Make oven baked bacon with these super easy instructions and tips!
Learn how to bake bacon in oven the easy way. No more grease sputters and splatters or constant flipping! This method makes straight, evenly cooked slices of crispy bacon just right every time!
Best Way To Cook Bacon
- The oven-baked method frees up the chef’s hands to do other things and makes cleanup a breeze! It really is the best way to cook bacon!
- Make bacon in the oven and use it in recipes all week long! Enjoy it hot or cold in an assortment of favorite dishes! Save that precious bacon grease to add flavor to sautés, stir-fries, or rubs.
- Wrap cooked and cooled slices of bacon in a clean paper towel and keep them in the refrigerator to add to pizza sandwiches or chicken mac and cheese.
Ingredients and Variations
Bacon – Ordinary bacon (American) has a lot of fat, which means a lot of flavor (and bacon grease!). It’s thinner than thick-cut bacon, so it won’t take as long to bake. Flavored bacon like maple, hickory, or peppered bacon works great, too! Even turkey bacon can be used but since it is leaner, it won’t produce as much fat and needs less time in the oven.
How to Make Oven-Baked Bacon
- Place bacon slices on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake (per recipe below) until the desired level of crispiness is reached.
- Drain slices on paper towels and pour leftover bacon grease into a jar and refrigerate to use as needed. NOTE: Convection ovens will cook bacon quicker.
Recipe Tips
- Since ovens can vary slightly, check the bacon after the first 10 minutes and adjust the temperature, if needed.
- Some ovens have ‘hot spots’ which may cause the bacon to cook faster on one side of the baking pan. Simply turn the pan around during baking.
- Thick-cut bacon may take a little longer than regular bacon and may have to be flipped during cooking, cook at the same temperature, but keep an eye on it just in case.
Time Saving Tips
- Always preheat the oven before adding the bacon.
- Using a rack to cook bacon is nice but not necessary. Line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for quick & easy cleanup.
- Store bacon in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or save time and batch-cook bacon all at once, then freeze it to use in recipes. Frozen, cooked bacon will keep its flavor for up to 3 months. It thaws within minutes or it can be reheated in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Delish Recipes That Use Bacon!
Oven Baked Bacon
Make oven baked bacon on a foil or parchment lined pan for the best, crispy and delicious bacon every time.
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Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking tray with heavy duty aluminum foil.
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Place bacon side-by-side on the tray, leaving some space between each piece. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper, if desired. Bacon may need to be cooked in batches or use two trays.
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Place tray in the oven, and cook the bacon for 18-20 minutes or until it has reached desired level of crispness.
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Remove the tray from the oven, use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Because each oven is slightly different, cook times may vary.
- Check bacon after about 10 minutes, and continue to watch until cooked to desired crispness.
Calories: 101kcal | Protein: 12g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 850mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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