The BEST (and only) WAY to make your bacon! So simple, I show you exactly how to bake bacon in the oven for a mess free, extra crispy, have it your way bacon perfection. Quick, easy and you’ll never go back to frying on the stovetop again.

Oven Baked Bacon on a baking sheet with parchment paper.


Bacon in the Oven

“OMG….she’s baking the bacon in the oven!!!” Those were the words I heard from across the kitchen many, many years ago. Seriously, I was stunned that not everyone was actually cooking their bacon in the oven already and still….I shock people everywhere when I say I only make bacon in the oven. EVER.

And, honestly, it’s out of sheer laziness that this even started as the normal way to cook bacon in my house.  I hate the grease spatter….in fact, I hate frying things on the stovetop so much I even make my fried chicken in the oven. I mean, really, do you want to be cleaning bacon grease off all surfaces within a tend foot radius of your oven for all eternity?

8 stacked bacon slices on a white plate on a blue background.

And don’t you want the most perfectly crisp bacon ever made….but not too crisp….still with bits of chewiness…but not too floppy (that’s a technical term we use here.) All without having to hose down your kitchen after you’re done cooking? Then, oven baked bacon is totally for you.

Cooking bacon in the oven isn’t rocket science and I certainly didn’t invent the technique but I do have a few tricks that will lead you to absolute bacon nirvana…..and a very clean kitchen that only smells like bacon laced heaven.

Four sliced of bacon on a white plate with blue dots.

How To Cook Bacon in the Oven

Cooking bacon in the oven is so easy to do….here are a few easy steps to get you started:

  1. Line a baking sheet (I used a rimmed half sheet pan) with parchment, or my personal favorite, aluminum foil. I, actually, like to cover the entire baking sheet with foil (sometimes multiple layers) for easy clean up.  Meaning, I take the foil off and toss it into the trash….baking pan is totally clean. I told you….lazy.
  2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  3. Arrange bacon strips in a single layer directly on the foil or parchment being sure they are not overlapping. If the bacon is touching while it cooks, it is harder to pull apart when it’s finished cooking.
  4. Transfer the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until your desired degree of doneness.  Sometimes, I flip the bacon for even cooking and to satisfy picky bacon eaters.
  5. Line a plate with paper towels and transfer the bacon to the plate. The bacon will crisp up a bit more while it cools.
  6. Transfer the bacon to a platter and serve.
Overhead shot of raw bacon on a baking sheet.

Why Bake Bacon in the Oven

Seriously, why shouldn’t you bake bacon in the oven….right? Well, if that wasn’t a good enough answer then this is exactly why you should always cook bacon in the oven:

  • Mess free!!!  Did you see that? MESS FREE!!!!
  • You can cook a whole pound of bacon at one time….no batch cooking….no bacon vanishing into thin air while you cook more. One pound of bacon in minutes.
  • No grease spatters all over every surface of the kitchen.
  • No grease spatters on your face.
  • No grease spatters on your clothes.
  • No grease spatters on your dog.
  • The bacon cooks up perfectly flat every time!
  • You can actually, like, do other stuff while your bacon is baking…..like make pancakes or this AHHHMAZING French Toast
  • Oh….and did I mention that it’s MESS FREE!!!  Oh yeah.
Baked bacon on a baking sheet with parchment.

How long do you cook bacon in the oven?

The amount of time it takes to cook bacon really depends on a few factors, every oven is different so you may need to experiment a few times to find what works for your oven. Also, the thickness and fat content of your bacon will also affect cooking times. Following this guide on how long to bake bacon in the oven will help you achieve perfect bacon:

For oven temperature of 425 degrees:

  • Bake your bacon for 10-15 minutes checking every 2 minutes after the 10 minute mark

For oven temperature of 400 degrees:

  • Bake the bacon for 12-17 minutes checking every 2 minutes after the 12 minute mark.

For oven temperature of 375 degrees:

  • Bake the bacon for 15-20 minutes checking every 2 minutes after the 15 minute mark.

Feel free to experiment when baking your bacon, I LOVE this easy Sweet and Spicy Candied Bacon which is, in my opinion, the BEST way to cook bacon.

Close up shot of stacked bacon on a white plate with blue dots.

How To Avoid Bacon Splatter

Ok, so I told you how I love to make this bacon in the oven to eliminate the kitchen mess but if you’re concerned about the inside of your oven taking the brunt of the bacon grease then you can simply tent a large piece of foil over the bacon being sure it’s not actually touching the surface of the bacon to contain some of the grease.

You will have to remove it near the end of the cooking time to crisp up the surface a bit on your bacon.

This Oven Baked Bacon recipe is my gift to you….the gift of a clean kitchen….and perfect bacon, perfectly crispy bacon that will knock your socks off.

Bacon on a white plate with blue dots on a blue background.

More Easy Bacon Recipes

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Oven Baked Bacon on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Get the Recipe: Oven Bacon Recipe

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
The BEST way to cook bacon is in the oven. This Oven Baked Bacon recipe is fantastic for breakfast, brunch and holidays!
4.91 from 10 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound bacon

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet
  • foil or a silicone baking mat

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  • Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on the baking sheet being sure not to overlap the edges.
  • Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the desired degree of doneness.
  • Line a plate or platter with paper towels and transfer the bacon the plate to drain. Bacon will crisp a little more as it cools.
  • Transfer to a clean platter and serve immediately or use in your favorite recipe.

Video

https://youtu.be/yRSUwzr5kzQ

Notes

Be sure to save the bacon grease for cooking popcorn, eggs, or any other cooking method that requires fat.
Calories: 472kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 750mg, Potassium: 224mg, Sugar: 0g, Vitamin A: 40IU, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: American