Grilled Bacon
Published August 19, 2022 • Updated March 8, 2026
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Grilled bacon is one of my favorite ways to cook breakfast when we're outside. The smoky charcoal flavor takes regular bacon somewhere a skillet never can, and I love that cleanup is basically zero.
I make grilled bacon all summer long, and well into fall whenever the weather cooperates. Once you taste what a charcoal or wood-burning grill does to a thick-cut strip, you won’t want to go back to the stovetop. The smoke gets into the fat as it renders, and you end up with something that tastes like it came from a barbecue pit, not a breakfast plate. I’ve tried every method over the years, and this is the one I keep coming back to.
I started doing this about five years ago because I was tired of cleaning grease off my stovetop. What I didn’t expect was how much better it would taste. The fat renders differently over live heat, and the smoke infuses the meat in a way no indoor method can touch. My family noticed the difference the first time I brought a plate in from the patio.
If you want other ways to use bacon, try my bacon wrapped pork chops or bacon wrapped asparagus kebabs. I rotate between grilling strips straight and wrapping them around other proteins depending on who I’m feeding.
The key to getting it right is indirect heat. I light one side of the grill and lay the strips on the other side. This gives the bacon time to render slowly and soak up all that smoky flavor without flare-ups from dripping fat. I keep the temperature around 325°F and check every few minutes. Mine usually takes about 10 minutes for regular cut and closer to 12-14 for thick-cut.
I use this as a base for so many keto meals. Crumble it over mini frittatas, stack it in a breakfast quesadilla, chop it into a salad, or just eat it straight off the grate with some sliced tomatoes. When I’m batch cooking for the week, I’ll do a full pound at once and let it cool completely before storing. The strips keep in the fridge for four or five days, and I pull them out for breakfasts all week long.
One thing I always do: save the bacon fat. I pour it into a jar right after cooking and keep it in the fridge. It’s perfect for frying eggs, cooking vegetables, or adding richness to anything you’d normally use oil for. Nothing goes to waste.
Sprinkle on fresh cracked black pepper before grilling, or if you want something sweet, brush on a little maple syrup in the last two minutes for candied bacon. I’ve done both and they’re completely different experiences from the same cut of meat.
How to grill bacon step by step
I always use indirect heat when I’m grilling bacon. Direct flame causes flare-ups from the dripping fat, and you end up with charred spots instead of even crispiness. Here’s the method I’ve landed on after doing this hundreds of times.
- Heat one side of the grill to about 325°F. Leave the other side off.
- Brush the grates clean and rub a light coating of oil so the bacon doesn’t stick.
- Lay the strips across the unlit side. I space them about half an inch apart so air circulates around each one.
- Cook for 10-14 minutes depending on thickness. I check every 3-4 minutes and flip once halfway through. If strips start sticking around minute 5, brush the grates with oil again. I picked this up from a reader who lost a few strips before figuring it out.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and cover loosely. I let mine rest for a minute or two before serving.
Best bacon for grilling
The cut you pick matters. I’ve tested all of them and here’s what I recommend.
- For indirect heat, center-cut, regular, or thick-sliced all work. I usually grab thick-cut because I like the chew, but regular crisps up faster if you’re in a hurry.
- For direct heat, stick with thick-cut. It holds together better over high flame, flips easier, and doesn’t curl up or fall through the grates.
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Ingredients
12 slices bacon, thick cut -
2 tablespoons neutral oil (for brushing grates)
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat grill
Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 325°F) using one side of the grill burners. Brush cleaned grill grates with a light coating of oil.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to grill bacon?
Mine takes about 10 minutes over indirect heat for regular-cut strips. Thick-cut runs closer to 12-14 minutes. I check every 3-4 minutes and flip once. You want the edges golden-brown and the fat mostly rendered, but still a little bit flexible in the center if you like any chew at all.
What temperature should I grill bacon at?
I keep my grill around 325°F for bacon. I've tried higher temps and the fat drips too fast, causing flare-ups. Lower and it takes forever. 325°F with indirect heat has been my sweet spot for years.
Can you freeze grilled bacon?
I freeze it all the time. I lay the cooked strips flat on a sheet pan, freeze them for about an hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months and I can pull out exactly how many I need for the week.
How do you know when grilled bacon is done?
I look for golden-brown color and edges that have started to curl and crisp. The fat should be mostly rendered and the strips should feel firm but not brittle. I pull mine just before I think it's done because it keeps cooking for another minute on the plate.
Why is sugar added to bacon?
Sugar is part of the curing process. It draws out moisture and helps preserve the meat. I always check the label when I'm buying bacon for my keto meals. Most brands have 0-1g sugar per serving even with sugar in the cure, but I grab sugar-free when I can find it.
Can you make grilled bacon ahead of time?
I do this every week. I'll grill a full pound on Sunday, store it in the fridge, and use it all week on keto avocado toast, in salads, and in sandwiches. It reheats in 15-20 seconds in the microwave or 2 minutes in the air fryer.
How do I keep bacon from falling through grill grates?
I've lost my share of strips before I figured this out. Thick-cut holds its shape better than regular as the fat renders, so that's my first recommendation. If your grates have wide spacing, thread the strips onto bamboo skewers or use a grill mat. I also lay the bacon perpendicular to the grate lines so the strips bridge across them instead of sitting in the gaps.
What's the best wood for smoking bacon on a charcoal grill?
I've tried hickory, applewood, and cherry chips with bacon. Applewood is my favorite because it adds a mild sweetness that pairs with the salt in the cure. Hickory gives a heavier, more traditional barbecue smoke. I toss a small handful of soaked chips onto the coals right before I lay the strips down. The smoke is strongest in the first five minutes, which is exactly when the fat starts rendering and absorbs the most flavor.
Thought grilling bacon was just a gimmick. Every time I tried it before I got flare-ups and burnt ends. The indirect heat setup actually fixed that, and the smoke you get is something my skillet flat out can't touch.
The smoke is what does it. Charcoal bacon is just a different food.
Four grilling weekends in a row and I still can't nail the timing on thick cuts. But the indirect heat setup? Zero flare-ups, and the smoky char beats any skillet bacon I've made.
Thick-cut needs closer to 12-14 minutes, and I check every 3-4 minutes instead of waiting. Flip once when the underside goes from pink to golden. The fat takes longer to render and that's where the timing trips people up.
Okay so I was completely convinced this was one of those gimmick things where it sounds interesting but you end up with a mess and regular-tasting bacon, like why would you move something that works perfectly in a pan to a grill. First real spring weekend I finally tried it because we were already outside anyway and I figured if it flopped I still had a backup plan. The indirect heat part threw me at first (I almost set it right over the flames), but once I got it away from the direct side and just let it go, the fat started rendering in this slow even way I've never seen in a cast iron. And then the smoke got into it. I don't know how else to say it except it made bacon taste like bacon but more so, with something underneath the salt that a skillet just cannot do. I stood there eating pieces off the grates before they even made it to a plate, and now I'm trying to figure out how to justify firing up the grill on a Tuesday morning.
Tuesday morning is completely justified. If you want to push further into what you tasted, try tossing a handful of applewood chips on the coals - it pulls something out of the cure that hickory doesn't get.
Made this last weekend. Smoky flavor was great, but I kept getting flare-ups from the fat dripping. Had the bacon on the indirect side like you said, but grease still hit the coals a few times. Is that just part of it with thick-cut bacon on charcoal, or am I setting up the indirect zone wrong?
Some flare-up with thick-cut on charcoal is just part of it. The fat renders fast and there's a lot of it. I keep a small foil drip pan directly under the strips to catch most of it before it reaches the coals.
Batch cooked two pounds on indirect heat Sunday for the week ahead. Reheats cleaner than pan-fried and holds its texture better in the fridge. Would have given five stars but I tried rushing the first batch over direct heat and it curled up and burned at the ends.
My husband does NOT cook but he spent the whole time standing outside in February cold because he 'just wanted to watch it.' Once those thick-cut strips started picking up that smoky charcoal smell he was basically useless for anything else. The flavor difference from pan bacon is genuinely shocking -- I wasn't prepared for how much the charcoal changes it. Four stars because we had a little flare-up situation (our fault, we moved the strips too close to the heat) but the recipe was clear, we just didn't listen.
February cold watching bacon smoke is a very specific kind of dedication. Flare-ups are almost always fat hitting direct flame. Indirect heat at 325, and it doesn't happen.
The smoky depth you get from indirect heat is real, and I'm not going back to the skillet for weekend bacon. February morning, 20 degrees, still worth firing up the grill. My only note: the grates need a second brush of oil about halfway through. Lost a couple strips around the 3-minute mark before I figured that out. Would've been nice to know upfront, but honestly still the best bacon I've made at home.
That oil note is going into the recipe. Second brush at the halfway mark, I should have caught that. February bacon is still bacon.
My grandfather grilled breakfast meats every weekend, and I assumed that was one of the things I'd left behind when I went keto. Made this last Saturday with thick-cut applewood bacon over indirect heat, and the moment the fat started rendering over the coals, it was exactly that smell. Smoke gets into bacon in a way a skillet can't. I don't have a word for it except right.
That smell is exactly it. A skillet just can't do that. Glad you found your way back to it.
I tried grilling bacon last summer and kept losing slices through the grates as they shrank. Is thick-cut why you went that route - better shape retention? Or is it mostly about texture?
Both, honestly. Thick-cut holds its shape way better as the fat renders - regular strips shrink fast and you lose half of them. The texture difference is real too, but the grate problem was my main reason for switching.