Can You Put Raw Bacon On Pizza? Or Do You Cook It First?

You know what’s better than a slice of pizza? A slice of pizza loaded with bacon, of course!

But here’s the million-dollar question: Can you throw raw bacon on your pizza dough and expect it to cook to perfection?

Or is that just a recipe for disaster?

We’re here to help you find out if raw bacon is your new go-to topping or a food safety no-no.

So, buckle up, bacon enthusiasts, and let’s uncover the truth about raw bacon on pizza.

Can You Put Raw Bacon On Pizza?

When it comes to putting raw bacon on pizza, there are a few things you gotta consider, such as the safety concerns with raw meat, bacteria, and parasites.

Safety Concerns with Raw Meat

Yes, raw bacon can be put on a pizza but only if it’s chopped into small pieces, as this should allow enough time for the bacon to cook through.

However, using raw bacon could result in the rendered fat seeping into the pizza and preventing the bacon from becoming crisp.

So, it’s generally best to pre-cook bacon before adding it to a pizza.

If your pizza cooks quickly or you’re working with thick-cut bacon, it’s especially important to pre-cook the bacon.

Otherwise, you run the risk of it not being fully cooked.

Thin bacon or slow-cooked pizza styles can handle raw bacon toppings, as it’ll likely cook while the pizza does.

Bacteria and Parasites

Raw bacon can harbor harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, which can cause food poisoning.

Cooking the bacon kills these bacteria and makes the bacon safe to eat.

However, for a slow-cooked pizza, raw bacon might not reach the proper temperature to kill off the bacteria, putting you at risk of foodborne illness.

Another potential issue with raw bacon is the risk of parasites, such as those that cause trichinosis.

These parasites can also be killed by cooking the bacon to an appropriate temperature.

When adding raw bacon to a pizza, remember to:

• Chop the bacon into small pieces.
• Use thin bacon or a slow-cooked pizza style for the best results.
• Consider pre-cooking the bacon to avoid safety concerns.

Proper Ways to Cook Bacon for Pizza

When it comes to pizza, folks love their bacon crispy and delicious.

Here are a couple of ways to cook bacon for pizza and make sure it’s done just right.

Cooking in a Skillet

Using a skillet is one of the easiest and most popular ways to cook bacon.

Simply heat a large skillet over medium heat and, when it’s ready, add the bacon in a single layer.

Let it cook until it starts to get that golden, crispy texture.

You’ll probably need to flip it a few times, and it may take about 8-10 minutes to reach the perfect level of crispiness.

After the bacon is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it cool on a paper towel-lined plate.

This will help get rid of any excess grease before adding it to the pizza.

Once it’s cool, chop it into small pieces and sprinkle it on top of the pizza dough.

Baking in the Oven

If you’d rather use the oven to pre-cook bacon for pizza, that’s cool too.

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lay the bacon on a baking sheet (a wire rack on top of the sheet helps with even cooking) and slide it into the oven.

Bake for 15-20 minutes for chewy bacon or 25-30 minutes for crispy bacon.

When the bacon is done, take it out of the oven and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and drain any excess grease.

Once it’s cool, chop it up and add it to your pizza like a boss.

Remember, when it comes to pizza, it’s usually best to pre-cook bacon before adding it as a topping.

This helps ensure it’s fully cooked and extra crispy.

No one wants uncooked or soggy bacon on their slice, right?

Other Meat Toppings and Safety

Here’s the sitch with other meats that you may wanna put on your pizza.

Precautions with Raw Meat

When it comes to pizza toppings, meat lovers definitely have their favorites.

However, in order to enjoy a safe and delicious meal, it’s important to ensure that all meat toppings are properly cooked before adding them to the pizza.

Raw meat, such as chicken, sausage, or uncooked bacon, may not cook through completely during the short pizza baking time, which could present a risk of foodborne illness.

For example, raw chicken should always be precooked before being added as a pizza topping due to the potential presence of harmful bacteria like Salmonella.

The same goes for sausage, as they often contain ground meat which needs to be cooked to a safe internal temperature.

To handle raw meat toppings safely, it’s best to:

• Always wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
• Use separate utensils and cutting boards for raw meats and other ingredients.
• Check internal temperatures of precooked meats using a meat thermometer to ensure they’ve reached safe temperatures (e.g., 165°F for chicken or 160°F for ground beef).
• Avoid cross-contamination by storing raw meats separately from other ingredients.

On the other hand, some meat toppings, like pepperoni, can be added directly onto a pizza without precooking, as they’re already cured and cooked.

However, it can be a good idea to microwave them first to reduce the amount of grease that ends up on the pizza.

When in doubt, it’s always better to precook your meat toppings!

Frozen Pizza and Bacon

But what if you’ve got frozen bacon that you wanna put on your pizza?

Handling Uncooked Bacon on Frozen Pizza

So, you’ve got a frozen pizza and you’re thinking about adding some uncooked bacon on top, huh?

First things first, you’ll want to cook the bacon a bit before adding it to the pizza.

This ensures that it’ll be crispy and delicious once the pizza is baked.

Just grab a frying pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until it’s close to your desired crispiness, and then chop it into small pieces.

Now you’re ready to throw that bacon on your frozen pizza!

Just make sure you spread it evenly across the pizza so that each bite has a little taste of that bacon goodness.

And don’t forget – you can always add more of your favorite toppings like mushrooms, peppers, or extra cheese to boost the flavor even more.

But wait, there’s a catch.

While adding raw bacon to a pizza might sound tempting, it can sometimes lead to a few problems.

If the bacon isn’t chopped into small enough pieces, it may not cook all the way through.

Plus, bacon has tons of fat that could seep into the pizza and affect the texture.

Considering all this, it’s up to you whether you wanna give raw bacon a shot on your frozen pizza.

Just remember to pre-cook it to get that perfect crispiness and avoid any foodborne illness risks.

Now, grab that pizza and bacon, and let’s make some magic happen.