Showing you exactly how to cook bacon in the oven with step by step photos. This is the EASIEST way to cook perfectly crisp and perfectly straight bacon!
Occasionally, you stumble upon a cooking trick that blows your mind and makes you wonder why you ever did things differently. Like these baked eggs, baked bacon does just that!
Baking bacon in the oven is the easiest way to cook it. You end up with evenly cooked bacon that is also perfectly straight, which is perfect for sandwiches!
Not only that but it's so much more hands off, it is less mess and you can cook every slice to your desired level of crispiness! You just need to keep an eye on it during the last few minutes of cooking, and voila! Perfect crispy bacon every time.
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Reasons you'll ♡ this technique
- It cooks evenly and ends up perfectly straight.
- Your hands and stove top are free to prep other things.
- You can cook a big batch without a mess.
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Recipe video
Watch the video below to see how easy this method is! You can find more videos on my YouTube channel!
Step by step directions
1. Pre-heat- turn the oven to 400°F.
💡 TIP- It's important that your oven is fully pre-heated and accurate in temperature otherwise your bacon might stick to the pan.
2. Prepare baking sheet- line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper (or don't use foil- it's fine without, it's just easier to clean). Arrange thick cut bacon slices in a single layer without overlapping much. If you want to cook a full package, use two sheet pans!
💡 TIP- If using foil, you can fold the side up to contain the bacon grease and make clean-up easy!
3. Bake- once the oven is up to temperature, place the pan in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Bacon can go from perfect to over-done quickly, so start really paying attention at 15 minutes!
💡 TIP- REMEMBER: everyone has a different preference when it comes to bacon, and all ovens are different. Keep an eye on the bacon the first time you cook it so you can gauge what works for you.
4. Drain- Use tongs to transfer baked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and allow excess grease to drain off.
FAQ
In my testing, I found that bacon cooked on a wire rack was less crispy and required more effort to clean up. Allowing the bacon to simmer in the grease seems to help it infuse with more flavor and makes it more crispy.
I recommend using 400°F, and an oven thermometer to help confirm you have an accurate temperature. I've experimented with different temperatures and have found higher temperatures (425°F) to cook less evenly, and lower temperatures (375°F) to cause the bacon to stick to the pan.
No, you don't need to flip it. The bacon cooks through evenly without. If you have two sheet pans in the oven, I recommend rotating them.
Yes, you can skip the foil! I regularly cook bacon directly in the sheet pan to avoid the waste of foil. To clean the pan, use a paper towel to remove excess grease, then soak in very soapy water before using a bristle brush to scrub clean.
Surprisingly no! I definitely thought baking bacon would make a huge mess in the oven the first time I cooked it that way, and was so pleasantly surprised that it didn't.
I used thick cut bacon in this recipe. I find that thin cut bacon requires less time. For me the thin strips of bacon are ready in about 10 minutes.
How to use your baked bacon
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How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Ingredients
- 1 package bacon (16-20 slices)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Prepare baking sheet- line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (or don’t use foil- it’s fine without!). Arrange bacon in a single layer with little to no overlap. If you want to cook a full package, use two sheet pans.If using foil, you can fold the side up to contain the bacon grease and make clean up easy!
- Bake- once the oven is up to temperature, place the pan in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine takes 17 min). Bacon can go from perfect to over-done quickly, so start really paying attention at 15 minutes!If you have two sheet pans, rotate them halfway through.
- Drain- Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and allow excess grease to drain off.
Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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LGM says
Obviously all ovens cook differently. This works for me but I have to cook much longer. I have a thermometer in my oven and it is accurate but it has a mind of own. Mine comes out crispy on the ends, super limp in the middle. It is a good way to cook bacon for easy clean up but it isn’t perfect because of my crazy oven!
Denise Bustard says
Hi LGM! Thanks for reporting back! I've had that happen when my oven was (accidentally) set 25 degrees lower, and it was so frustrating. I wonder if moving the middle bacon to the edges might help your issues?
Kelly says
15 min at 400 way overcooked the bacon. Good if you want bacon bits but not great for eating. Would recommend a much shorter cooking time.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Kelly! Thanks for your comment. I've made this recipe dozens of times with no issues. If your bacon was overcooked, you might want to invest in an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is not actually over-temp! I've been surprised by how 'off' ovens can actually be.
Valerie says
It's also great with brown sugar and black pepper sprinkled over it before it goes in the oven! Not exactly healthy, but so delicious!
Denise says
Ooh I love the sounds of that...little bit sweet and spicy! Thanks for the great idea, Valerie!
Healthy Kitchen 101 says
Love it! Baked bacon is a good alternative for snacks ?
- Natalie
Jane says
Can you bake Turkey bacon?
Denise says
Good question! I bet it would work, but I haven't actually tried it 🙂