This method for cooking bacon in the oven is the best because it produces perfectly crisp bacon every time, requires little monitoring, and cleaning up is a breeze. After making this Oven-Cooked Bacon recipe, you'll never want to prepare it any other way!
A couple of weeks ago I shared a recipe for the perfect scrambled eggs so naturally, I had to follow that up with my method for cooking bacon. We’ve been cooking our bacon this way for years and it’s way easier than cooking it on the stovetop. For all you bacon lovers out there: if you’ve never cooked bacon in the oven, this recipe will be a game-changer! This is the absolute best way to cook bacon!
Why I Love This Easy Method
There are so many reasons why oven-cooked bacon is my favorite method for making this delicious treat. Keep reading for why you will too:
- Perfectly crisp! The number one reason? The bacon comes out perfectly flat and crisp every time using this oven method. When the bacon cooks at lower temperatures for a longer period of time, it allows the fat to render and makes extra crispy bacon.
- Cooks evenly. Cooking bacon in the oven means it cooks evenly from all around - not just from the bottom (like on a skillet on the stove top) which can sometimes yield more crumbly bacon vs. crispy. And, unlike using the skillet, where the heat is concentrated on certain points of the pan, your bacon strips will cook consistently.
- No sticking. Your bacon strips won’t stick together like when you cook it in a skillet (which is often too small).
- You can make a big batch all at once. If you're feeding a crowd and need a lot of bacon, this method will save you so much time and make it easy to cook up a large batch all at once. I can typically make about 12-16 slices of bacon on one baking tray. Add a stack of pancakes and you're good to go! (Psst - add these simple air fryer biscuits to your menu while you're add it!)
- Hands-off approach. Cooking bacon in the oven means no fuss and no monitoring the stovetop, or having to flip the bacon halfway through cooking. It's the most efficient way to cook extra crispy bacon (and in my opinion, the easiest way!).
- Less mess. Ever spend 15 minutes after breakfast wiping up bacon splatter from your range? Yep, it sucks. But cooking the bacon in the oven means you don’t have to mess with all that. This simple method means easy clean up.
- Less bacon grease on your bacon. The bacon fat drips into the pan - and off the bacon. By placing the bacon on a baking rack, the fat conveniently drips from the bacon into the pan. No more soaking half a roll of paper towels with bacon fat (which is such a waste on so many levels!!)
- Bacon butter! You can reserve the pork fat (aka - bacon butter!) to use for other dishes. Such a delicious use for the rendered fat and great for using anywhere you might use butter-sauteed dishes, scrambled eggs, etc. (Check out this easy guide on how to render pork fat!)
- Bacon makes everything better! I love bacon as a breakfast food, but it's amazing in so many dishes! Try it in these delicious Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps, add to Deviled Eggs, use it on a Sweet And Spicy Bacon Smash Burger, or toss it in a soup, like this Easy Corn Chowder or Split Pea Soup With Bacon. You can even add crumpled pieces of cooked bacon to this Breakfast Flatbread with Eggs!
(Looking for more easy bacon recipes? Check out this great one for Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Pineapple for an easy delicious app!)
Key Ingredients
It doesn't get any easier than this folks! Just a few simple things are all you need to make delicious bacon!
- Bacon. I like to use thick-cut bacon strips so they don't shrivel up too much in the oven. If you're using anything other than pork bacon (like turkey bacon), or if your bacon slices are cut super thin, adjust the baking time appropriately. Otherwise, you may find yourself with dried-out bacon.
- Large rimmed sheet pan with a wire rack that fits on top or inside. This helps the bacon to crisp up evenly and allows the excess bacon grease to drip down into the pan.
- Aluminum foil. For that extra easy cleanup!
How To Cook Bacon In The Oven
Making crispy bacon in the oven is as easy as it gets.
- Prepare your pan. Simply line a baking pan or cookie sheet with foil (you can also use a sheet of parchment paper if you prefer), then place a cooling rack above the foil.
- Bake. Add your bacon strips to the rack in a single layer, place the tray into a COLD oven (see the tips below for why this is important), and bake for about 25 minutes at 380 degrees. By this time you should have golden brown bacon that's nice and crispy. (If you prefer a different level of crispiness, just take the bacon out of the oven sooner or leave it in longer. The exact baking time will vary based on the thickness of your bacon and your personal preference for how crispy you want it.)
- Cool. Once the sheet pan of bacon is done cooking, use tongs to transfer the crispy slices to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Enjoy!
That's it! Easy, and totally hands-off!
Variations And Substitutions
There's not a lot to sub out in this recipe, but you can easily make this bacon you're own. Here are a couple of ways to do it:
- Try different types of bacon. Give turkey bacon a try instead of pork, or experiment with different cuts of bacon (there are many!). You'll have to be careful here because different thicknesses and types of bacon cook differently. If you have strips of bacon that are very thin, watch your time (I'd reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes and then continue to check on it every few minutes from there).
- Make it millionaires bacon. Add some brown sugar and spices and make this a decadent treat. Roasting the bacon strips in the oven like this caramelizes the sugar, making it incredibly delicious (and very rich!).
- Add some maple syrup. Give your delicious bacon a sweet upgrade by brushing on a bit of maple syrup for a few minutes before taking the strips out of the oven.
A Few Tips To Remember When Using This Method
- Don’t preheat your oven! Putting your bacon in the oven when it’s cold, allows it to slowly warm up as your oven preheats, rendering the fat low and slow as you go. This produces perfectly crisp bacon every time and is my favorite way to cook bacon.
- Let your bacon come to room temperature. It also helps to let the bacon sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. This helps to ensure the mean and the fat in the bacon are starting off at the same temperature. If you cook straight from the fridge, the fat will take longer to warm up than the meat and may result in pieces that are crispy where the meat is and soft and gristly where the fat is.
- Don’t set your temperature too high. Many oven-baked bacon recipes call for a high temperature but keep in mind those recipes preheat their oven first and are not slowly warming their bacon over time. Slow and low is the name of the game here. I set the oven to 380 degrees.
- Watch your baking time. How long to cook bacon in the oven is really dependent on a few things: the thickness of the bacon, how fast your oven heats up, and how crispy you prefer your bacon to be. My oven typically takes about 25-30 minutes to produce perfect bacon this way. But, it may take a little trial and error to get this method perfect for your tastes. Just be sure the first couple of times you try it you check your bacon often - leaving it in for too long can quickly turn your bacon from perfect to burnt.
Frequently Asked Questions
By slowly raising the temperature over time, it allows the bacon fat to render, making crispy bacon every time.
If you don't have a metal rack to put the bacon on, don't worry - it's not totally necessary. I like using it because it allows the excess fat to easily drain off the bacon while it's cooking, but allowing the cooked bacon to drain on paper towels once it's done can also soak up some of that extra grease.
Another benefit of making bacon in the oven? Bacon butter! Besides producing perfect crispy bacon every time, this cooking method allows all the bacon fat to collect on the foil-lined pan, making it easy to save for later. Simply allow it to cool slightly (it is HOT right out of the oven) and then very carefully pour the excess bacon fat into a small glass jar. Allow the bacon grease to cool before adding the lid and storing it in the refrigerator. You can use bacon butter in place of regular butter or oil for sauteeing veggies, add it to eggs, soups, you name it. It's a great way to add a little bit of fat and flavor to a dish.
It sort of depends on the size of your baking sheet. I have a fairly large one and can fit about 12-16 slices on it at a time.
If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, simply store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Use on BLTs (this easy Salmon BLT it a winner!), add to salads, crumble on top of soup, or toss into veggie dishes like these Maple-Bacon Brussels Sprouts.
I hope the next time you cook bacon, you'll give this Oven-Cooked Bacon method a try. If you do try it, let me know what you think in the comments below! And, as always, tag me on IG (@FrontRangeFed) if you make this recipe - I love to see your creations!
More Breakfast Favorites
- Perfectly Soft And Creamy Scrambled Eggs
- Homemade Blueberry Waffles
- Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese And Everything Bagel Pizza
- Classic Avocado Toast With Egg
- Breakfast Pizza
- Blueberry Crumble French Toast Casserole
- Sheet Pan Pancakes From Mix
- Pancake Tacos With Eggs And Bacon
- Ultimate Guide To Creamy Scrambled Eggs
- Air Fryer Canned Biscuits
Recipe
Oven Cooked Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and place a baking rack on top of the foil. Align your bacon strips across the top of the baking rack and place the rack in a COLD oven (don’t preheat).
- Set your temperature to 380 degrees and allow the bacon to cook for about 20-30 minutes. (Note - times will vary based on how thick your bacon is and how crispy you prefer it so keep an eye out and start checking it around the 20-minute mark.)
- Once the bacon is crisp, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving.
- If you want to save the bacon fat, allow it to cool slightly, then carefully (REALLY Carefully - it will still be HOT!) pour the liquid fat into a small dish, cover, and place in the fridge. Alternatively, if you’d rather not risk singing your arm hair off, you can let the bacon fat cool completely until it is solid and then spoon it into a dish, cover, and store in the fridge.
Nutrition
Isiah says
My go-to method for cooking bacon. I always burn it on the stove top, thanks for answering so many of my questions about how to cook bacon in the oven.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Isiah!
Amber says
My first time cooking bacon in the oven. Less mess and it came out really crispy and juicy, not dry at all.
Sarah Jenkins says
So glad this method worked for you Amber!
Stacey says
This is much easier. LOVED how it turned out great. I will never make bacon any other way but in the oven! Thank you for this.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Stacey - glad it worked for you! I love this method!
Tasha says
This is the best way to cook bacon! I loved that I could throw it in the oven while I was preparing the breakfast potatoes and it was done about the same time and no splattering mess on my stovetop!
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Tasha - yes- it's so much less mess!!!
Ulysses says
I have the grandkids this weekend and wanted to make a special breakfast. This bacon was perfect! They all wanted more and more. I'll make it this way from now on! Thank you.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Ulysses!!
Jack says
This method works perfectly every time
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks, Jack - glad it was a success for you. You can't beat perfectly cooked bacon!