When you think of bacon, you probably think of pan-fried, greasy strips of pork that are traditionally paired with different breakfast foods (like eggs, biscuits, waffles or pancakes) or used in other recipes–but this isn’t the only method for cooking bacon.
Did you know that you can also boil bacon? Boiling bacon is a healthy alternative to frying it and results in more tender bacon with a less greasy surface. The trick is knowing how long to boil bacon, as boiling it too long or too little will make it harder to eat. Keep reading to learn all about boiling bacon and how long to boil bacon in different situations.
How to Boil Bacon
- Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil.
- Add bacon (several pieces at a time) or a hock or slab of bacon to the boiling water.
- Allow the bacon to boil for the recommended amount of time, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145℉.
- Using a skimmer or tongs, carefully remove the bacon from the boiling water once it’s done, transferring it immediately to a paper-towel lined plate to absorb excess water. Take special care to ensure you don’t burn your hands or drip water and/or bacon fat on the exposed flame/coil on the range.
- Allow the bacon to cool for a few minutes, pat with paper towels to absorb excess water and serve warm.
How Long Does Bacon Take to Boil?
The length of time you’ll need to boil bacon depends on the type of bacon.
How Long to Boil Bacon Hock
If you’re boiling bacon hock (also known as ham hock), it will take you around an hour to boil it to a safe internal temperature.
Depending on your texture preferences, you may want to boil it for a longer amount of time, but you shouldn’t ever under-boil your bacon for food safety reasons.
How Long to Boil Bacon Strips
Bacon strips take a considerably shorter amount of time to boil than bacon hock. If you’re working in batches (or doing a small, single batch of 1-2 servings), you can expect to boil bacon strips for a minimum of 4-5 minutes.
If you boil individual strips too long, they may become rubbery and hard to chew.
How Long to Boil Canadian Bacon
Canadian bacon is another breakfast staple that’s also popular outside of Canada. While it’s not technically from the same cut of pork as other types of bacon, it’s still tasty (and worth a mention here!).
Canadian bacon should be boiled for 3-5 minutes per piece, but you can save time by boiling more than one piece at a time in a large pot. Just be careful not to crowd the pan!
Boiling Bacon by Weight
Weight is also something to consider carefully when determining how long to boil bacon.
How Long to Boil Bacon (per kg)
If you’re using the metric system, you should boil bacon for 45 minutes per kilogram.
How Long to Boil Bacon (per lb)
If you’re using the standard system, you should boil bacon for 30 minutes per pound.
Table: How Long to Boil Bacon by Weight
| Quantity of Bacon (kg) | How Long to Boil (minutes) |
| 1 kg | 45 |
| 2 kg | 90 |
| 3 kg | 135 |
| 4 kg | 180 |
| 5 kg | 225 |
| Quantity of Bacon (lbs) | How Long to Boil (minutes) |
| 1 lb | 30 |
| 2 lbs | 60 |
| 3 lbs | 90 |
| 4 lbs | 120 |
| 5 lbs | 150 |
