How to cook frozen bacon in the oven, stovetop or air fryer is here. Easy way to cook meat from frozen to get it crispy and cooked thru. Quick breakfast idea you’ll love.
What’s the fastest way to cook frozen bacon? We have a simple trick that will get it cooked all the way through and crunchy all over. Less grease too baking it in the oven where it drips away as it cooks. Best way to make sheet pan bacon ever. (affiliate links present, originally published 2/22).
Turkey bacon has become a popular lower-fat alternative to traditional pork bacon. It has a pleasant savory flavor while being lower in calories and fat. But what do you do when your turkey bacon is rock solid frozen and breakfast is fast approaching? Have no fear – cooking frozen turkey bacon is easy with the right techniques.
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through the simple process for preparing deliciously crispy turkey bacon, straight from the freezer. Learn the best cooking methods, step-by-step instructions, timing, storage tips, and more. With these frozen turkey bacon tricks, you’ll be enjoying tender and tasty bacon in no time!
Why Cook Frozen Turkey Bacon?
Here are some of the biggest benefits of cooking turkey bacon straight from the frozen state:
-
Saves Time – No need to thaw first! Get crispy bacon faster.
-
Easy Weekday Mornings – Cook bacon from freezer for quick breakfasts before work.
-
Less Mess – Frozen state means less splattering grease,
-
Longer Lasting – Freezing preserves freshness longer.
-
Reduces Waste – Use only what you need frozen
Choosing the Best Turkey Bacon
For the best results, look for:
-
Good Quality – Choose thicker, better quality turkey bacon over thin basic ones.
-
Unopened Packages – Pick packages that are still sealed versus opened.
-
Not Partially Thawed – Make sure the bacon is completely frozen, not partially thawed.
-
Similar Sizes – Uniform sizing helps bacon cook evenly.
-
Lower Sodium – Watch the sodium content if limiting intake
3 Easy Methods for Cooking Frozen Turkey Bacon
-
Oven Baking
-
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
-
Arrange frozen bacon strips in a single layer on sheet.
-
Bake 15-18 minutes, flip halfway, until crispy.
-
Stovetop
-
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of oil to prevent sticking.
-
Add frozen bacon strips to pan. Fry 4-5 minutes per side until crispy.
-
Microwave
-
Place frozen bacon between paper towels on a microwave-safe plate.
-
Microwave in 30 second intervals until crispy, about 1-2 minutes total.
-
Rearrange or flip bacon as needed.
Handy Tips for Crispy Perfection
Follow these tips for best results:
-
Separate any stuck strips before cooking.
-
Make sure strips are spread out, not overlapping.
-
Rotate pieces during cooking for even crispness.
-
Blot excess grease after cooking.
-
Don’t overcook – watch closely.
-
Let cool briefly before eating to avoid burns.
What to Do With Leftover Cooked Bacon
Leftover cooked turkey bacon will keep 4-5 days refrigerated. To use up extras:
-
Chop and add to salads, soups, pastas, etc.
-
Crumble over baked potatoes, casseroles or omelets.
-
Freeze extra cooked bacon for later use.
-
Mix with mayo for quick turkey bacon aioli.
-
Sprinkle over pizza, bruschetta or flatbreads.
Freezing and Storage Tips
To properly freeze uncooked turkey bacon:
-
Wrap unused strips tightly in plastic wrap or bags.
-
Remove as much air as possible.
-
Label with date and quantity.
-
Freeze up to 2-3 months.
-
Once thawed, use within 1 week.
Enjoy the Crispy Crunch
Preparing deliciously crispy turkey bacon from frozen is easy with the right techniques. With these handy tips for oven baking, microwaving or stove top cooking, you’ll be enjoying tasty frozen turkey bacon in no time. So go ahead – skip the tedious defrosting and dive right in to crispy, savory frozen turkey bacon bliss.
How to Defrost Bacon
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Put foil over the baking sheet and put the wire rack on top.
- It’s easy to thaw frozen bacon. Just take it out of the package, microwave it for 30 seconds, flip it over, and cook it again for 30 seconds. With a knife, it should be easy to separate the bacon pieces now. To thaw bacon enough, you could use the defrost setting, leave it in the fridge for a few hours until it’s soft enough to pull apart, or put the package in cold water for 20 minutes until it’s soft.
- Separate the bacon slices and place them on a rack. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. The time will depend on how thick your slices are and how crispy you want them to be. When cooking in a frying pan, start on low heat and wait until it’s warm. Then, raise the heat and cook until it’s crispy.
If you use a pan, have a plate lined with paper towels ready because the grease won’t drain that way. Remove and serve with egg bites or crumble and add into your Crockpot breakfast casserole for the morning!.
Click the link above to follow those directions, it turns out great. We love pig so much we buy it online in bulk. This helps with the number of times I have to go to the store, and when you find great deals I can really load up and store for later.
You can certainly cook bacon in the air fryer from defrosted this way. If it is rock hard you could follow the microwave directions same as below. Add a few more minutes if it isn’t defrosted but check often. One minute too long can be the death of your slices of pig and that would be tragic.
Next, put some sausage links in the air fryer. This will be a meat lover’s dream way to start the day. These are some of our favorite air fryer breakfast recipes that we’ve written about on the blog over the years.
How to Cook Bacon From Frozen
For oven-baked bacon, this is very important because you don’t want the pieces to touch each other or the bottom ones won’t brown. Same goes for making air fryer candied bacon, separate is key. Now you need a way to keep them off of the baking sheet. Why??? This way all sides will get crispy AND the grease will drain away from the meat!.
You could call this a wire rack, or cooling rack. I use them for both. When I bake cookies, I put them on these to let them cool down without staying on the cookie sheet too long and getting too brown. That is really the gist of things. I mean how easy can that really be?.
Can you cook turkey bacon from frozen?
FAQ
Do I need to thaw turkey bacon before cooking?
How do you defrost frozen bacon?
Can you cook bacon from frozen in the air fryer?
Can you freeze turkey bacon?
First, pre-freeze the bacon strips in one layer on a baking sheet, evenly spaced. Then, once all the bacon is frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container to store. To reheat your turkey bacon, you can warm it up in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
How do you cook frozen Bacon in the oven?
How to cook frozen bacon in the oven, stovetop or air fryer is here. Easy way to cook meat from frozen to get it crispy and cooked thru. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover baking sheet with foil and place wire rack on top. Unwrap bacon and put on a plate. Put into microwave for 30 seconds, flip over, and again cook for 30 seconds.
Can You air Fry turkey bacon?
If you need to air fry more bacon you may have to do it in several batches. Cook for 5 minutes and then flip the turkey bacon and cook for another 5 minutes. Carefully remove the cooked turkey bacon from the air fryer and serve while it is still hot.
How long does it take to cook turkey bacon?
Now it’s time to cook the turkey bacon! So, to bake it you’ll want to cook the first side for about 10 minutes. Then, after the 10 minutes are up, you can take the turkey bacon out of the oven, give it a flip, and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally, transfer your cooked turkey bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil.