Can you really make bacon in the oven? Yes, you can! I will show you how to bake bacon in the oven with very little effort. When you make oven-baked bacon, there are no more splattering grease burns, the clean-up is super easy,
AND it’s the best way to make sure each piece comes out perfectly every time.
I have to say that I LOVE bacon. Up until now, I didn’t make it often because I am forever burning myself with grease that splatters ALL over the kitchen. Baking Bacon? Well, that changes the game for this girl.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS FOR OVEN BAKED BACON TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
Can you bake bacon in the oven?
Like most of us, I was taught how to cook slices of bacon in a skillet or pan on the stove. It’s the only way I’d EVER seen it cooked, so I didn’t question it.
I’m here to share the good news that you CAN bake bacon in the oven! This Baked Bacon Recipe makes perfectly crispy bacon each and every time, all without the grease burns and guesswork.
It’s a dream come true for bacon lovers like me. Not only can you make perfect bacon without the mess, but you can also make bigger batches of it at once. More bacon = happier people around my breakfast table.
Can I tell you how incredibly easy baking bacon is? Plus, clean-up is easy because the tin foil contains the grease, preventing a messy baking sheet! But if you are one to save bacon grease, you can easily pour it in to a container, too.
Oh, but the absolute BEST reason to stick the bacon in the oven is that it comes out exactly how I like it, crisp and delicious. I’m a crisp bacon gal, but two of my three children like their baked bacon this way. If you don’t like it super crispy but still want it delicious and flavorful, lessen the baking time by a couple of minutes.
Whether you make it ultra-crispy or slightly underdone, this oven-baked method works every time.
Instructions for Baking Bacon
First, Use a rimmed baking sheet so there isn’t any grease runoff into your oven. Believe me, no one wants grease spills in the oven.
Next, line the rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and then place a sheet of parchment paper down on top of the foil. This makes cleanup a breeze.
Place your bacon into the pan so that it is in a single layer and the pieces don’t overlap. They will stick together even if they touch, but they are harder to split apart if they are on top of each other.
At what temperature should I cook bacon?
There is NO NEED to preheat the oven. Trust me on this! I’ve done it both ways, and starting with a cold oven gives you much better results.
After baking bacon in the oven, I’m convinced this is the best way to cook my favorite breakfast meat. It preserves flavor and texture far better than the microwave, of course, but starting from a cold oven also resulted in bacon that was evenly cooked across the pan.
As directed in the recipe, I placed the sheet pan into the oven with 8 bacon strips and then turned it up to 400° F. I baked it for 10 minutes and then checked on it as directed.
How long should I cook bacon in the oven at 400°?
Remember, no need to preheat the oven!
Start checking your bacon at the 10-minute mark. I checked every few minutes after that until it looked perfectly crispy. There were no underdone chewy pieces and nothing burnt, just the way I like it.
I took it out and placed the pan on a wire rack to cool. I couldn’t wait, so I ate the top three pieces. It just smelled SO good!
Plan on 15-20 minutes depending on your oven temperature, the thickness of your bacon, and your preferred level of crispiness.
Does this work with Thick Cut Bacon?
You can cook any bacon in the oven! Thick bacon will need a little more time in the oven, though, so plan accordingly.
More Tips for the Best Oven Baked Bacon
- Starting with a cold oven yielded better results by far.
- This bacon cooks perfectly and is fantastic served hot out of the oven. You might be like me and cannot resist immediately snacking on a few pieces!
- When the bacon is done, you can remove excess grease by pressing the bacon between paper towels. Or, transfer the bacon pieces to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Store any leftover bacon at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
- Don’t throw out that bacon fat! Save it in a jar and let the extra grease cool to use in frying or to add extra flavor to your favorite dishes!
- It’s divine all on its own or served up with all your breakfast favorites. My mouth is watering, thinking of a few strips of this bacon alongside a stack of Banana Peanut Butter Chip Pancakes or French Toast.
Bacon Recipes
This easy-baked bacon is delicious in all its simplicity. My kids and I would be happy to eat a whole plateful of it for breakfast all on its own, honestly.
After discovering how to bake bacon, I got so excited that I couldn’t help but create a few spins on it. My Sweet and Spicy Ranch Bacon, Pecan Sugared Bacon , and Cajun Sugared Bacon have a little extra sweetness and zest that I can’t get enough of.
Bacon is a crucial ingredient in many of my go-to recipes all year long, especially in autumn. A bowl of One Pot Bacon and Tortellini Zuppa Toscana warms body and soul on a chilly fall evening.
A batch of baked bacon is also mouthwatering when crumbled on top of a cup of Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. Add a handful of shredded cheese, and you have a lunch I could eat just about every day from now until spring.
When it comes to desserts, Bacon Caramel Apple Crisp is a game changer. Savory, salty bacon tastes amazingly good paired with the buttery sweet caramel.
Still can’t get enough ideas for using bacon?
These Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts have your name on them, my friend. Don’t tell me you’re not a fan of Brussels Sprouts until AFTER you’ve tried them cooked with delicious maple and smoky bacon. Incredible.
We also really enjoy Bacon Sage Wrapped Chicken and the ever-popular Buttermilk, Bacon, and Cheese Muffins.
Bacon.
Just the way you want it. No splatters. Easy cleanup. And a happier you.
No more wondering about baking bacon or even if bacon can be baked at all.
You’re welcome.
Baking Bacon – How To Bake Bacon in the Oven
Equipment
- heavy duty tin foil
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 lb. bacon
Instructions
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with a sheet of heavy-duty tinfoil and then place a piece of parchment on top of that.
- Place the bacon on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, making sure to not overlap them.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven and turn oven to 400 degrees F.
- Bake for 12 – 17 minutes, being sure to check at the 10-minute mark to see how it’s doing. I checked every 3 minutes after that until it was golden and then removed it from the oven. The bacon can go from being perfectly done to burnt in a very short time, so it’s important to keep your eye on it after that 10-minute mark to make sure it’d done to your desired doneness.
- Remove bacon from the oven and place on a plate lined with paper towels before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in October 2014. It has been update in format and with photos 8/17/18 and on 3/31/23.
Comments & Reviews
I discovered this “trick” a few years ago and I will never go back to cooking bacon in a skillet.
What I do is I use a baking sheet with a lip, line it with tin foil. Then place cooling racks used for cakes/cookies inside, grease drips down and super yummy crispy bacon is the result.
That’s what I do, too! Works like a charm. I’ll never cook bacon on the stove top again!
I agree, Cathy! It has saved me so many times from getting splattered with that hot baking grease!
That is the way I have been cooking bacon for years. It keeps the bacon away from the grease.
Best way to cook bacon EVER! It changed my life =o) Seriously tho, this truly is the easiest way to cook bacon.
http://makingmemorieswithyourkids.com
I use my wire rack for cooling cookies and put in it my large pan and then set the bacon on the wire rack and you don’t have to worry about the bacon sitting in the grease. Enjoy!!
Great tip, Kay. Thanks!
If you put a cooling rack in the pan and put the bacon on that it works just as well, but you don’t have to drain as much fat off the bacon. Love my bacon cooked this way!
well I’m a guy you know how lazy we are I go to Dollar Tree buy two racks for a dollar by 2 aluminum trays the racks fit in the trays perfectly you can wash the rack after if you’re interested or throw them away saves a lot of cleanup on both sides
You actually don’t have to line your pan with tinfoil either. I use a Pampered Chef large bar pan and no paper or foil and it works nicely. No sticking. I doubt it would stick to a normal pan as there’s a lot of grease in the pan. Take it out after 15 to 20 min and turn it over, then let it cook until it’s as done as you like. It doesn’t splatter your oven either.
The foil isn’t for sticking, its to help with quick & easy grease cleanup 🙂
i found this trick a few yrs ago but I put it on a rack, in the pan.
So easy, I’ll never go back to stove top!
It is awesome! Thanks, Kim!
I normally cook several pounds of bacon at one time. Using a paper plate I place a paper towel on the plate then a layer of cooked bacon. Another paper towel then a layer of bacon. Repeat. Once cooled the plate with bacon goes into a Zip Lock gallon freezer bag and into the freezer. This way I can use a few slices at a time. I can’t tell it has been frozen.
That’s a great idea, John! I freeze my bacon after I cook a lot of it. It definitely makes it easier to use it when called for in a recipe. Thanks for the comment!
I use the broiler pan. Spay it down with Pam for easy cleanup. All that grease drains to bottom pan. Who wants the bacon sitting in all that grease!? Yummy results.
Good idea, Neen. It’s also easy to put a rack in the rimmed baking sheet as many people have suggested and cook it that way. Everyone has a preferred way of doing it which is great!
I like using a piece of parchment paper in the pan. It never sticks to it. I have tried no paper and even with all the grease it stuck.
Hi
I did bacon one time in my oven and it splattered the grease all over and then the next time I used my oven it got all smokey does that always happen when you do your bacon ?
Barbie,
I have not had a problem with the bacon splattering in my oven, so I much prefer to prepare the bacon this way.
Barbie
I think Your having issues because your preheating your oven? At 400 degrees bacon starts to spatter and burn at about 6 or 7 minutes because heat is to high for thin bacon , where when starting oven cold with gradual heating for short period the bacon is always perfect around 9 to 11 minutes (in my oven). Check it often.
You don’t preheat the oven?
This is dangerous as the food will be in the temperature “danger zone” until the oven is properly warmed. Definitely follow food safety guidelines and preheat the oven!
Denice, neither I nor anyone who has made this recipe has encountered any issues that I’m aware of. I cannot speak for other peoples’ ovens, but mine does not take an hour to warm up to the desired recipe temperature. I do not believe it’s as serious an issue as you make it out to be. If someone has a concern with it, then they can choose to cook their bacon a different way or preheat the oven beforehand.
Since aluminum has recently been linked definitively to Alzheimer’s (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21157018), I go for parchment paper lining the pan instead. Cleanup is easy, too – once the bacon has been removed and the grease has cooled somewhat, I put the pan into the frig for a minute so the grease will harden. Then I roll up the grease-filled paper and throw it away. Usually the pan is still clean underneath!
I use the parchment now in addition to the aluminum foil as well, Patricia. Thanks for letting me know that as I hadn’t heard!
It definitely makes cleaning up easier as well!
Great idea. Easy clean up is great and parchment is biodegradable, and takes up little space in the landfill. Foil pans will never break down in the landfill, and for our grandkids’ sake please just wash them up and reuse them.
You don’t have to preheat the oven first??
No, Cathy. I thought that was odd as well, but I think it works better actually. The bacon slowly cooks as the oven heats up. I won’t make my bacon any other way now! Hope you like it!
Though that is dangerous according to food safety guidelines. The bacon will be in the “danger zone.” It’s clearly stated when taking the “Food Handler” course.
Denice, neither I nor anyone who has made this recipe has encountered any issues that I’m aware of. I cannot speak for other peoples’ ovens, but mine does not take an hour to warm up to the desired recipe temperature. I do not believe it’s as serious an issue as you make it out to be. If someone has a concern with it, then they can choose to cook their bacon a different way or preheat the oven beforehand.
Yeah no preheating is BS. It’ll smoke up the entire house without preheating.
I have never had an issue with my house smoking when I’ve followed the directions for this recipe.
Sounds like this clueless angry WBE pinhead person needs to clean her oven once a year
I just finished making this, without preheating, and there was no smoke. I wish I could post a photo, because though it took about 22 minutes in my oven, the Bacon turned out picture perfect and delicious. I will never cook bacon strips another way again.
Ive been doing this a long time. Wife was reluctant to try it. For 12 years mind you! I sent her to the store one day and had bacon cooked when she was home! After we ate and btw let her assume it was skillet cooked! She loved it. Then dropped the hammer!!! The look was priceless! We now bake it everytime! Keep up the posts and ideas please. Love them!
Ahhh, Vincent, your comment so made me smile! I love how you surprised your wife and then told her after she was eating it! SO awesome! The only time I ever use the skillet is when I only have to cook up a few pieces and don’t have any already cooked and in the freezer. And inevitable while I’m doing it, I get burned and kick myself for not baking up a whole batch and freezing it beforehand.
This way is seriously life-changing…(and life saving, too! haha)
Thanks so much for your comment and kind words! I’ll definitely continue to keep you informed! Hugs!
This bacon came out perfect. And the parchment soaks up the grease. I’ve been looking for a reliable way way for a long time. Thanks for sharing.
I’m fond of my griddle in general, but this method works. I only used foil and pry 11 pieces some broken in half on a 19″ alumnium deep dish pizza pan. Took about 21 minutes for the thick cut bacon.
Tried baking my bacon this way this morning. Turned out ok. Next time will definitely preheat the oven. Took way too long to cook when starting from cold oven. I had my eggs and toast ready as didnt think the bacon would take almost 1/2 hour to cook. I finally took it out as it looked done but was not crispy as we prefer. Will try again with the cooling rack idea and preheating the oven.
Does this work for old-time artesan bacon? In old-time I mean fatty and soooooo delicious. It splatters even more than grocery store bacon.
Jennifer, I have not tried it with thicker bacon or any other bacon besides the “regular” (if you will) packages you can purchase at the grocery store. I don’t see why it wouldn’t. I would give the pieces ample space on the pan (possibly using two rimmed baking sheets if need be and watch the cooking time. If the slices are thicker they will need longer to cook.
I’ve been a chef for 40 plus years and have always cooked bacon in the oven, except at home. Then I use a large black iron skillet. The flavor is so much more complete not
To mention the uses for the bacon fat it yields. Also, If you’re getting splattered it’s because there is water in the bacon. I suggest buying your bacon from a reputable butcher. But if you really can’t tell the difference by all means keep buying Oscar Meyer but know they inject water with preservatives into it.
Total waste of time. Bacon was terrible and had to throw it away.
Timer starts as soon as you put
In oven as it’s warming up? For the 10 min?
Yes, I start the timer as soon as I put the bacon into the oven and turn it on. My oven usually takes 12-17 minutes to get the bacon to where we like it. After about the 10 minute mark, check on it every two minutes or so because it can go from perfect to burnt very quickly. You also may have to rotate the pan depending on your oven. Hope you like it!
Awesome work. You have shared an outstanding recipe. Thanks for such good work.
What is up with all the ads?
Too many. Will not be back.
Merlot, I understand your frustration. However I am able to provide my followers with free recipes and support my family thanks to those ads.
I’m sure you’ll find them on plenty of other sites you visit as well.
I have tried oven bacon, and loved it, just didn’t know HOW to do it. Thank you! Now I will make it in the oven.
Keep sending the recipes, and the different cooking methods. If I don’t like it, I’ll keep it to myself.
Dianne, you are amazing! Thank you SO much! I look forward to sharing lots more with you. And, I am always open to constructive criticism. 🙂
I noticed a couple of posts saying that they baked the bacon in quantity and froze it. I need to make bacon for a crowd and take to a breakfast potluck. I want to bake it and then rewarm it and keep it warm before heading to the potluck without over cooking it?
Look yummy! One of my favorite Baking Bacon, nice to see your recipe, easy to follow, will cook this for family this weekend. Thanks you!
That’s the only way I’ve cooked bacon for many years now. So fast and easy! I’m glad you shared this technique on your blog. It certainly saves time! I’m new to your blog and can’t wait to discover lots of great techniques and tips that I have not yet learned.
Thanks for sharing this easy way of cooking bacon!
Thank you for this. Parchment paper was a clever addition, had not thought of that!
Sidebar: I don’t understand why the article was so long and wordy? Felt like 10 minutes of someone just trying to fill a page with unnecessary words to get more ads on the webpage or have viewers log more time scrolling down the site. Nothing substantial was even stated.
Is the the grease saveable with this method?
Hi Nana,
there is a bit of grease left in the parchment and tinfoil when it cooks, but I don’t think it’s enough to pour into a container.
I bake my bacon and save the grease. I don’t bother using foil. I just use parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. After the grease is cooled down, I line a funnel with a coffee filter and place it over a jar. Slowly pour the bacon grease into the filter. By filtering out all those small bits, you have clarified bacon grease. I save it in a canning jar and keep it next to the stove. It can be refrigerated but with all particles strained out, it isn’t necessary.
I cook My bacon in the oven every time. The only thing I don’t like is the mess it makes in my oven. At least I can close the oven door which you cannot do on the stovetop.
Well, who knew! Apparently I didn’t! Tried baking bacon this morning and darn it was perfect. I’ll never pan fry bacon again! Thanks for the recipe.
Been doing this for years , one cookie pan for 1 lb of Bacon
OMG! I tried this today and ended up with PERFECT bacon. I have tried the oven method in the past with less than perfect results but starting with a cold oven made the difference. Thank you!
So genius! Low and slow renders the bacon so nicely, as I like a chewier slice. Now my official go to bacon recipe!
Mark, I am so happy to hear you loved it and appreciate the feedback and rating! It’s definitely my go to way to make it as well.
Did not work well at all.