The Best Way To Freeze Cooked Bacon Without Losing Its Crispy Texture

If you're a bacon lover, there's nothing better than having a few strips of that fatty, crispy pork on hand for your next meal. That's where freezing cooked bacon comes in handy. Preparing bacon for later consumption can be a useful freezer hack that will save you money and effort when you know the best way to do it. But to enjoy leftover bacon, you have to make sure it remains crispy when you reheat it.

To keep your bacon crunchy, place it on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet and cover each additional layer of meat with a sheet of wax paper. Freeze it for at least two hours initially to prevent condensation from forming when you ultimately store it so it won't get soggy. To keep bacon in the freezer long-term and maintain freshness, place it in a sealable freezer bag, pressing the excess air out before you close it. 

Bacon will stay fresh for up to three months in the freezer. Consider using our tips for preparing bacon in the oven in a large batch and then freezing what you don't use so you'll have bacon when you need it. If you plan to eat your leftovers within a few days, cooked bacon can stay crispy when stored in the refrigerator as well. As you may have gathered, the key to keeping bacon crisp is guarding against moisture. Once you've cooked the bacon and drained it, lay a crinkled piece of aluminum foil at the base of your storage container to make sure the bacon isn't touching the bottom. Then place a paper towel inside, followed by the bacon. Add another paper towel on top to absorb any excess moisture, and make sure your container is sealed.

These methods for keeping bacon crispy in the freezer or refrigerator will work with any kind of bacon. So if you choose one of the store-bought brands of bacon we ranked in our taste test, you can use these steps to freeze it. When you're ready for a hit of supremely savory pork flavor, just pop a couple of strips in the oven, microwave, air fryer, or a pan, and you'll be biting into crispy bacon in no time.