Grilling bacon is easy if you have the right equipment. You need plenty of open grate space and some strategically placed coals or wood chips to avoid flare-ups on your charcoal grill, so make sure there’s room in between for these items as well.
Table of Contents
Grilled bacon
Grilled bacon is the ultimate indulgence. The sweet and savory combination of brown sugar, maple syrup brings out every bit of that salty meat in your dish while enhancing its natural flavors with an earthy sweetness perfect for any meal or occasion.
Equipment
- Grill/Gear: Can be grilled over charcoal, wood, or gas. You also need a wire rack or a sheet pan lined with paper towels.
- Shop: Use a thick-cut (ideally ¼ inch), real wood-smoked, artisanal bacon, like Nueske’s.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for oiling the grill grate
- 1 pound thick-sliced artisanal bacon (or as much as you desire)
Instructions
Direct Grilling
- You'll want to set up your grill for direct grilling and heat it on medium-high. Brush or scrape the grate clean, then oil well so that everything is ready when you are! Be sure not only have a fire free safety zone covering at least 30% of what's being cooked (or less), but also make certain there aren't any sparks near either side while doing this process.
- Place the bacon strips on a grate running diagonally across from one another. Leave at least 1 inch between each piece, and move it if flare-ups occur so they don't burn up too quickly! After about 2 – 4 minutes total cooking time (depending upon how thick your slices are), turn them over with tongs to prevent overcooking before finishing off in this fashion: Crosshatch grill marks by moving through parts of both grates without setting anything ablaze; just watch out for those hot spots because nothing deserves an earful like wispy smoke thereafter except maybe some crispy.
- Transferring the bacon to a wire rack or paper towel-lined sheet pan will allow it drain while still preventing messes on your kitchen floor.
Indirrect Grilling
- Place your grill, covered with foil or heavy-duty aluminum sheets (for smoker), over medium heat to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once heated up enough for you start brushing away any ashes from last night’s party and giving everything its own personal touch.
- Arrange the bacon strips on an unlit portion of your grill running diagonal to where you place it later. Leave at least 1 inch between each piece, and don't turn them over until they've been cooking for 15-20 minutes.
- Once the bacon is cooked, transfer it to a wire rack or paper towel-lined baking sheet. The excess fat will crisp up as it cools (if using towels).
Notes
There’s really only one trick to grilling bacon—but it’s an indispensable one—you need plenty of open grate space. It’s highly possible the dripping bacon fat will cause flare-ups—especially on a charcoal grill. So you must leave plenty of maneuvering room and have a large fire-free safety zone where you can park the bacon to dodge flare-ups.
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