Oven Baked Bacon-Cooking bacon in the oven is the easiest way to make bacon! Perfect for a large batch, always crispy, and less mess. No more grease splatters, you’ll fall in love with this simple bacon cooking method.
We all know bacon is amazing – it’s the perfect breakfast food and goes well with eggs or pancakes.
But have you ever wondered how to oven bake bacon instead of frying it in a pan? It’s actually really simple! I will tell you all about the easy steps to cook bacon in the oven so that it comes out perfectly every time.
There is bacon, and then there is bacon. Then there is the easy, no mess method my mom taught me how to make!
You’ll fall in love with cooking bacon in the oven!
Here is why:
- Just so easy
- No grease splatters
- Free hands to make something to go with the bacon
- Great for meal prep
- Crispy perfection every time
Oven baked bacon has less fat than fried bacon, which means fewer calories but still tastes just as good. If this is you’re first time cooking bacon in the oven, you will fall in love with this method! Once you see how easy it is to do, you’ll be convinced and probably never pan fry bacon again!
Follow along to see the best bacon cooking tips, with all the info on the right temperature and also the correct cooking time. Included in this post is all the tips on how to store the cooked bacon and how to render the fat.
Is Bacon Healthy?
You may be surprised to learn that bacon does contain healthy nutrients like zinc, selenium and even vitamin B. And if you’re following Paleo, keto, or on a Whole30 cycle, it is totally fine to enjoy (as long as it’s sugar free!).
And of course, lower-sodium is best. My personal preference is uncured bacon (I buy uncured everything), no nitrates or sodium nitrites, no artificial preservatives, and I only enjoy it on occasion (yes, I would dream of eating bacon every day…but it’s a special treat!).
What is correct temperature to bake bacon at
If you’re looking for the crispiest bacon, set your oven to 400F. With the rack in the middle position, you will be all set to cook the most perfect bacon.
I do not recommend lowering the heat to 375F. I know every oven is different, so definitely keep an eye on the bacon at the 400F temperature. You’re goal is to get crispy bacon that is not burned at the edges.
How Long To Bake Bacon
It does depend on how thick of a bacon you chose. And every oven is different (as I just talked about).
But keeping oven at 400F, it should take 15-25 minutes to get perfectly crispy oven baked bacon.
If it’s thinner cut bacon, it could be ready at 15 minutes and medium to thick bacon could take 20-25 minutes to get nice and crispy. Just set you oven timer and keep an eye on the bacon so it doesn’t burn.
How do I make bacon in the oven?
Now that you’ve chosen which bacon you want to cook, now what? Here are the easy and basic steps to get the best results.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Lay the bacon strips out in a single layer.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on the thickness), until the bacon is nice and crispy.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined dish (you could blot the fat off the bacon). Serve immediately or store for meal prep.
Cooked Bacon FAQ’s:
Which bacon should I buy?
When you’re ready to buy your bacon, be sure to look for…
- Center-cut (reduced-fat)- Center cut is a leaner cut, which means it’s more trim and less fat content.
- Reduced-sodium-Even if you’re not cutting bacon on calories, you may be taking care on your sodium intake. Reduced sodium doesn’t mean less flavor, it means it will just be a little healthier for you.
Is there Whole30 bacon?
If you’re following a Whole30 cycle, you’ll need to make sure you find bacon that is Whole30 compliant. It needs to be without any sugar and you may even find bacon that has a Whole30 stamp on the packaging.
Do you need to flip the bacon?
No, there is no need to flip the bacon. Since the heat circulates around the pan, the bacon will cook up evenly on both sides. Which makes this easy bacon cooking method so addictive! No splattering grease mess, no flipping!!
How To Render Bacon Fat
- As soon as you’ve transferred the bacon to the paper towel lined dish, you can save the bacon fat from the baking sheet.
- Cover a glass jar with a kitchen sieve.
- Use oven mitts to hold the pan.
- Pour the warm bacon fat over the sieve into your storage jar.
- Allow it to cool down before you close the jar.
How to store cooked bacon?
Once it’s cooled completely, store the cooked bacon in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I wouldn’t go more than 3 days.
How to Freeze cooked bacon?
Cool bacon completely, and store in airtight container or a zipped lock freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. Remove slices as needed to use in recipes. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
How to reheat bacon?
Place the bacon on a baking sheet and heat for few minutes on 350F. It should crisp up quickly (5 or so minutes).
Since mom taught me how to make oven baked bacon, I’ll share mom’s top tips!
Oven Bacon top tips:
- Make sure that you use a baking sheet with large rims.
- I lined my sheet with parchment paper, but mom does suggest to line with foil paper first (less mess) and then parchment paper.
- 400F is the best temperature. Every oven is different, and it depends on how thin or thick of a bacon you got.
- Mom says there is no need to put the bacon on top of a baking rack on top of the baking sheet. She said it makes no difference in how crispy the bacon turns out and then you have a horribly messy baking rack to clean up (I listen to my mom!).
- Mom says the bacon can be side by side, but do not squish them and overlap them (then you’ll get chewy pieces that didn’t crisp up). The bacon will shrink in size, so it’s ok if they’re side by side.
- No need to open the oven and check the bacon to see if it needs to be flipped. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Once it beeps, check on it. It may already be ready or it may need 5-10 more minutes.
Some other recipes to enjoy:
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Easy Italian Garlic Rosemary Steak
- Whole30 Broccoli Salad
- Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad
Oven Baked Bacon
Ingredients
- 12 slices bacon 1 package, thin or thick-cut bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Lay out the bacon in a single layer. Keep in mind the bacon will shrink as it cooks, so they can be side by side. Lay them out without overlapping, or you’ll have undercooked sections.
- Place baking sheet in middle rack of oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. Depending on how thin or thick the bacon is, the bacon may be ready at 15 minutes or even at 25 minutes.
- Lay out the bacon on paper towel lined dish and blot the grease off the top of the bacon. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Cooking time: The cooking time will vary. If it's thinner cut, will be ready faster (approx 15 minutes). If it's thicker cut, could take a full 25 minutes until it's nice and crispy. Just keep an eye on it while it's cooking.
- Leftovers: Any leftover bacon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.
- Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the bacon on a baking sheet and heat until it’s warm and crisps up again. Stove top: Gently warm in a skillet over medium heat.
- Microwave: Warm up the bacon for up to 60 seconds (until it gets hot).
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