Can you freeze cooked bacon? Yes, and it reheats in a minute

Yes, cooked bacon freezes very well. Freeze it in single strips or crumbled, and use it within about a month for the best flavour. Frozen at 0°F (-18°C) it stays safe for longer, but the fat slowly turns stale. In the fridge, cooked bacon keeps 3 to 4 days like other cooked meat.

How do you freeze cooked bacon?

• Cook the bacon until it is done but not quite as crisp as you like it, because it crisps again when reheated.
• Drain it on paper towels and let it cool completely.
• Lay the strips on a tray lined with baking paper and freeze for an hour, so they stay separate.
• Move them to a freezer bag, press out the air, seal and label with the date.

Crumbled bacon freezes the same way and is ready for eggs, salads, pasta and baked potatoes.

How do you reheat frozen bacon?

• Microwave a few strips between paper towels for 30 to 60 seconds.
• Or warm them in a dry pan for a minute a side.
• Or crisp them in an air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 2 to 3 minutes; see air fryer meal prep.

Heat until hot all the way through. Crumbled bacon can go straight into a hot dish.

Can you freeze raw bacon?

Yes. Raw bacon is best within about 1 month frozen, the same figure as on the US government's storage chart. Freeze it in the unopened pack, or wrap portions tightly. Opened raw bacon keeps about a week in the fridge.

How do you use cooked bacon in meal prep?

It adds a lot of flavour in small amounts. Add a strip to freezer breakfast burritos, crumble it over egg and veggie muffin cups before baking, or stir it into soups. Because it is salty and fatty, a little goes a long way, which keeps the cost down.

Is cooked bacon safe at room temperature?

No more than any other cooked meat: 2 hours at most, or 1 hour above 90°F. Very crisp bacon is drier, but it is still not shelf-stable. For packed lunches without a fridge, see meal prep for work with no fridge.

How can you tell if it has gone off?

A sour smell, a slimy surface or any mould means throw it away. Stale-tasting frozen bacon is a quality issue, not a safety one. More on frozen food quality in how to prevent freezer burn and on other foods in how long meal prep lasts.

Sources

• FoodSafety.gov: cold food storage chart
• USDA: leftovers and food safety