Wondering how to cook bacon in the oven? You’ve come to the right place! All you need is aluminum foil or parchment paper, a cooling rack, a rimmed baking sheet and of course, bacon.
Skip the stove and embrace the crispness of oven-baked bacon; it’s all the flavor with less mess and effortless clean-up.
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 with less splattering. And, it’s a great way to whip up a large batch with very little effort.
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 of bacon you prefer: Applewood, hickory smoked, cured, uncured, natural, thick cut bacon, thin bacon, etc.
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 allows grease to drip as bacon cooks but isn’t required. Simply place bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. Drain grease and pat dry with paper towels.
- Oven-baking is the easiest, least messy way to cook big batches. For a few slices, try frying or using an air fryer. When cooking for a crowd, this method is a lifesaver with easy cleanup!
- Arrange bacon strips in a single layer with minimal overlap to avoid sogginess. Thicker bacon may need extra time, so adjust accordingly.
- Save bacon fat in a jar for cooking eggs, veggies, or sautéed dishes—it’s delicious! And no need to flip the bacon halfway.
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, frittata, pancakes and waffles.
- 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!
- Pair it with baked chicken and brussels sprouts (or another veggie like broccoli)!
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 Ribas says
Thank you 😉
Frances says
Very good info on cooking bacon in the oven. thank you
Olivia Ribas says
You’re very welcome 😉