Bacon is a favorite breakfast staple of many people all over the world. It is one of the only food that can be consumed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
However, you haven’t had good bacon unless you’ve grilled it.
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Benefits of Grilling Bacon
I know what you’re thinking. Why on earth would I grill bacon when I can fry it in a seasoned cast-iron skillet on the stove?
One reason would be to cook all of your foods using one cooker.
For example, if you are making BBQ burgers and want to add a few pieces of bacon to your burgers, you would have to go inside to cook it on the stove.
However, if you grill your bacon, you do not have to go all the way to the kitchen just to cook bacon the old-fashioned way.
More importantly, your entire house will not smell like bacon, and you will not have to increase the temperature in your kitchen and by using the stove or oven.
No one wants to be in a hothouse during BBQ season, also known as the summertime.
You don’t even have to oil your kamado grills cooking grates before grilling your bacon. Better yet, there is no mess to clean up once you have grilled your bacon.
The drip pan will catch all of the fat rendered by the bacon.
This means there is no contemplating over how to dispose of your bacon grease.
Furthermore, you do not need to be afraid as the hot bacon grease will not poop on you if you cook it on the grill.
In addition to this, you can grill a larger portion of bacon.
A skillet only allows you to cook a few strips of bacon, which we all know can get messy very quickly.
Safety
We all know fatty cuts of meat such as Tomahawk steak can cause flare-ups.
Even though the grills grates will decrease the chances of a flare-up occurring, it is not a guarantee that a flare-up will not occur.
For this reason, do not add the entire package of bacon to your grill at once. Grill your bacon in batches.
Furthermore, do not use a paper towel to wipe the grease off off your offset grill’s grates.
You will get burned, so let the grill grates cool before attempting to clean it.
Never leave walk away from your grill while you are grilling bacon. If a small grease fire breaks out, remove the bacon from the grills cooking surface, then turn off the fuel and allow it to fizzle out on its own.
Another important bacon grilling rule is never to use water on a grease fire.
What Is the Best Kind of Bacon to Grill?
Like most cuts of beef, all bacon is not created equal. Do not grill regular cut bacon.
It would be a waste of time grilling this bacon as it will stick to the grill’s grate.
Avoid the frustration and grill thick-cut bacon. Thick-cut bacon will shrink a little, but it will not stick to grills grates.
Tips for Grilling Bacon
Preheat your gas grill while your bacon sits on your countertop and comes to room temperature.
Allowing your bacon to come to room temperature helps it cook evenly, and it speeds up the cooking process.
As previously mentioned, thick-cut bacon is best. However, you should use thick-cut center-cut bacon.
It is leaner, which means fewer chances of a flare-up occurring.
Do not overcrowd your grill pan. If you layer the bacon on the grill as if you were layering it on a cookie sheet, you may end up with undercooked or raw bacon.
Make sure there are at least a few inches of space between each strip of bacon.
In addition to this, cook your bacon using indirect heat. Fat rendered from the bacon during the grilling process can drop onto the flames and cause a flare-up.
It could even cause your beautiful thick-cut bacon to catch on fire.
Furthermore, indirect heat will prevent your bacon from being exposed to large amounts of combusted carbon. Combusted carbon occurs when meats such as Ranch steaks are cooked at high heat.
Small amounts of combusted carbon are harmless, but exposure to large amounts of this material may cause health problems.
Use a grill pan or grill basket when grilling bacon.
Grill pans will not stick to your natural gas grill, and it makes cleaning up that much easier.
How Long Does It Take to Grill Bacon?
The cooking time of bacon is based on the thickness, the ambient temperature of your grill, and how crispy you want your grill to be.
On average, bacon may take 15-30 minutes to grill. However, if you are using high heat, it will take about 10-15 minutes.
How to Grill Bacon
To grill bacon, you will need a pound of thick-cut center-cut bacon. This will give four servings of bacon.
In addition to this, you’ll also need a grill pan, basket, or mat, as well as an outdoor grill.
Heat your grill to medium-high heat, then switch half of the grill’s burners to the off position to build an indirect grilling zone.
Add the bacon strips to the grill pan or basket, and then place the basket onto the grill directly onto your indirect grilling zone.
Close your grill’s lid and let the bacon cook for 15-20 minutes until it reaches your desired crispiness.
Remember, do not walk away while you are grilling your bacon. Remove the bacon from the grill and dig in.
Can You Cook Bacon on an Electric Grill?
Of course, you can grill bacon on an electric grill. Preheat your electric grill to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, then add your bacon.
Do not continuously flip your bacon while it is grilling? Turn your bacon once and cook it until golden and crispy.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing better than golden, crispy grilled bacon. Now that you know how to grill bacon, you will never go back to cooking bacon in a skillet again.
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.