How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
In this post I’m covering How to Cook Bacon in the Oven, which I find results in much crispier, evenly cooked bacon. Plus, you can do a big batch at one time instead of having to do many batches in a frying pan.
I was honestly pretty slow to warm up to the whole cooking bacon in the oven thing, as for most of my life, I always fried it in a skillet.
Old habits truly do die hard, but oven baked bacon is better for many reasons. Here are the reasons why I’m all aboard the oven bacon train now:
Oven Bacon Cooks More Evenly:
When you cook bacon in a skillet, it’s only receiving heat from the skillet below. Because bacon tends to curl up, you get well done parts, and more flabby and undercooked parts.
However, in the oven, the bacon is getting hot air cooking it evenly on all parts, so you get a more evenly cooked strip.
Regardless of whether you prefer a softer bacon or more crispy bacon, cooking your bacon in the oven will cook it more consistently to your desired doneness.
Oven Bacon is More Crispy:
I’m a crispy bacon fan, and because of the previously mentioned point about even cooking, 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 bacon.
Oven Baked Bacon is Less Time Consuming:
There are usually 10-12 strips of bacon in a package, so it would always take me several batches of frying bacon in order to cook the whole package.
It’s one thing if you’re just frying a few pieces to have with your 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!
With the oven method, you can cook large amounts of bacon all at once, and also do multiple pans. It’s so much easier than batch cooking.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven:
First, to make cleanup simple, I suggest lining a sheet pan with aluminum foil (or parchment paper if you don’t like foil).
If you don’t line the pan, you’ll have to use paper towels to remove the bacon fat (you’re not supposed to pour fat down the sink), and I find it’s easier to just take the foil off and throw it all away than to rub and wash.
Next, lay the bacon slices down side by side, making sure they’re not overlapping. It’s okay if they’re touching, because the bacon will shrink as it cooks, just don’t have them on top of each other.
Place the bacon in a 350F oven in the middle rack:
I’ve tested out different temperatures and find that 350 is optimal so the bacon doesn’t burn.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on your desired doneness. Keep your eye on it toward the end, especially since some bacons are thin cut and some are thick cut. Regardless, they will shrink a ton:
Drain the bacon strips on a paper towel, and blot the excess fat away.
I find it impossible to not eat at least a strip or two of bacon as-is from the pan, but it’s also great added to Broccoli Salad, Egg Salad, Stuffed Zucchini, and more.
It’s also nice for a hands-off pairing for a classic Hash Browns and Fried Egg breakfast plate. Enjoy!
Oven Bacon
Ingredients
For the Oven Cooked Bacon:
- one 12-ounce package bacon
- aluminum foil for lining the pan, optional
Ideas for Using the Bacon (optional):
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- 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!
My bacon came out chewy and dry. Sticking with frying.