and equipment.

The fastest of these is by using the microwave, as it takes only minutes to thaw your bacon. The longest will be by using the refrigerator if you have enough time to prepare your meal.

It’s also crucial to follow the proper guidelines for refreezing bacon left out of the refrigerator.

If you follow the proper way of thawing bacon carefully, it will make cooking your bacon safer and more satisfying.

How To Defrost Bacon In A Microwave

Learn how to defrost bacon using the microwave method and unlock some essential tips on thawing your favorite breakfast meat in this comprehensive guide!

Ingredients

Bacon
Microwave-safe dish
Paper towel
Microwave

Instructions

Line a microwave-safe dish with a paper towel and then put the frozen bacon on the dish.
Cover the bacon with another paper towel. This is because the bacon fat can spit in the microwave.
Place the dish inside the microwave and select the “defrost” setting on the microwave.
Heat the bacon for about 1 to 5 minutes, depending on its weight.