As a bacon lover, I’m always looking for new ways to cook up my favorite pork delicacy. Over the years, I’ve tried frying, baking, microwaving – you name it. But the absolute best way I’ve found to make perfectly crispy, evenly cooked bacon is in the halogen oven.
Halogen ovens are amazing multi-tasking appliances that can roast, grill, bake, steam and air fry. With their super powerful halogen bulbs and built-in fans, they cook food fast and delicious using a fraction of the energy of a regular oven. That makes them ideal for quick convenience foods like bacon.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk through everything you need to know to cook flawless bacon in a halogen oven. You’ll learn:
- What is a halogen oven and why it’s great for cooking bacon
- Step-by-step instructions for cooking bacon in a halogen oven
- Tips to get your bacon extra crispy
- How long to cook bacon in a halogen oven
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Other methods for cooking bacon
So let’s get cooking! Here’s how to make perfect crispy bacon in your halogen oven
What is a Halogen Oven and Why Use It For Bacon?
A halogen oven is a small countertop convection oven that uses a high-powered halogen lamp to cook food. The heating element is usually a tungsten halogen bulb inside a quartz glass tube, which releases infrared radiation that instantly heats up food.
Halogen ovens heat up faster and more efficiently than regular ovens. They can reach temperatures of up to 500°F, which is perfect for getting bacon nice and crispy.
Here are some of the advantages of using a halogen oven for cooking bacon:
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Super fast cooking times – Bacon cooks in just 6-8 minutes in a halogen oven, vs. 15-20 minutes in a conventional oven. The halogen bulbs heat the food directly, drastically reducing cooking time.
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Even cooking – The built-in fan circulates air around the food to promote browning on all sides, rather than just the top. No more undercooked fatty spots!
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Adjustable racks – Halogen ovens have adjustable racks, so you can move the bacon closer to or farther from the heat source and customize crispiness.
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Compact size – Halogen ovens are small and compact. They take up way less space than a big oven. Perfect for small kitchens, dorms, or RVs.
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Energy efficient – Halogen ovens use up to 75% less energy than a conventional oven while cooking food faster. This makes them cheaper to operate.
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Observe cooking – The bowl is clear so you can watch your bacon sizzle and pop without having to open the door.
Using a halogen oven is hands-down the quickest, most efficient way to cook perfectly crisped bacon. Now let’s get into the step-by-step process.
How to Cook Bacon in a Halogen Oven – Step-by-Step
Cooking bacon in a halogen over is simple and easy. Just follow these steps:
1. Prepare the Bacon
Choose a good quality thick-cut bacon that’s about 1/4 inch thick. Thinner bacon tends to overcook and burn faster. Thick slices will cook up crispy on the outside while remaining tender and juicy inside.
Layout your bacon slices in a single layer on a baking sheet or metal cooling rack. This will allow air flow under and around the bacon.
If needed, you can line the rack with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. The foil will also catch any grease drippings.
2. Preheat the Halogen Oven
Turn on your halogen oven and preheat it to 400°F. Most models only take 2-5 minutes to preheat.
While you wait, go ahead and place the bacon into the oven so it’s ready to start cooking.
3. Cook the Bacon
Once preheated, cook the bacon for 6-8 minutes. I like to start checking it around 6 minutes and go from there. Cook times will vary a bit based on your halogen oven wattage and thickness of the bacon.
As it cooks, you’ll hear the bacon sizzle and start to smell its delicious aroma. The clear bowl gives you a front row seat to watch it transform from limp slices to crispy heaven.
During cooking, grease will accumulate at the bottom of the oven. This is normal. At the end, carefully remove the hot bacon rack and dispose of the grease.
4. Remove and Drain Bacon
After 6-8 minutes, the bacon should be lightly browned and crispy. Use oven mitts to safely remove the rack.
Transfer the bacon slices to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess grease. Don’t forget to leave those tasty browned bacon bits stuck to the rack for snacking!
Let the bacon cool for 1-2 minutes before digging in. Be cautious of hot grease when taking your first bite.
And that’s it – perfectly cooked crispy bacon in less than 10 minutes! Now let’s go over some pro tips and tricks.
Pro Tips for Extra Crispy Bacon
Follow these tips if you like your bacon well done and super crispy:
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Use thicker cut bacon – Thicker slices will crisp up better than thin.
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Cook at a higher temp – Try 425-450°F to really crisp it up.
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Cook longer – Extend cooking time to 8-10 minutes for crispier bacon.
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Elevate the bacon – Use a rack so air flows under the bacon too.
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Brush with oil or water – Lightly brushing bacon with oil or water before cooking helps it get extra crispy. The oil helps conduct heat while the water evaporates, leaving just the crunchy pork behind.
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Blot grease during cooking – Carefully open the oven 2-3 minutes in and blot bacon grease with a paper towel. Removing some of the rendered fat will allow the meat to crisp up.
Follow those tips, and you’ll end up with bacon so crispy it shatters when you bite into it. Now let’s look at approximate cook times.
How Long to Cook Bacon in a Halogen Oven
Cooking time can vary based on thickness of the bacon, your desired level of crispiness, and halogen oven wattage. Here are general halogen oven bacon cooking times:
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Thin cut bacon (about 1/16 inch) – 4-5 minutes
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Standard cut bacon (about 1/8 inch) – 6-7 minutes
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Thick cut bacon (about 1⁄4 inch) – 8-10 minutes
The best way to ensure perfect results is to keep an eye on it and check frequently after the first 5 minutes. You can always cook it longer if needed.
For soft, flexible bacon, err on the lower end of the time range. For shatteringly crispy bacon, cook longer.
Use these times as a guide, and adjust to your taste by testing batches. Now let’s go over some common mistakes.
Mistakes to Avoid
It’s easy to accidentally over or undercook bacon in the halogen oven if you’re not careful. Here are some key mistakes to avoid:
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Overcrowding – Only cook 1 pound or less at a time and spread it out in a single layer. Overcrowded bacon won’t cook evenly.
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Not preheating – Always preheat your halogen oven before cooking. Skipping this step means the bacon will cook unevenly.
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Wrong rack height – Place bacon on the middle rack, not too high or low. Adjust as needed for more or less crispness.
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Not watching it – Bacon can go from perfect to burnt very quickly. Keep an eye on it and check it frequently as it cooks.
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Cooking too long – It’s easy to overcook bacon in the fast halogen oven. Start checking it early and remove it as soon as it looks done.
Avoid these common pitfalls, and you’ll turn out picture-perfect bacon every time.
Other Ways to Cook Bacon
While the halogen oven is hands-down the best way, there are some other methods you can use to cook bacon if you don’t have one:
Oven Baked Bacon
You can bake bacon in a regular oven by placing it on a foil-lined baking sheet at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. Flip the bacon halfway through. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Pan Fried Bacon
Frying in a skillet over medium heat is the classic bacon cooking method. Fry for 2-4 minutes per side until it reaches desired crispness. Pour off grease as it accumulates.
Microwave Bacon
Microwaving is the fastest option, though it can lead to uneven cooking. Place bacon on a microwave-safe plate and cover with paper towels. microwave in 30 second intervals until crispy, checking frequently.
While all these methods work, I find the halogen oven consistently delivers the fastest, most evenly cooked and crisp bacon with the least effort. It’s definitely the best way for me!
Let’s Get Cooking!
There you have it – everything you need to know to cook perfect crispy bacon in the halogen oven. It’s fast, easy, and makes your kitchen smell amazing.
To recap, choose a good thick-cut quality bacon and cook at 400°F for 6-8 minutes, adjusting time for desired crispness. Use a rack, preheat, don’t overcrowd, and keep an eye on it. Follow the tips above for extra crispy bacon.
Now that you’re a halogen bacon cooking pro, you can enjoy this tasty treat anytime with little fuss. Bacon and eggs for breakfast, BLTs for lunch, bacon appetizers, salads and more are now at your fingertips.
Cooking Bacon in a Halogen Oven
FAQ
What temperature do you cook pork at in a halogen oven?
Do you reduce cooking time with a halogen oven?
How to cook bacon in the oven?
To cook bacon in the oven, lay it in a single layer on a baking sheet and place it in a cold oven. Set the oven to 400˚F. This method results in perfectly cooked and delicious bacon every time.
At what temperature should Bacon be cooked?
Bacon can be cooked in the oven at 400˚F. Thicker bacon will always take longer to cook. You can also cook it at 350˚F, 375˚F, or 425˚F, but the time will vary. My personal favorite method is cooking bacon starting in a cold oven and setting the temperature to 400˚F.
How do you make bacon crispy?
To make bacon crispy in the oven, heat it slowly so that it can render out its fat. Once placed in the oven, heat it to 400 degrees F and bake the bacon to your desired crispness.
Should you cover Bacon before cooking?
If you want to reduce splatter of grease in the oven while cooking, you can lightly cover your bacon with a sheet of parchment paper before cooking. However, this method is not recommended if you like your bacon super crispy. The passage is about using parchment paper to cover bacon while baking in the oven.