I must admit to a kind of love-hate relationship with bacon. On the one hand, my family loves bacon, which means I cook it often. And until I discovered the best, easiest way to do that, I dreaded frying bacon!.
The problem in two words: splatters, smell. I’m not a fan of splatters all over the cooktop. And the smell of stale bacon that stays in the house for hours and hours? That almost knocks me out.
Also, it’s hard to keep the first batch hot and crispy since a stovetop skillet can only hold about 1/4 pound.
Trust me, I’ve tried all the methods—stovetop, microwave, griddle, and outdoor grill. The outdoor grill has been mostly my go-to method, but when it’s 10 F. with a foot of snow out there, not so much.
All that is history, now that I’m hooked on the absolute best way to cook bacon—in the oven. It’s easy with minimal, if any, splatters. The smell of bacon is all but limited to the baking time. I can cook an entire pound of bacon at once, and clean-up is a cinch!.
A dutch oven is a versatile pot that excels at braising, stewing, baking and more. Its thick, heavy-duty construction also makes it an ideal vessel for cooking up evenly browned, crispy bacon.
With its ample cooking surface and lid that traps in heat, a dutch oven allows you to churn out batch after batch of perfect bacon with little fuss.
Follow this beginner’s guide on how to fry bacon in a dutch oven to crispy perfection every time.
Benefits of Using a Dutch Oven for Bacon
A dutch oven offers several advantages for cooking bacon
- Large surface area lets you cook more bacon at once
- Retains heat well to cook bacon evenly
- Lid contains splattering grease
- No-stick enamel surface prevents sticking
- Easy to monitor and turn bacon
- Versatile for other cooking tasks
With the right technique, a dutch oven makes quick work of cooking up piles of tasty bacon.
Selecting the Best Dutch Oven for Bacon
Look for a dutch oven with these features when cooking bacon
- Minimum 6 quarts capacity
- Enameled cast iron or ceramic construction
- Tight-fitting lid
- Nonstick cooking surface
- Helper handles for maneuvering
Avoid uncoated cast iron which can react with bacon grease. Enameled cast iron is ideal.
Ingredients Needed
To cook bacon in a dutch oven, you just need:
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Bacon – Go for regular sliced, thick-cut or artisanal bacon. Avoid ultra-thin.
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Oil (optional) – A small amount of oil prevents sticking.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these easy steps for perfectly cooked bacon:
1. Prepare the Dutch Oven
Heat your empty dutch oven over medium-low heat. Have tongs and paper towels ready.
2. Add Bacon
Place bacon strips in the preheated pot without overlapping. Work in batches to avoid crowding.
3. Cook Over Medium Heat
Fry bacon over medium heat, adjusting temperature as needed. Avoid high heat.
4. Flip Frequently
Use tongs to flip bacon often as it cooks for even frying on both sides.
5. Continue Cooking
Keep cooking and flipping until the bacon reaches desired crispness, 8-12 minutes typically.
6. Transfer to Paper Towels
When done, transfer cooked bacon with tongs to paper towels to drain grease.
Let cool slightly before serving your freshly fried bacon from the dutch oven!
Tips for Perfect Results Every Time
- Chill bacon in the fridge or freezer before cooking for crisper texture.
- Use medium to medium-low heat to prevent scorching and curling.
- Fry in smaller batches to allow proper heat circulation.
- Weigh bacon slices down with a bacon press or pot lid for flatter results.
- Cook times vary based on bacon cut – adjust as needed.
- Add herbs, spices or maple syrup to the rendered bacon grease for flavored bacon.
Common Dutch Oven Bacon Questions
How long does it take to fry bacon in a dutch oven?
Cooking time varies from 8-15 minutes depending on thickness. Thin bacon may take only 5 minutes.
Is bacon grease bad for dutch ovens?
No, bacon grease won’t damage properly seasoned enamel. Always hand wash after cooking bacon.
Can you bake bacon in a dutch oven?
Yes, just preheat oven to 400°F and bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Is it safe to cook bacon in an uncoated cast iron dutch oven?
No, bacon grease can react with the iron. Stick to enameled cast iron or ceramic.
Should you cover the dutch oven when cooking bacon?
Leaving the lid off allows for better monitoring. You can cover briefly to melt fat faster.
A dutch oven offers plenty of room to fry up batches of bacon with ease. Follow these tips to achieve perfectly browned, crisp bacon for breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and more!
Oven-Baked Bacon
While the dutch oven is great for stovetop bacon cooking, another top option is oven-baked bacon. This hands-off method allows you to cook a large batch of bacon at once without constant monitoring.
Here’s a quick guide on how to bake bacon in the oven:
Benefits of Oven-Baked Bacon
- Cooks evenly without flipping
- Can fit more bacon at once
- Less splattering
- Sets and forgets – free up stovetop
How to Bake Bacon Perfectly
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and top with a wire rack.
- Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the rack.
- Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until crispy.
- Transfer to paper towels to drain grease.
Baking bacon in the oven delivers crispy, evenly-cooked results with minimal splatters and effort. It’s one of the easiest ways to cook bacon for a crowd!
So next time you’re frying up a batch of bacon, give the dutch oven a try. With its roomy interior and heat-trapping lid, it will have you churning out piles of perfectly cooked bacon in no time. Whether stovetop-fried or oven-baked, cooking bacon has never been easier!
What if I want extra crispy bacon?
Baked on a sheet pan, bacon comes out crispy around the edges but still slightly chewy in the middle—the way many of us prefer. But if you like it extra crispy, no problem. Lay the bacon on top of a metal cooling rack set over the foil-lined sheet pan. Now it will come out super crispy all the way through.
No need to flip
Just set the timer, and that’s it. The oven does everything automatically. No flipping, no checking, and no splatters. The bacon bubbles and sizzles, but really, and I repeat—no splattering!in rea.