How to Bake Bacon in the Oven
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.
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?
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.
How do you bake bacon in the oven?
Cooking bacon in the oven is so easy to do….here are a few easy steps to get you started:
- 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.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- 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.
- 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.
- Line a plate with paper towels and transfer the bacon to the plate. The bacon will crisp up a bit more while it cools.
- Transfer the bacon to a platter and serve.
Why should you 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.
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.
How do you cook bacon in the oven without making a mess?
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.
More Easy Bacon Recipes
- This Bacon Cheeseburger Soup is fantastic topped with extra bacon!
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup NEEDS bacon…or it’s not really loaded.
- My favorite Loaded Iceberg Wedge Salad
- Pulled Pork Sweet Potatoes are just better with bacon.
- How to Cook Bacon in the Microwave
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Get the Recipe: How to Bake Bacon in the Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
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.
19 Comments on “How to Bake Bacon in the Oven”
This is how I make my bacon ALL THE TIME!
That is such a perfectly looking bacon! I’m drooling!
Thank you! It’s pretty awesome….but bacon is awesome anyway. 🙂
This is how I cook bacon too because there is no mess! Love it!
So many people look at me weirdly when I say I bake my bacon. I thought everyone did it!
This is exactly how I cook all our bacon too! No more grease splatters all over the counters!
Right? I was spending more time cleaning the kitchen than I was eating bacon. LOL!
Right? So much less mess!
This is so genius!! I love bacon and to be able to get it crispy and on my plate without a huge mess is epic! Thank you!!
You are welcome! This is the best way to do it. 🙂
Perfect bacon. For thick cut bacon, bake 30 minutes.
Thank you!
Cooked at 425° for 13 minutes. Came out perfect. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it! It’s so much better than pan frying. Right??
Bacon in the oven is the BEST! But don’t forget to save the bacon grease! It is great to cook with, withstands high temps, so great for pan cooking meat. I also enjoy it with eggs. I pour off the grease when I flip the bacon about half way done, and again as you begin removing pieces of bacon that are done cooking, and at the end. Just save in a clean jar, store in your spice cabinet next to your other oils and use regularly.
This is exactly what we do but because it’s animal fat we store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator so it doesn’t spoil.
When I make the egg cups in the over, can I use turkey bacon on top instead?
If so, should I cook the turkey bacon in the microwave and then top the egg later with that and cheese? I don’t think my cheese needs more than a few mins in a hot over on the eggs.
Or should i put “raw” turkey bacon on the egg at the beginning so that it cooks for like 15+ mins and then drop a little America cheese on top towards the end? Thanks
I would add the cooked bacon with the cheese on top at the end of baking. I haven’t tried it so I can’t be 100% but that’s how I’d do it.
I’ve been making my bacon this way for quite sometime! Best way!
Carol