How to Cook Bacon on the Grill with Foil: The Complete Guide

As a bacon lover, I’m always looking for easy, mess-free ways to cook it. One of my favorite methods is grilling bacon on foil. It keeps splatters contained, needs minimal cleanup, and infuses the bacon with delicious smoky flavor.

Grilling bacon in foil pouches or pans is a great technique for backyard cookouts or when you want to free up stovetop space. Once you learn the basics, you’ll be making perfect grilled bacon in foil again and again.

Why Cook Bacon on the Grill in Foil?

Cooking bacon on the grill lined with foil offers several benefits:

• Contains grease and splatters – Foil prevents bacon grease from dripping all over your grill, leading to flare ups It keeps your grill tidy.

• Easy to clean up: let the foil cool down, then roll it up and throw it away. No need to scrub a greasy grill or skillet.

• Infuses smoky flavor – The grill heat gently smokes the bacon, giving it extra savory flavor

• Cooks evenly – Bacon browns and crisps evenly in foil pockets instead of curling up,

• Versatile – Make packages for any number, from a few strips to pounds of bacon.

• Hands-free – Once packaged in foil on the grill, bacon basically cooks itself.

• Frees up stovetop – Grilling allows you to cook bacon without heating up your kitchen.

How to Prepare Foil for Grilling Bacon

You’ll need heavy duty aluminum foil to make grilling packets that can withstand bacon grease. Look for extra thick foil labeled “heavy duty.”

Here are the simple steps to shaping foil for grilling bacon:

1. Take a sheet of foil a bit larger than needed for the bacon. Heavy duty foil is best.

2. Fold the foil in half to make a double layer pouch. This strengthens it.

3. Fold up the edges on all four sides by about 1/2 inch to create a rim.

4. Fold in the corners so grease won’t leak out.

5. Place bacon strips on foil, not overlapping.

6. Once cool, ball up and discard the foil.

The folded edges prevent grease leaks while the double layer foil prevents tears. Make packets as big or small as needed for the amount of bacon.

How to Grill Bacon in Foil Packets

Grilling bacon in foil is incredibly easy. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Preheat grill to medium heat, about 400°F.

2. Make foil packets according to above directions.

3. Place packets directly on grill grates.

4. Close grill lid and cook 10-15 minutes until bacon reaches desired doneness, flipping once halfway through.

5. Use tongs to transfer cooked bacon to a plate.

6. Let foil cool completely before discarding.

Cook times will vary based on bacon cut thickness and how crispy you like it. Thicker slices may take 15-18 minutes. Check often to prevent burning.

Mistakes to Avoid When Grilling Bacon

While grilling bacon in foil is fairly foolproof, watch out for these common mistakes:

• Don’t completely cover grill surface with foil. This can block airflow and be dangerous.

• Use heavy duty foil to prevent tears and grease leakage.

• Don’t let bacon overlap or it may not cook evenly.

• Don’t walk away from the grill, as bacon grease can still flare up.

• Don’t use forks to flip bacon that might poke holes in the foil. Use tongs instead.

• Don’t throw away hot foil until completely cooled to prevent fires.

As long as you take precautions, grilling bacon in foil packets is easy and effective.

Grilling Foil Pan Bacon

In addition to packets, you can also grill bacon in a foil pan. This allows grilling large batches of bacon easily.

To make a foil pan:

• Mold a large doubled sheet of heavy duty foil into a square or rectangular pan shape.

• Fold up edges to make 1/2 inch lips to catch grease.

• Place pan directly on grill grate and fill with bacon strips.

• Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally with tongs or spatula.

The foil pan becomes like a disposable grill skillet. This method is great for making lots of bacon for a crowd without the mess.

Best Bacon Cuts for Grilling

You can grill all kinds of bacon successfully in foil. But for the best results, opt for these types of bacon cuts:

• Thick sliced – Holds up well on the grill without overcooking.

• Center cut – More meaty with less curling than regular sliced.

• Slab bacon – Portion into your own thick slices perfect for grilling.

• Peppered bacon – Peppery seasoning complements the smoky grill flavor.

• Maple bacon – Light sweetness balances the savory smoked taste.

Thicker sliced bacon works best to prevent burning while custom cutting your own slab gives you uniform slices.

Tips for Flavorful, Perfectly Grilled Bacon

• If you want crispy bacon, start with thicker sliced cuts that won’t overcook easily.

• Rotate foil packets midway through grilling for even cooking.

• Brush maple syrup or brown sugar on bacon before grilling for sweetness.

• For spicy bacon, sprinkle on a bit of cayenne or chipotle powder before cooking.

• For ultimate flavor, use untreated hardwood like apple or maple to generate grill smoke.

• Pull bacon off grill just before it reaches your ideal doneness as it will continue cooking.

With the right cut, a few flavor tweaks, and careful grilling, you can make bacon with amazing texture and taste every time.

Make Your Own Dry Rub for Grilled Bacon

Customize flavor by making your own dry spice rub to coat bacon before grilling.

• Brown sugar bacon rub – Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp each garlic and onion powder, 1/2 tsp pepper.

• BBQ bacon rub – Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder.

• Spicy bacon rub – Stir together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1-2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper.

Rub your favorite blend all over bacon before grilling for incredible flavor. The sugar caramelizes while spices form a tasty crust.

Grilling Bacon Wrapped Foods

Want to take bacon grilling to the next level? Try wrapping other foods in bacon before grilling in foil.

Delicious bacon wrapped grill ideas:

• Scallops or shrimp
• Stuffed peppers or jalapeños
• Asparagus, green beans or carrots
• Chicken breasts or boneless thighs
• Slices of pork tenderloin or pork chops
• Wedges of pineapple, peaches, or plums

The bacon seals in moisture and adds incredible flavor to anything you wrap. Feel free to get creative with bacon wrapped grill combinations.

Serve Up Perfectly Grilled Bacon

Now that you know how to master grilling bacon in foil, try serving it in fun ways:

• Chopped over salads or baked potatoes
• Crumbled on top of soups or chili
• On burgers, sandwiches, pizza and tacos
• With breakfast hashes, omelets and pancakes
• Candied on top of cakes, cupcakes or brownies
• In place of chips with dips like spinach artichoke

However you choose to use your smoky grilled bacon, it adds a punch of savory flavor. Grilling bacon in foil makes fixing this tasty treat easy anytime.

The Bottom Line

Grilling bacon in foil pouches or pans is one of the easiest, neatest cooking methods. The foil contains grease splatters for minimal mess while infusing bacon with delicious smoky barbecue flavor. As long as you use heavy duty foil and keep hot grease safely contained, you’ll get perfectly cooked bacon off the grill anytime.