How to Make Bacon in the Oven: The Foolproof Guide to Crispy Perfection

Oven-cooked bacon is a game-changer, and once you try this method, you’ll ditch the skillet for good! Achieving perfectly crispy and delicious bacon in the oven is incredibly simple, with just one key ingredient and minimal cleanup. It’s truly that easy.

Consider using this oven-baked bacon in your next batch of Easy Egg Muffins for an effortless and tasty breakfast.

Why Oven Bacon is a Superior Cooking Method

If you haven’t yet experienced the joy of baking bacon in your oven, you’re in for a treat. This method offers several advantages over traditional stovetop frying:

Less Mess, Less Stress: Say goodbye to grease splatters and stovetop cleanup! Oven baking bacon is significantly less messy, keeping your kitchen cleaner and making the cooking process more enjoyable.
Effortless for Large Batches: Need to cook bacon for a crowd? The oven is your best friend. You can easily cook a large quantity of bacon at once on a baking sheet, perfect for family breakfasts or brunch gatherings.
Crispiness Control: Whether you prefer chewy bacon or extra crispy bacon, oven baking allows you to precisely control the level of crispiness to your exact liking.
Versatile Bacon Options: From thick-cut bacon to Applewood smoked, hickory, or maple bacon, this method works flawlessly with any bacon variety you choose.

One of the best things about oven bacon is its hands-off nature. You don’t need to flip the bacon strips; the oven’s consistent heat ensures even cooking on both sides. This set-it-and-forget-it approach frees you up to prepare other breakfast components or simply relax while the bacon cooks to golden perfection. It’s our go-to method for Christmas morning, often paired with a Simple Breakfast Casserole for a stress-free holiday breakfast.

Optional Pro Tip: Air Fryer Bacon

For an even quicker and equally crispy bacon option, you might want to explore making bacon in an air fryer. Check out our dedicated Air Fryer Bacon recipe for detailed instructions and tips.

Wire Rack: Is It Necessary for Oven Bacon?

Many recipes suggest using a wire rack placed on top of the baking sheet for oven bacon. We’ve experimented with this method extensively and found that it doesn’t make a significant difference in crispiness for most people’s preferences.

While a wire rack can slightly enhance crispiness by allowing more air circulation around the bacon, we find that laying the bacon strips directly on a foil-lined baking sheet yields excellent results with less fuss and cleanup. Unless you desire extremely crispy bacon, skipping the wire rack simplifies the process and reduces dishes. Plus, we personally enjoy a slight chewiness to our bacon, which is perfectly achieved without a rack.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

For detailed ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Arrange Bacon: Lay the bacon strips in a single layer directly on the foil-lined baking sheet. Ensure the strips do not overlap to promote even cooking.
Bake to Perfection: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your bacon and your desired crispiness. For chewy bacon, start checking around 15 minutes. For crispy bacon, it may take up to 20 minutes. The key is to monitor the bacon closely, especially after the 10-minute mark, to achieve your preferred level of doneness.
Drain and Serve: Once the bacon reaches your desired crispiness, carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the cooked bacon strips to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Storing and Reheating Leftover Bacon

Refrigeration: Cooked bacon can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Freezing: For longer storage, oven-baked bacon freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Ensure the bacon is completely cooled before freezing. To prevent sticking, arrange the strips in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze individually before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. This makes it easy to grab individual portions as needed.
Reheating: To reheat leftover bacon, place it on a plate lined with paper towels (both underneath and on top of the bacon). Microwave in short intervals until warmed through and crisp again.

Repurposing Leftover Bacon Fat

Don’t discard that flavorful bacon fat! If you have a significant amount of grease on the foil after baking, carefully pour it into a heat-safe glass container and store it in the refrigerator.

Bacon fat, essentially lard, is a versatile culinary ingredient. Use it to:

Enhance Bread: Spread bacon fat on bread instead of butter or mayonnaise for a savory twist.
Boost Roasted Vegetables: Drizzle bacon fat over roasted vegetables instead of olive oil or butter to add a rich, smoky depth of flavor.

Serving Suggestions for Oven-Baked Bacon

Oven bacon is incredibly versatile and pairs perfectly with countless dishes. Enjoy it alongside:

Classic breakfast staples like eggs, pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
Breakfast sandwiches and wraps.
Salads (as a crispy topping).
Burgers and sandwiches.
Deviled eggs.
Roasted vegetables.
Pasta dishes (like carbonara).
Baked potatoes.
And much more!

Explore More Delicious Bacon Recipes

Craving more bacon inspiration? Try these other mouthwatering bacon recipes:

(Note: Please replace with actual recipe links when available)

[Recipe Link 1 – Bacon Recipe]
[Recipe Link 2 – Bacon Recipe]
[Recipe Link 3 – Bacon Recipe]

We love hearing from you! If you try this oven bacon recipe or have any questions, please leave a comment below. You can also share your culinary creations with us by tagging us on Instagram. We can’t wait to see what you cook up!

5 from 20 votes

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven Recipe

By Natasha Bull

Oven cooked bacon is our favorite method for cooking tasty and crispy bacon, and you won’t ever go back to using a skillet after trying it this way! There’s one ingredient and basically no clean-up. Easy peasy.

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients

12 strips bacon see note

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil for easier clean-up.
Spread the bacon out on the baking sheet (do not overlap). Most bacon will take 15-20 minutes to cook. If you have thicker bacon and like it very crispy, it may take up to 25 minutes. For very thin bacon, check after 10 minutes.
Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and enjoy.

Notes

Cooking time will vary depending on how thick the bacon is and how hot your oven is (ovens vary and often aren’t accurate), so I recommend keeping an eye on the bacon the first couple times you try this method.
If you need to do a larger quantity than the 12 strips I suggest, you may be able to fit more than 12 strips on the baking sheet, or you can definitely do two baking sheets at once (one rack closer to the top of the oven and one rack closer to the bottom).
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 437mg, Potassium: 131mg, Vitamin A: 24IU, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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