While toasting bread may be a daily occurrence, you’ll be pleased to know that bread is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you can put in your toaster. The appliance’s even and quick crisping powers have multiple uses, from cooking sweet potatoes to transforming tortillas into tostadas. Perhaps the most unconventional ingredient you can slide into your toaster slots is bacon. That said, your toaster will deliver perfectly crispy, delicious bacon with a simple push of its lever.
Cooking bacon in the toaster is perhaps the easiest and most efficient way to make just enough for a single or double serving. You won’t have to dirty a skillet or baking tray, nor will you have to wait for your oven to preheat. The fat in bacon is plentiful enough to cook itself without adding butter or oil. However, you don’t want any bacon grease dripping into your toaster’s heating mechanism and starting a fire. Luckily, toaster bags are reusable tools that act as grease traps and heat conductors. They may look like wax-paper lunch sacks, but they’re the key accessory that extends your toaster’s utility beyond bread.
All you have to do is place a few strips of bacon inside a toaster bag, stretching them vertically along the inside of the bag. Then, place the bag inside the toaster with the opening at the top and toast at the highest setting. The toaster bag will catch any grease and protect the toaster from fatty splatters.
Even more bacon-cooking hacks
With the help of toaster bags, your toaster becomes a multifaceted appliance. It’ll simplify making a BLT sandwich by cooking the bacon and toasting the bread. You can use it to cook a hearty breakfast by using one slot to cook bacon and the other to crisp up a waffle, English muffin, or even a maple-flavored pop tart. For more ways to use the handy kitchen appliance, take a look at our article on the absolute best uses for your toaster.
If you don’t have a toaster, a few other small household appliances can be used without turning to a stove or oven. The first is a toaster oven, which functions as both a convection oven and a toaster. A toaster oven has more exact temperatures than a toaster, while its smaller size will preheat and cook bacon much faster than a standard oven. That said, it’ll still take up to 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. An air fryer is another quick and convenient appliance that will cook bacon in around ten minutes. Lastly, you could use a waffle iron to cook bacon, also with the help of a toaster bag for easier clean up.
Thin-cut bacon takes less time than thick-cut bacon and is ideal for shorter cooking times. Whichever appliance you use, letting the freshly cooked bacon rest over paper towels for a few minutes before adding it to your sandwich or plate will absorb any extra grease and maximize its crispy texture.
