Wondering how to cook bacon in the oven? You’ve come to the right place! I love this method because it’s mess-free and so easy. All you need is aluminum foil or parchment paper, a cooling rack, a rimmed baking sheet and of course, bacon.
Eat your bacon solo or add it to lots of different things like tasty Brussels Sprouts Bacon Salad, Creamy Avocado Cauliflower Salad, Easy Chopped Chicken Salad, or this Cabbage Steak Recipe (Web Story)!
I am all about oven-cooked bacon, it’s so incredibly easy to make and I can’t wait teach you this life-changing technique! The best part? You can cook bacon in the oven without making a big, splattery mess. And, it’s a great way to whip up a large batch with very little effort.
How To Cook Bacon In The Oven
Ingredients
- Strip of Bacon — The only ingredient you’ll need is some high-quality bacon. Even though you can use any kind of bacon, I recommend looking for a brand that is sugar free and nitrate free. Decide what type you prefer: Applewood, hickory smoked, cured, uncured, natural, thick cut bacon, thin bacon, etc. There are many different types of bacon, so pick one that best suits your needs and taste preference.
Note: If you’re living in an area where good quality bacon is hard to find, try checking online sources for organic and grass-fed meat delivery companies. Butcher Box is one I’m familiar with and like to recommend to my readers. It’s so convenient and the price is great!
There are other companies out there that deliver great, quality meat to your door. Do your research and choose the best one for your lifestyle.
Instructions to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Prepare baking sheet:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Place a large piece of aluminum foil on your baking sheet or sheet pan, use enough that you can wrap it over the rim of the baking sheet because this will prevent grease from leaking onto the pan.
- Put an oven-safe wire rack on top of the foil, this is optional but does allow fat to drip down off of the bacon as it cooks.
Cook bacon:
- Arrange bacon on your wire rack, in a single layer. It’s okay if the pieces touch a little bit because the bacon will shrink down as it heats up, but avoid excessive overlap.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until crispy. Of course, you can adjust cook time based on your preference of crispy versus chewy! Use tongs to remove the crispy bacon from the wire rack.
Serve:
- If necessary, use a paper towel to soak up excess grease from your bacon. This step is more important if you don’t use a wire rack because fats won’t separate during the cooking process. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- A wire rack is convenient because it allows grease to drip from the bacon as it cooks, but it’s not required. If you don’t have a rack, simply place bacon strips directly on your foil-lined baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes. Then drain grease and use paper towels to pat excess from the bacon.
- Cooking bacon in the oven is the best, and least messy way to make big batches for a crowd. When making only a few slices, you might consider frying it up in a skillet (make it on the stove) or make air fryer bacon. But, when you’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, I HIGHLY recommend using this convenient method. You’ll thank yourself later. Clean-up will be so easy too.
- It is very important to arrange bacon strips in a single layer. A small bit of overlap is okay, as the bacon will shrink when cooking. But too much will lead to sogginess.
- Keep in mind that thicker bacon will take longer to cook. Adjust the timer according to the bacon’s thickness.
- Don’t waste your bacon fat. Store it in a mason jar and reuse for making eggs, roasted veggies and sautéed recipes. So good!
How To Store Oven-baked Bacon Leftovers
To store: refrigerate leftover bacon in a reusable silicone bag or airtight glass container for about 5 to 6 days.
How to freeze: cooked bacon also freezes really well, simply place cooled slices into a Ziploc bag and press to remove excess air, then freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Reheat bacon in the microwave for few seconds, or sauté in a hot skillet for 1-2 minutes.
Ways To Use Bacon cooked In The Oven:
Oven-cooked bacon can be used in many different ways! It goes great with breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.
- Crumble a few slices of bacon on top of this breakfast casserole or a frittata. Savory bacon bits are also SO delicious on top of sweet pancakes.
- Mix bacon bits into these savory breakfast scones or breakfast salad!
- Add a few whole slices of bacon to these breakfast meal prep bowls.
- Come lunch time you can sprinkle bacon on almost any salad to make it extra filling and hearty!
- Make a little protein box with slices of bacon and hard boiled eggs.
- Layer strips of bacon on your burger for the best dinner ever!
- Garnish soup or stew with crunchy bacon to add delicious texture.
- Incorporate some bacon into your side salad at dinner!
- Pair it with baked chicken and brussels sprouts (or another veggie like broccoli)!
Frequently Asked Questions
At 400°F it will take somewhere around 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. You can certainly cook bacon longer if you like it extra crisp, or reduce time if you prefer a chewier texture.
Nope! It’s not necessary to flip your bacon halfway through baking. This is another reason why I love making bacon in the oven. It’s so simple and hands off.
In my opinion, oven-baked is the way to go when cooking bacon because it’s so much easier than pan-frying. Also, it tastes just as good, if not slightly better. Additionally, if you place strips atop a wire rack, the fat separates from the bacon as it cooks making for a leaner final product.
If you buy organic bacon, try rendering and saving the grease for frying eggs and sautéed veggies. It adds flavor and has a high smoke point for stable cooking.
Serve Oven Cooked Bacon With
I hope you learned how to cook bacon in the oven and enjoy this recipe!
How to cook bacon in the oven
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line a large baking sheet with foil. Make sure you have enough foil to fold the edges up and prevent grease from running out. If you’re using a wire rack/cooling rack, place it on the foil lined baking sheet.
- Lay bacon in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet or cooling rack (if you’re using it).
- Bake until it gets crispy (according to your taste). It will take about 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes, watch closely to avoid burning.
- Remove from the oven and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Enjoy!
Tips
- Make sure bacon slices don’t overlap so they cook evenly.
- Thicker bacon will need extra time to bake through.
- A rack will help fat separate from the bacon for a less greasy final product.
- Store excess bacon grease in a mason jar for use in other recipes!
- To store: Refrigerate leftover cooked bacon in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat bacon using the oven, microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
- To freeze: Freeze cooked bacon for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
David Johnson says
The highest and best use for a self cleaning oven. I use the non stick foil and put it in the cold oven. Still only takes 20 – 25 minutes and seems to curl less. Love your blog.
Olivia says
Thank you 😉
Frances says
Very good info on cooking bacon in the oven. thank you
Olivia says
You’re very welcome 😉