Are you wondering how to cook bacon and eggs in the same cast iron skillet?
Maybe you only have one skillet, or you just don’t want to dirty another one. Regardless of your reason for asking, you want to know the best way of doing it.
Someone else asked this same question.
They knew it was possible but wanted to know how other people did it so they could find the best way.
In this post, we will discuss several different ways to make bacon and eggs in a cast iron skillet, and I will share what I do.
So, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
How Do I Cook Bacon and Eggs in the Same Cast Iron Skillet?
Although there are various ways to cook bacon and eggs in the same cast iron skillet, the most common way is to make the bacon first, take it and some of the bacon grease out of the pan, and then cook the eggs. However, you can also make the bacon and eggs at the same time if you prefer.
Step 1: Start With the Pan
Before you cook the bacon, you must decide if you want to make it in a cold or hot pan.
Group #1 says to start with a cold pan and cook the bacon slowly. The fat will render at a slower pace and make better bacon.
If starting from a cold pan, your bacon will stick at first, so don’t try and move it. Wait until the fat has begun to render.
Group #2 says to preheat your pan first because getting the pan hot before you cook the bacon allows the bacon to get crispy, and you will have better bacon.
If preheating, heat your pan for 3-5 minutes on medium-low to low heat or until the bacon sizzles when it hits the pan.
Both ways claim their way gives you better bacon and takes the same amount of time. In a cold pan, your bacon will be in the pan longer, and in a hot pan, you will spend a portion of that time preheating the skillet.
Which one makes better bacon? They are about the same, in my opinion.
Step 2: Cook the Bacon First
Hopefully, you’ve decided whether you will start with a hot or cold pan.
Whatever you decide, everyone agrees you cook the bacon first because it takes the longest. Cook it over medium to medium-low heat.
Here are a few tips others give:
- Fry bacon to your desired level of doneness and drain on a paper towel
- Pat the bacon with a paper towel while it’s cooking to prevent splattering (or use a splatter screen)
- After the bacon is done, stick it in a 180-degree oven to stay warm while the eggs are cooking
- If you don’t want to cook your eggs in bacon grease, make them first and the bacon second
- Return the bacon to the pan to heat up a bit if they’ve been sitting on a paper towel
- Cut the bacon up into 1/2-inch pieces for easier cooking
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Step 3: Make the Eggs
Assuming you made the bacon first, you must decide if you will add the eggs while the bacon is finishing cooking or wait until after it’s done and removed.
How much bacon grease do you want? You’ll need to figure that out before you put the eggs in.
Some people like lots of fat and others like very little. Many fall somewhere in between. So, remove some or all of it unless you want the eggs cooking in that much fat.
Here are some tips on adding your eggs while the bacon is still cooking:
- When bacon is partially cooked, move the pieces to one side and add the eggs
- Tip the pan towards the eggs, so they cook in the bacon grease
- Break the eggs into a bowl ahead of time, so you have more control over where they land
- You shouldn’t have to add any more fat or oil because there will be enough from the bacon
- You can scramble or fry your eggs in a skillet with bacon
- Scrape the pan (the burnt-on bacon bits) before adding the eggs
And if you make the eggs after the bacon is done and out of the pan, you cook them the same way.
Plus, some of the same tips apply.
For example, you can still break the eggs in a bowl ahead of time and scrape the pan, if desired. However, some like the flavor the crispy bacon bits add to the eggs.
Furthermore, you can fry or scramble your eggs.
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How I Make My Bacon and Egg Breakfast
If you still aren’t sure how you want to make them, maybe knowing how I do it will help.
I’ve been making bacon and eggs in my skillet since I first started cooking in cast iron.
I’ve tried starting in a hot and a cold pan but settled on preheating my skillet first.
I also tried using a splatter screen and breaking my eggs in a bowl ahead of time, but I do neither now.
And I mainly cook fried eggs, but I occasionally make scrambled eggs or an omelet instead.
Here are my steps:
- Preheat my 10-inch pan as I get out the ingredients from the refrigerator (bacon, eggs, shredded cheese).
- When the skillet is hot enough, I add three pieces of bacon (one for me and two for my hubby).
- I cook them until crispy, turning them several times.
- When the bacon is finished, I put it on a paper towel to drain (we like ours room temperature).
- Now it’s time to add five eggs (two for me and three for my hubby).
- I season with salt and pepper and break the yolk of my two.
- The eggs often run together, and I have to separate them before turning.
- When the edges of the eggs get crispy, I turn them over (we both like the outside of the eggs crispy).
- I sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on my hubby’s three eggs and cheddar on mine.
- Last, I fold my two eggs in two, stack my husband’s on top of each other, and put them on plates.
- Because I broke my yolks, mine is cooked through (over hard), but my hubby’s yolks are runny (closer to over easy).
We have been eating bacon and eggs almost every morning for four years.
It might be kind of fun to cook our breakfast on a bacon and egg griddle like the one in the video below.
Lodge currently sells a newer Legacy version of one of these on their website (if they’re in stock).
Bacon and Eggs Breakfast
Final Thoughts
You now know how to cook bacon and eggs in the same cast iron skillet.
It isn’t hard, but there are several things to think through.
For example, will you preheat your pan or start with a cold skillet?
Do you want to cook your eggs while the bacon is still in the skillet? Or wait until it’s finished and out of the pan?
How do you like your bacon? Crispy, limp, or somewhere in between? It may take practice to get it just the way you like it.
Do you want to eat your bacon warm and how do you plan to keep it that way? Leave it in the skillet or transfer it to the oven? Or maybe you’ll return it to the pan after cooking the eggs.
And how much grease do you want to cook your eggs in? Most people remove at least some of it unless they are only cooking one or two slices.
Finally, do you want your eggs to be fried, scrambled, or some other way?
Once you’ve figured these things out, the rest is just cooking.