George Foreman Grill Bacon | Crisp Strips, Less Mess

Bacon cooks fast on a contact grill, and the sloped plates drain grease well, so close timing gives the best texture.

George Foreman Grill Bacon works because the grill cooks from both sides at once. That cuts the wait, drains off a lot of fat, and keeps the stovetop free from splatter. The trade-off is simple: bacon can go from pale to overdone in a short window, so thickness and timing matter more than anything else.

If you want strips that are crisp at the edges and still meaty through the center, start with a clear plan. Pick the right cut, preheat the grill fully, and pull the bacon a touch before it looks done enough. Carryover heat finishes the job while the strips rest.

Why This Grill Works So Well For Bacon

A contact grill presses heat onto both sides of the strip. You’re not waiting for the top to cook, then flipping, then waiting again. That means breakfast lands on the plate sooner, and the drip tray catches much of the rendered fat instead of letting it pool around the meat.

George Foreman’s own instruction manual also notes that the tilted setup helps fat run into the drip tray. For bacon, that slope is a plus. It keeps the strips from sitting in grease and helps the surface brown more evenly.

Best Bacon To Use

Regular sliced bacon is the easiest place to start. It cooks fast, fits across the plates with little fuss, and gives you a wide range of texture from tender to crisp. Thick-cut bacon works too, though it needs more time and a little more attention near the center.

Back bacon, turkey bacon, and fully cooked bacon can all go on the grill, though each behaves a bit differently. Turkey bacon browns fast but can dry out. Fully cooked bacon is more of a reheat job than a full cook.

Setup Before The First Strip

• Set the drip tray in place before you heat the grill.
• Preheat until the plates are fully hot.
• Use the tilted position so fat runs forward.
• Lay strips flat with a little space between them.
• Don’t stack bacon. Overlap leads to pale spots.
• Keep tongs and a plate lined with paper towels nearby.

One more thing: don’t force the lid down hard. Let it rest on the bacon. The floating hinge is meant to meet thick food without crushing it. Pressing too hard can squeeze out moisture and leave you with dry, ragged strips.

Cooking Bacon On A George Foreman Grill Without Burnt Edges

Start by preheating the grill on a medium to medium-high setting. Once it’s hot, place the bacon on the lower plate, close the lid gently, and let the grill do the work. Peek early on your first batch. After that, you’ll know your grill’s pace.

Step-By-Step Method

1. Preheat the grill and set the drip tray under the front edge.
2. Arrange bacon in a single layer.
3. Close the lid so the top plate rests on the strips.
4. Check thin slices at about 3 minutes.
5. Check regular slices at about 4 minutes.
6. Move finished strips to a paper towel lined plate.
7. Let them sit for 1 minute before serving. They crisp a bit more as they cool.

If your bacon sticks, don’t scrape at it right away. Give it another 20 to 30 seconds. Once more fat renders, the strip often releases on its own. Metal tools are a bad match for nonstick plates, so stick with silicone, wood, or nylon.

Texture comes down to timing more than color alone. Some bacon stays pinkish in the thick center and is still done enough for a chewy bite. If you want a crisp finish, leave it on a little longer, then rest it off the heat instead of chasing deep color on the grill.

George Foreman Grill Bacon Times By Cut And Texture

Use these times as a working range, not a rule carved in stone. Grill heat, sugar in the cure, and strip thickness all nudge the result up or down.

Regular sliced bacon is the sweet spot for most grills. Thick-cut strips can be great, though they’re less forgiving. If the center still looks soft after the outside has browned, lower the heat a notch on the next batch and give it more time.

For food safety, cured bacon still counts as raw meat until cooked. The safe minimum temperature chart lists 145°F for whole cuts of pork, measured in the thickest part. Since bacon strips are thin, home cooks usually rely on texture and full rendering rather than taking every strip’s temperature, though a probe can help with thick slabs or bacon-wrapped pieces.

Common Mistakes That Spoil The Batch

Most bad bacon on a contact grill comes from a short list of slipups. Fix these and the results get steadier right away.

• Starting cold: Bacon placed on lukewarm plates tends to stick and cook unevenly.
• Packing the grill: Too many strips trap steam and leave soft, pale patches.
• Forgetting the drip tray: You’ll get a greasy counter and a cleanup headache.
• Walking away: A minute too long can turn a good batch brittle.
• Skipping the rest: Bacon firms up after it leaves the plates.
• Cleaning too late: Old grease bakes onto the plates and gets harder to remove.

Another snag is sugary bacon. Sweet cures brown faster than plain cured strips. If your bacon has maple, brown sugar, or a sticky glaze, check early and pull it once the edges are set. It will darken a little more while resting.

Safe Handling, Storage, And Reheating

Raw bacon should stay cold until it hits the grill. Use a clean plate for cooked strips, not the one that held the raw meat. The USDA’s bacon food safety page also reminds cooks to handle bacon like other raw meat products, which means clean hands, clean tools, and no cross-contact with ready-to-eat food.

Leftover cooked bacon keeps well in the fridge for a few days in a sealed container. To bring it back, return it to the grill for about 30 to 60 seconds, just long enough to warm and crisp. Don’t hold it there for a full second cook, or it can dry out fast.

If you’re cooking for a crowd, work in batches and keep the finished strips on a warm plate. Paper towels help at first, though move the bacon off them if it sits for more than a few minutes. Trapped steam softens the underside.

What To Serve With Grill Bacon

Bacon from a George Foreman grill shines in more places than breakfast. Since the strips come out flat and neat, they fit sandwiches, wraps, and salads with little trimming. The rich flavor also plays well with foods that need a salty edge.

If you want a cleaner bite in sandwiches, cut the strips in half after cooking instead of before. Short pieces stay flatter on the grill and are less likely to curl at the ends. That small tweak makes stacking easier and keeps the filling from sliding out.

Cleaning The Grill After Bacon

Let the grill cool until warm, not stone cold. Warm grease wipes away more easily. Remove the drip tray, empty it, and wipe the plates with paper towels first. Then go in with a soft damp cloth or sponge. If your model has removable plates, wash them once they’re cool enough to handle.

Skip harsh scrubbers. They rough up the nonstick coating and make the next batch more likely to stick. If stubborn bits cling to the plates, lay a damp paper towel on the warm surface for a minute, then wipe again. That usually loosens the residue without a fight.

George Foreman Grill Bacon is one of the easiest ways to cook a small or medium batch with less mess than a skillet. Get the plates hot, use the tilt, check early, and pull the strips just before they look perfect. That small bit of restraint is what turns a decent batch into one you’ll want to make again.

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