Whether you are a home cook who enjoys the ease of an electric skillet (aka. whether you’re looking for the perfect cookware for your next camping trip, tailgate, or other outdoor event, an electric skillet can be used for a lot of different types of food.
In fact, you can use them like a regular skillet to cook many of your favorite foods to golden perfection, like pancakes, bacon, hamburgers, and steaks, as long as you know the right temperature settings. This electric skillet temperature guide will help you do that.
On some models, the electric skillet temperature can be set to low, medium, or high. On other models, it can be set to degrees Fahrenheit.
Some also have a timer that lets you know when the cooking is done and a light that turns on when the appliance reaches the right temperature.
Keep in mind that the following are guidelines and each different electric pan model may vary. However, the basic electric frying pan temperature settings are as follows: Jump to:
Crispy, savory bacon is one of life’s simple pleasures. There’s nothing quite like waking up to the aroma of sizzling bacon, ready to complement your eggs, pancakes, or breakfast sandwich. While frying up bacon is easy enough in a regular skillet, using an electric skillet streamlines the process. With an electric skillet, you can cook up perfect bacon easily and consistently.
But what temperature should you use? Getting the temperature right is key to crispy bacon without burning. Here, I’ll walk you through how to fry up flawless bacon every time using your handy electric skillet.
Why Choose an Electric Skillet for Frying Bacon?
First let’s look at why an electric skillet can be ideal for cooking up everyone’s favorite pork belly treat.
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Consistent, even heat Electric skillets maintain a steady temp, preventing hot and cold spots. No more undercooked ends or burnt edges!
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Accurate temperature control. Dial in the ideal heat level and rely on your electric skillet to stick to it.
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Large cooking surface. Electric skillets provide ample room for cooking up big batches of bacon.
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Easy monitoring. The broad cooking surface also makes it easy to watch the bacon cook.
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Less splattering. The enclosed electric skillet contains grease splatter for neat, easy cooking.
With the convenience of an electric skillet, you can focus on nailing the right temperature for perfect bacon.
Finding the Best Temperature for Bacon Perfection
So what’s the magic number for bacon bliss? Here are some tips:
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Start low. Heating your electric skillet no higher than 325°F to start prevents sticking and allows the fat to render slowly.
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Gradually increase heat. After a few minutes, bump the temp up to 350-375°F to get the bacon crisping.
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Watch it closely. Keep an eye on the bacon as it fries so you can adjust the temp if needed.
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Consider thickness. Thinner bacon will fry faster than thick-cut slabs. Adjust cook times and temps accordingly.
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Make adjustments. If it seems to be cooking unevenly, lower the temp and let it continue cooking more slowly.
While recipes provide recommended temps for electric skillet bacon, your ideal number may vary based on your preferences and the thickness of the bacon you buy.
Through trial and error, find the sweet spot that produces bacon to your liking every time.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Skillet Bacon Bliss
Once you’ve zeroed in on the ideal temp for your electric skillet bacon endeavors, fry up flawless bacon every time with these simple steps:
1. Preheat Electric Skillet
Heat up your electric skillet for a few minutes before adding the bacon. This allows the pan to come fully up to temp. Dial it into the 300-325°F range.
2. Prepare the Bacon
While the skillet preheats, prep the bacon. Carefully slice open packaging and separate any slices that are stuck together.
3. Add Bacon Carefully
Once heated, add the bacon strips to the skillet carefully. Try not to overlap so all pieces can fry evenly.
4. Increase Heat
After 2-3 minutes, increase the temperature to 350-375°F. This brings the heat up to start crisping the bacon.
5. Flip and Rotate
Use tongs to gently flip and rotate the bacon slices periodically so both sides fry evenly.
6. Remove When Crispy
Once the bacon reaches your desired level of crispiness, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
7. Cook Additional Batches
To prevent uneven cooking, fry the bacon in batches. Adjust heat or cook times as needed.
Troubleshooting Bacon in the Electric Skillet
Even with the ideal electric skillet temp dialed in, you may occasionally encounter problems. Here are some quick fixes:
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Bacon not crispy enough? Bump heat up 25 degrees and let it fry a bit longer.
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Burnt edges? Lower heat slightly and flip bacon more frequently.
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Curled or wavy bacon? Use a bacon press to keep slices flat against the surface.
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Undercooked fatty areas? Reduce heat and let bacon render more slowly.
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Slow cooking? Try thicker-cut bacon to allow more time for crisping at lower temps.
With a few tweaks, you can troubleshoot any issues and find your way to flawless bacon.
Serving Up Your Electric Skillet Bacon
Once cooked to crispy perfection, here are some delicious ways to serve that irresistible bacon:
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Crumble over salads for a savory, smoky crunch.
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Top baked potatoes for a satisfying skillet bacon loaded spud.
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Complement rich mac and cheese with crispy crumbled bacon.
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Toss into pasta dishes like spaghetti carbonara for a pop of flavor.
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Layer on sandwiches and burgers for a textbook bacon contribution.
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Sprinkle over pizza for a welcome saltiness and crunch.
However you choose to use it, keep that skillet bacon at the ready. With the ideal electric skillet temperature dialed in, you can fulfill all your bacon cravings in a flash. Wake up to sizzling breakfast bacon, rely on it for dinner entrees, or keep a supply for instant bacon bit garnishes.
So dial in that temperature, admire the sizzle, and take in the irresistible aroma of bacon frying up perfectly in your electric skillet. Need I say more? Get cookin’!
What is Medium Heat on an Electric Skillet?
Many recipes for an electric skillet require a medium heat setting. But because there are different cooking temperatures for electric skillets, it might be hard to tell which one is medium.
If you have a skillet with a Fahrenheit setting, the medium setting is usually around 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and the medium-high setting is around 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your electric skillet’s lowest temperature is 250°F, that would be the low setting. High heat is 400°F or higher. “Low heat” means 200°F or simmer. Looking through the product manual for your particular model can be helpful.
| HEAT SETTING | ELECTRIC SKILLET TEMP |
|---|---|
| Low | 200°F |
| Medium-Low | 250°F – 275°F |
| Medium | 300°F |
| Medium-High | 350°F – 375°F |
| High | 400°F+ |
What Temperature to Cook Biscuits?
An electric skillet allows you to make warm, fluffy biscuits in just a matter of minutes. There are a couple of methods you can try: baking or frying. They require different temperatures.
Put the lid on the electric skillet and set the dial to the temperature you want to bake the biscuits at. (You are going to want to bake them around 425ºF. They generally require higher heat. ).
Place the biscuit dough into a baking pan. Once the pan is hot, take off the lid and put a wire rack in the bottom of it right away.
Place the baking pan onto the wire rack and then place the lid of the skillet back on. Allow the biscuits to bake until they are golden brown.
To fry the biscuits in oil in the electric skillet, follow this recipe. You will use a temperature of 400ºF.
Frying Bacon In My NOS 1982 West Bend Electric Skillet
How do you cook bacon in an electric skillet?
To determine what temp to cook bacon in an electric skillet, begin by adjusting the knob on the temperature controller to 325°F, or medium heat.
How long do you cook bacon in a frying pan?
Once the indicator light goes off, indicating the chosen temperature has been reached, place the bacon in the skillet, and then allow it to brown evenly, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, 8 to 10 minutes total cooking time for both sides, depending on the thickness of the bacon.
What temperature should an electric skillet be cooked at?
However, given the various electric skillet cooking temperatures available, it may be difficult to know for sure which setting is medium. Provided you are using a skillet with a Fahrenheit setting, the medium setting is usually around 300 degrees Fahrenheit on most models, while the medium-high setting is between 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
What temperature do you cook burgers in an electric skillet?
Thicker foods like burgers prefer a lower temperature, giving the meat time to cook through before the outside burns. High heat ranges from 375º to 400º, and some skillets go as high as 450º. This setting is best for browning meat, making pancakes and frying foods. Next up: Find the best electric skillet for your cooking style.