Is bacon cooked in the microwave less fatty than pan fried bacon?

Answer 1

Whether or not cooked bacon is fatty depends on the cut of the bacon and on the style of cooking, rather than on whether you use a convection oven, a broiler (grill), a microwave oven, or a pan.

If you start with lean bacon, you'll end up with lean bacon when it's cooked. If you (or the supplier) has cut all the fat off, you might need to add a little fat to the pan when you fry it. You won't need to do this in the microwave oven or in the broiler.

If the bacon you want to cook has a lot of fat and you want less fatty bacon, just cut most of the fat off. Or, if you're pan frying, put the bacon into a cold pan, turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the fat has crisped. Then drain the bacon on paper towels*. There will still be some fat, but it's up to you whether you eat it. Cooking the bacon with the fat on will give it a better flavor, and the melted fat that's left in the pan can be used to fry eggs or other foods to go with the bacon. Try cooking a slice of yesterday's mashed potato in it, it'll be delicious.

A broiler (grill) gives good results with bacon, but a pan is quicker, safer, and simpler to clean, and uses less energy. A convection oven also gives good results but is an expensive waste of energy, unless you're already using the oven to cook something else.

If you have only a microwave oven to use, then trim off the fat and cook the bacon between two paper towels, to stop it splattering all over the inside of the oven.

But there really is no point using the microwave to cook bacon if you can cook it in a pan. It won't taste as good, and won't be any more healthy for you.

Remember, with all meat you need some fat to keep it tender, stop it drying out, and make it taste good. Just trim off most of the fat; it only takes a moment and it'll be easier to eat the cooked meat.

*Here's a tip for draining cooked bacon: keep an empty fibre-pack egg carton around just for this; when the bacon's cooked, put it on top of the part where the eggs go. It'll drain perfectly and stay crisp. Put the lid down to keep it warm for a short while. You can use this method for draining all kinds of fried or roasted foods in small portions, and (with the lid down) you can also briefly reheat in the microwave if necessary.