How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Cook perfect bacon in the oven every time. 400F for 15-20 minutes, no flipping necessary! Consistent crispy results without the fuss. This has become my Saturday morning routine paired with Whole Wheat Pancakes.
Bacon in the oven is truly the best method. I got tired of splattered grease and multiple batches on a frying pan, plus some of the pieces never fit! Its like putting a square peg in a round hole, no thank you!
I’ve cooked more bacon than I want to admit. My kids ask for it every Saturday morning now and I’m happy to oblige. Its more about family time but bacon has become a tool to spend the morning together.
Why This Method Is Superior
The bacon cooks more evenly – When you cook bacon in a skillet, it’s only receiving heat from the skillet below. Because the strips tends to curl up, you get well done parts, and more flabby and undercooked parts. But in the oven, the meat is getting hot air cooking it evenly on all parts, so you get a more evenly cooked strip.
The bacon is more crispy – Because of the nature of the oven, you can bring more of the bacon to that deep crispiness evenly without risking burning it. Oven bacon always turns out so crisp, especially when you buy thin cut pieces.
Less time consuming – There are usually 10 to 12 strips of bacon in a package, so it would always take me several batches of frying in a skillet in order to cook the whole package. It’s one thing if you’re just frying a few pieces to have with your Poached Eggs in the morning, but when I needed a full pack of bacon for use in a recipe like Bacon Cheddar Scones, sometimes that would be 20-30 minutes of cooking time!
Batch cook as you wish – With the oven method, you can cook a lot of bacon all at once, and do multiple pans. This is great if you’ve got a crowd to feed or if you want leftovers.
Tips for Best Results
Use convection if you have it – If you want to maximize crispiness and you have a convection feature in your oven, go ahead and use it. This blows the hot air around the oven and will give you even more uniformly cooked pieces, while also shaving a few minutes off cooking time.
Use thinner bacon for maximum crispiness – If you prefer really crispy bacon, I recommend starting with thinner cut or center cut bacon. Even if you take the time to crisp thick cut bacon, note that it will still have a meaty bite on the inside.
Blot with paper towels at the end – Just as you would when cooking in a skillet, I recommend removing the cooked strips to a paper-towel lined plate, and blotting the excess grease away. This will also ensure maximum crispiness. You can also let the grease drip off by placing the strips on a wire rack.
Step by Step Overview
- Start by preheating the oven to 400F.
*At first thought you might think it’d be better to cook in a hotter oven, but I’ve found in my recipe testing that cooking at this temperature allows the fat to render better and will still give you crispy end results*
Optional: Line the Pan for Easy Cleanup
I suggest lining a sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. If you don’t line the pan, you’ll have to use paper towels to remove the rendered fat (you’re not supposed to pour fat down the sink, and you shouldn’t put grease-soaked kitchen towels in the laundry either).
I find it’s easier to simply take the foil off and throw it all away at the end than to rub and wash.
Note: Using a sheet of parchment paper will not prevent the fat from seeping through. Only use foil.
- lay the bacon slices down side by side on the large rimmed baking sheet, making sure they’re not overlapping.
- Its ok if they are slightly touching as they will shrink in the oven, but do not overlap.
- Place the tray in the preheated oven in the middle rack:
- Use the middle oven rack at 400F for the most even cooking without burning
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your desired doneness
- Watch closely near the end, as bacon thickness varies by brand
- Expect the bacon to shrink while cooking; this is normal
- Rotate the pan if your oven has hot spots and one side cooks faster
- Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate and blot off excess fat
- This helps maximize crispiness and prevents a greasy texture
Variations and Flavor Ideas
Most bacon has enough flavor that you’ll want to roast it plain, but it can also be fun to add other flavors. And now is the time! Because the pieces stay in place in the oven, it’s easy to sprinkle on toppings without them moving around and getting lost in the skillet.
Praline Bacon – The strips are coated with pecans and brown sugar. I first tried it in New Orleans, and it’s outrageously good.
Maple Bacon – Before baking, evenly drizzle a couple tablespoons of pure maple syrup over the tray. The temperature is low enough that the maple syrup won’t burn. You may use your favorite honey as well, or even agave nectar.
Cayenne Bacon – Evenly sprinkle a quarter teaspoon (or your desired amount, to taste) over the slices before baking. You can also try chile powder or ground chipotle.
How to Serve
Once the meat has been blotted, it’s best to serve it right away before it gets cold. You can certainly enjoy it as is, paired with a side of Hash Browns and Hard Boiled Eggs for breakfast, or you can use it in recipes. I add it to Broccoli Salad, Egg Salad, Stuffed Zucchini, and more.
Recipe FAQ and Tips
Place in an airtight container or ziptop bag and keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Absolutely! Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, ideally thaw in the fridge for a couple hours first. However, you can reheat straight from frozen since the strips are so thin.
You may reheat in the microwave or in the oven. For the microwave, place on a microwave-safe plate and cook at 50% power in 30 second intervals until warm and crispy. For the oven, place in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes, until warmed through.
Of course! Simply pour it off the pan into a container. It will be easiest to pour while it’s still hot, so do this shortly after you remove the pan from the oven.
I tend to like the high-brow brands like Neuske’s, Niman Ranch, and Applegate. Pork quality varies tremendously depending on how the animals are raised and what they’re fed. I recommend doing a taste test to find your favorites.
Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below — I’d love to hear how it turned out! Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Ingredients
For the Oven Cooked Bacon:
- one 12-ounce package bacon
- aluminum foil for lining the pan, optional
Ideas for Using It (optional):
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, if desired.
- Lay the bacon strips down side by side on the pan, making sure they are not on top of each other overlapping at all. It’s okay if they’re touching on the sides.
- Roast for 15-20* minutes, until they are done to your desired crispiness.
- Drain the bacon on paper towels and blot the excess fat away. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
38 Comments on “How to Cook Bacon in the Oven”
I have been cooking it in the oven for years! And I do use parchment paper with no issue, on the bottom and also on top to prevent splatter and having to clean oven more frequently.
I find 400F for 14 minutes, drain the fat and flip and another 7-8 minutes for crispier bacon. Put it on paper towel lined tray and enjoy! I will do 2 packages (1 kg) at a time and keep it in refrigerator to use in salads or sandwich or breakfast. My husband always loves fresh bacon day, but also loves the quick and easy access to already cooked bacon. I also buy low sodium bacon.
Such great insight! Thank you for sharing your tips!
I always make my bacon this way! The best way! I do, however, use a cooling rack that is sprayed with cooking spray on top of the foil. I also turn the tray halfway thru. It seems that the back of the oven is a tad hotter in my stove.
I find getting up a couple hours earlier and starting a tray of bacon in the oven @225degrees is simply the best. It’s been a family Saturday thing. We call it slow cooked bacon and works best with thick cut bacon.
I made two batches on a smaller pan. One pan lined with foil, the other with parchment paper. Using Harris Teeter bacon, it recommended 350 for ten minutes. I trimmed the fat. At 10 minutes, the bacon was not done so I flipped it. At 13 minutes, the bacon on the foil was done. The parchment paper needed the full 15 minutes. So easy to make and tasty. I made another 12 oz. pack to store in the fridge for later. I highly recommend this method, temperature, and trimming the excess fat. The second batch needed a new piece of parchment paper but I was able to reuse the foil. I love it!
I always cook bacon in the oven. This is by far the best way to do it. The results were perfectly cooked bacon. Nice and straight pieces. Crisp but not over done. Very little clean up. Aside from disposing the foil. I loved it. So glad I tried it. Thanks. I’ve been cooking for over 50 years. And welcome anything that makes it easier.
Cooking bacon in the microwave is incredibly fast! No standing over the stove or waiting around for a batch to come out of the oven
My bacon came out chewy and dry. Sticking with frying.
I always buy the “less sodium” bacon and cook it in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes for my husbands preferred crispiness ( which i consider it to still be soft at this point) and after I take out half for him I pop the rest back in the oven for another 5 minutes to get the nice evenly crisp bacon that I freaking loooove!! So perfect everytime!
We have a Maytag oven- nothing special just plain jane and its probably 8+ years old. The recipe Joanne listed above was spot on for us.
THANK YOU JOANNE!!! I’ll never cook bacon on the stove top again!!
I’m currently using this method. I bought Kroger brand “thick cut bacon” which isn’t really that thick compared to more expensive brands. 15 mins they were still very raw. So far I have added 5 minutes 2 extra times. It takes way longer than the time listed in this article. I’m still waiting on it. I will still continue to use this method for the simple fact that it is less mess, and I don’t have to hover over the stove flipping it constantly. I did flip the bacon in the oven once though since it’s taking longer than expected. Anyways, my kids are at the table ready to eat and my mouth is watering.. thanks for the “recipe”!
Takes me only 15 minutes I put it on 450 it does differ from oven to oven because not everyone’s ovens are the same ☺️
Easy way to cook bacon, however, 30 minutes is more realistic.