Creative Ways: How to Cook Bacon in Toaster Oven
Among the many ways of cooking bacon, using an oven-style toaster is unique. Knowing the specific methods can let us have a different delicious experience.
How to make bacon crispy when cooking it in a toaster oven?
In a toaster oven, baking at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes can yield crispy bacon. The key is to line the bottom with tin foil to catch the oil and place the bacon slices evenly on the baking rack to allow the grease to drip fully.
The temperatures of different ovens may vary somewhat. It is recommended to start observing from 8 minutes when baking for the first time. When the edges of the bacon start to curl and the color turns golden-red, it is almost done. If you want it to be even crispier, you can bake for another 1-2 minutes.
This method is more convenient than frying in a pan, and there is no need to worry about oil splattering. Place the baked bacon on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil and it can be eaten immediately. The remaining bacon oil can be collected and used to fry eggs or stir-fry dishes. It has a particularly fragrant taste.
How many slices of bacon can be cooked at one time in a toaster oven?
4 to 6 slices of bacon. The specific number also depends on the size of the oven and the size of the bacon. When placing them, make sure to leave some space between the bacon slices so that they are heated evenly.
If you want to bake more, you can fold the bacon in half and place it. However, the baking time will be extended to 12 to 15 minutes. Moreover, folded bacon is prone to scorching at the edges while remaining undercooked in the middle. Therefore, pay more attention and check frequently during baking.
To ensure the baking effect, don't be greedy. Bake in batches according to the oven capacity. Lay a new piece of tin foil for each batch. This can avoid excessive accumulation of grease and is also convenient for cleaning.
Should the toaster oven be preheated before cooking bacon?
It is recommended to preheat the toaster oven. This is a key step to obtaining perfect bacon. Preheating only takes 3 to 5 minutes, and setting the temperature to 180 degrees is sufficient. This can make the bacon heated more evenly, and the baked texture will be crispier.
If you plan to bake several batches of bacon, there is no need to preheat after the first batch because the oven temperature is already high enough. Although the entire preheating process takes a few more minutes, it is well worth the time for better taste and appearance.
What should be noted when baking bacon with a toaster oven?
Temperature and time:
180 degrees is the most suitable temperature. Control the baking time to about 10 minutes. Observe more during baking to prevent overbaking.
Baking tray preparation:
It is best to cover the baking tray with a layer of tin foil before use, which can not only catch the dripping grease but also be convenient for cleaning.
Placement spacing:
Leave an appropriate gap between bacon slices to make the heating more uniform and make it easier to become crispy.
Placement position:
When baking, it is best to place the bacon on the middle shelf, where the heating is the most uniform. If you want a crisper taste, you can increase the temperature a little when it is almost done.
Oil absorption treatment:
After baking, it is best to place it on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
Safety precautions:
Be sure to wear heat-insulating gloves when taking it out, as the bacon oil temperature is high and it is easy to get burned. In addition, there will be oil fumes during the baking process. It is recommended to turn on the range hood or maintain ventilation.
How to judge whether the bacon in the toaster oven is cooked?
look at the appearance:
Raw bacon is pink or light red. As it is being roasted, the surface turns golden brown or dark brown. Then it is almost cooked. Also, raw bacon is very soft and flat. When roasted, it will shrink and curl. If you see obvious curling and the texture becomes firm, it may be cooked.
look at the texture:
Gently touch the bacon with clips or a fork. If it feels a certain degree of hardness and is not as soft and collapsed as at the beginning and has a little toughness, it means it is almost roasted. You can also try to clip out a little bit and gently tear it. Cooked bacon is easy to tear. The torn place looks like the fibrous texture of cooked meat, not like raw meat.
What are the common ways to eat bacon besides roasting it?
Frying:
Heat a pan and add some oil. Then put in bacon and fry slowly over medium-low heat. Remember to turn it over. Fry until both sides are golden and fragrant. It is quite crispy when eaten directly. It can also be used to make sandwiches with bread and vegetables. Put it in bread and add some lettuce and tomatoes. The taste is quite rich.
Stir-frying:
For example, when stir-frying asparagus, first cut bacon into small pieces and put them in the pan to stir-fry to bring out the oil. Then add asparagus and continue to stir-fry. Its oil and fragrance can make the dish more delicious. It can also be used to stir-fry pasta. First stir-fry bacon, then add cooked pasta, vegetables, cream and so on and stir-fry together. The made bacon cream pasta is quite delicious.
Making soup:
Add a few slices when making vegetable soup and cook them together. Its salty and fragrant flavor can blend into the soup and make the taste of the soup more intense. For example, adding bacon to corn chowder makes the taste more layered.
Cold mixing:
Cut cooked bacon and put it together with ingredients suitable for cold mixing such as cucumbers and black fungus. Add some minced garlic, light soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil and mix. The made cold dish is quite refreshing and appetizing.
Stewing:
Add some bacon pieces when stewing potatoes. During the stewing process, the flavor of bacon seeps into the potatoes. The potatoes taste salty and fragrant of bacon and the dish has a richer taste.
