Learn how to cook bacon in the oven so it’s perfectly crispy and mess-free! Skip the greasy mess on the stovetop and bake bacon instead.
Making oven cooked bacon is the easiest way to cook lots of bacon without much effort! I love the oven method because I can cook big batches of bacon without babysitting a frying pan, splattering hot grease on my hand, and later finding grease spots on my favorite shirt.
But I still love a slice or three of perfectly crisp bacon. Yes, please.
So, fire up your oven because, in this post, I’ll show you exactly how to cook bacon in the oven so you can enjoy it any time you want!
BENEFITS OF COOKING BACON IN THE OVEN
- Easy. Cooking bacon in the oven is a game-changer because it frees up your stove. While your bacon sizzles away in the oven, you can focus on whipping up Pancakes, cooking Pan-Fried Sweet Potatoes, or preparing delicious Scrambled Eggs.
- Less mess. Say goodbye to those bacon grease splatters that magically find their way onto your walls, countertops, and clothes. When you cook bacon in the oven, the grease stays contained within the confines of the baking sheet and not all over the kitchen.
- Hands-off. Forget about the constant flipping and turning that stovetop bacon demands. Once you lay out your bacon strips on the baking sheet in a single layer, you can simply pop them in the oven and let it work its magic.
- Cooks evenly. The oven’s even heat distribution ensures that every slice cooks evenly, from end to end. No more biting into half-raw bacon or overcooked, brittle strips. With oven baked bacon, you’ll enjoy a consistent, uniform level of doneness in each delicious bite.
- Makes restaurant-quality bacon every time. The gentle, even heat allows the bacon to develop that perfect balance of crispy edges and tender, meaty goodness. You’ll achieve that irresistible texture and smoky aroma that you usually encounter at your favorite breakfast spot.
- Works with any kind of bacon. Cook up hickory-smoked bacon, thick-cut bacon, center-cut, or turkey bacon with no hassle. You don’t have to adjust the technique or compromise on flavor—simply adjust the cooking time based on the thickness of your preferred bacon.
SUPPLIES FOR CRISPY BACON IN OVEN
HOW TO COOK BACON IN THE OVEN
Ready to learn how to cook bacon in the oven? Follow these simple instructions!
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2: Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on the cooking sheet. If you do not have a cooling rack, use your broiler pan. Line the inside bottom of the broiler pan with foil before fitting the top on the pan. The bacon fat will drip inside.
Step 3: Lay out your bacon slices in a single layer, and arrange the bacon in a single row. Avoid overcrowding your bacon, as it might not cook evenly.
Step 4: Roast the bacon for 15-20 minutes. This is approximately based on how crispy you like your bacon, your oven, and how thick your bacon is cut. I like my bacon extra crispy, so I usually roast it for 20 minutes. Start checking the bacon at 15 minutes.
Step 5: Once cooked to your desired crispiness, use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to remove some of the fat.
Note: If you like your bacon less crispy or are cooking bacon in the oven for the first time and don’t want to mess it up, set the timer for 10 minutes and check the bacon. Add more time if necessary for perfectly crispy bacon.
HOW TO COOK BACON IN AN OVEN: TIME AND TEMPERATURE
Temperature:
In my experience, I’ve found that cooking bacon at 400F is the best temperature for perfectly crispy bacon every single time. 350-375F is too low and gives you soft, chewy bacon, while 425-450F may burn the bacon.
Time:
Short answer: 15-20 minutes.
Long answer: The time depends on the thickness of your bacon and how crispy you like it. If you’re new to baking bacon, set your cooking time to 10 minutes and check it, extending the time until it’s cooked through.
OVEN BACON TIPS
- I always buy nitrate-free, uncured bacon. Learn more about nitrates HERE.
- Freeze your oven cooked bacon so you can pull out a strip or two for garnishes or to make a quick BLT sandwich.
- To freeze, simply layer bacon between wax paper and freeze in a freezer storage bag. The wax paper will keep the bacon strips from freezing together, so you can pull out just what you need. Keep bacon frozen for up to 2 months.
- I drain the bacon grease off the foil into a mason jar and throw the foil away, leaving a clean sheet pan, a clean oven (I promise no splatters!), and plenty of bacon grease for cooking.
COOK BACON IN OVEN AND SAVE THE BACON GREASE
What about the bacon fat from cooking bacon in the oven?
Since we are all about avoiding food waste here at Crumbs, my advice is to save that yumminess!
Always pour off your bacon grease while it is warm (so it will pour easily and not solidify just yet) and use a glass or metal container – plastic will melt! I like to use 16oz pint mason jars since I already have them on hand. Remember that you can continuously add more grease to the pot, too.
What can you cook with bacon grease? It happens to be a key ingredient in these delicious recipes!
But you can also use it to sauté potatoes, make a salad dressing, or in BLT Pasta Salad.
RECIPE IDEAS FOR OVEN BAKED BACON
After you learn how to cook bacon in an oven, you’ll want to make a big breakfast spread to go with it!
MACRO TRACKING FOR OVEN BAKED BACON
The most accurate way to track many proteins is to weigh them raw before cooking and track the raw weight. This way, you’ll account for all of the possible calories, even as some of the water and fat cook out of the meat (so it ends up weighing less after cooking than it did before).
However, when you’re cooking bacon in the oven in bulk, that’s harder to measure, especially if you end up freezing it for later or using it in a recipe with other ingredients.
In that instance, it’s better to weigh it cooked and make sure you find an entry in your food tracker that specifies “cooked”.
However you decide to keep track of your bacon, be consistent to help you hit your macro goals.
Want to learn more about macros, nutrition goals, and accurately tracking what you eat? Grab my free guide here to start achieving your real body goals by eating the foods you love.
HOW DO YOU MAKE BACON IN THE OVEN FAQS
Do I have to flip bacon cooked in the oven?
The great thing about using the wire baking rack on a rimmed baking sheet is that heat circulates all around the bacon, so you NEVER have to flip it over. But if you use a broiler pan, flip it after 10 minutes of cooking.
How do you make bacon in the oven without a wire rack?
No worries! You can still cook bacon in ovens without a wire rack! Simply lay your bacon right on the foil and bake. You can also use parchment paper to prevent the bacon from sticking to the pan.
How do I store cooked leftover bacon?
Store leftover crispy bacon slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Is it better to cook bacon in the oven on foil or parchment paper?
Both work! Whether you use a wire rack or bake the bacon directly on the lined pan, you can use whichever you have on hand. I find foil easier to drain the bacon grease off of after cooking.
MORE YUMMY RECIPES WITH BACON
Made more bacon than you needed for breakfast? Try these yummy recipes with bacon.
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How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Learn how to cook bacon in the oven so it’s perfectly crispy and mess-free! Skip the greasy mess on the stovetop and bake bacon instead.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 package of bacon 1x
- Category: Kitchen How-To’s
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on the cooking sheet.
- If you do not have a cooking rack to place on a baking sheet, use your broiler pan.
- Line the inside bottom of the broiler pan with foil before fitting the top on the pan. The bacon fat will drip inside.
- Lay out your bacon slices in a single layer, and arrange the bacon in a single row.
- Roast the bacon for 15-20 minutes. This is approximate based on how crispy you like your bacon, your oven, and how thick your bacon is cut. I like my bacon extra crispy, so I usually roast for 20 minutes. You can start checking the bacon at 15 minutes.
Notes
If you like your bacon less crispy, or are doing this for the first time and don’t want to mess it up, set the timer for 10 minutes and check the bacon. Add more time if necessary.
