Regular bacon takes 8 to 10 minutes total on a griddle at medium heat. The real trick isn’t watching the clock but reading the bacon itself, because thickness, temperature, and your crispy preference change everything.
The Quick Answer: Bacon Timing by Thickness
Time varies based on cut thickness and desired crispness. Here’s what you need to know.
| Bacon Type | First Side | Flip & Finish | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular cut | 3-4 minutes | 3-4 minutes | 8-10 minutes |
| Thick cut | 5-6 minutes | 4-5 minutes | 10-12 minutes |
| Extra crispy | 4-5 minutes | 4-5 minutes | 10-12 minutes |
These times assume medium heat around 350-375°F. Your griddle, not your timer, tells the real story.
How to Know Your Bacon Is Actually Done
Forget the clock. Watch for these signs instead.
Fat turns from opaque white to translucent amber. Pink meat darkens to reddish brown. Edges curl slightly and pull away from the center. This visual transformation happens gradually, and once you’ve seen it a few times, you’ll never need a timer again.
The aggressive sizzle calms to a gentle bubble. Bacon firms up when you nudge it with tongs. Grease pools less frantically around the strips, settling into a steady shimmer rather than that wild spattering dance it does at first.
Gently lift an edge with your tongs. If it holds its shape without flopping back down like a wet noodle, you’re close. Another 30 seconds to a minute and you’re there.
What Temperature Should Your Griddle Be
Heat matters more than you think. Get it wrong and you’re fighting an uphill battle.
Medium heat, around 350 to 375°F, gives you control. Too hot and the edges char black before the fat renders properly, leaving you with burnt strips that are still chewy in the middle. Too cool and you get limp, greasy strips that never achieve that satisfying snap.
Most griddles don’t have precise temperature dials. Use an infrared thermometer if you have one. Or flick a few water drops on the surface. They should sizzle and dance across the griddle, not explode into steam or just sit there sadly evaporating.
If your bacon darkens significantly in under 3 minutes, dial back the heat. If it’s still pale and floppy after 5 minutes, bump up the temperature. The griddle will tell you what it needs.
Why Your Bacon Might Cook Faster or Slower
Same bacon, different results? Here’s why timing isn’t always consistent.
Thickness variations are everywhere. Store-bought bacon varies wildly between brands. What one package calls regular cut, another brand considers thin. Thick cut can literally be double the thickness, which means double the cooking time. Open your package and actually look at what you’re working with.
Most griddles heat unevenly. The center might run 50 degrees hotter than the edges. The left burner might be more aggressive than the right. Rotate strips to different zones if you notice some cooking faster than others.
Crowd the griddle and the temperature drops instantly. Strips that touch each other steam instead of crisping. Leave breathing room between each piece. Cook in batches if you need to.
Cold bacon straight from the fridge takes a minute or two longer than room temperature bacon. Not enough to stress about, but it’s a factor if you’re wondering why today’s batch is slower than yesterday’s.
Do You Need to Flip Bacon on a Griddle
Yes, once. That’s it.
Bacon sits directly on the hot surface, unlike oven cooking where heat surrounds it from all angles. One flip ensures both sides get that golden sear and the fat renders evenly through the entire strip. Skip the flip and you’ll have one perfectly crispy side and one pale, flabby side.
Flip when the bottom side shows those visual cues: translucent fat, reddish-brown meat, edges pulling up slightly. Usually at the 3 to 5 minute mark depending on thickness. Use tongs, never a fork. Piercing the meat releases juices and fat you want to keep locked inside for maximum flavor.
Quick Tips for Better Griddle Bacon
Small moves make a big difference between good bacon and exceptional bacon.
Separate all your strips before you start cooking. Lay them out flat on a plate or cutting board. When the griddle is ready, you can place them quickly and they’ll cook more evenly because they all hit the heat at the same time.
Lay strips away from you, not toward you. Grease splatters as moisture escapes. Position your bacon so any popping goes the other direction. Your forearms will thank you.
If strips start curling up aggressively, use the flat side of your spatula to gently coax them back down. Don’t press hard or you’ll squeeze out all that rendered fat. Just guide them flat so they cook evenly.
Manage the grease as it accumulates. As it pools around the bacon, scrape it toward your grease trap or push it to a cooler zone on the griddle. Too much grease means your bacon fries and gets greasy instead of developing that crisp texture.
Move finished strips to a cooler zone of the griddle while you cook the rest of your batch. Keep a plate lined with paper towels nearby to transfer the bacon once everything is done. The paper absorbs excess surface grease without robbing the bacon of its flavor.
Common Griddle Bacon Mistakes
These errors sabotage perfectly good bacon every single day.
Cooking too hot gives you blackened edges and a chewy, undercooked center. The outside burns before the inside has a chance to render and crisp. Medium heat wins every single time, even if it feels painfully slow at first.
Starting with a cold or barely warm griddle makes bacon stick like glue. It tears and shreds when you try to flip it. Preheat thoroughly for at least 8 to 10 minutes before the first strip touches the surface.
Flipping too many times interrupts the cooking process. Every flip releases juices and prevents proper crisping. Once is genuinely enough. Resist the urge to fiddle.
Walking away is how bacon burns. It goes from perfect to ruined in about 60 seconds once it hits that final stage. Stay close. Watch. Listen to the sizzle. Bacon rewards attention.
How to Clean Up After Cooking Bacon
The grease left behind is actually your friend, not your enemy.
Scrape excess grease into the trap while the griddle is still warm, not hot. Use your bench scraper or flat spatula to push it all toward the collection point. Then wipe the entire surface with wadded paper towels. That thin layer of bacon fat left behind seasons your griddle beautifully for the next cook.
Don’t use soap if you’re planning to cook again in the next few days. The bacon fat forms part of your griddle’s protective coating. But don’t leave heavy bacon grease sitting for weeks either. It goes rancid and smells terrible. If you’re storing your griddle long term, clean it properly with soap and water, dry completely, then apply a thin layer of cooking oil.
Pour any cooled grease into a glass jar with a lid. Store it in the fridge. Use it for frying eggs the next morning, sautéing vegetables, or adding smoky depth to roasted potatoes. Bacon grease is liquid gold in the kitchen.
