The first time I discovered that restaurant-quality, perfectly crisp, and flat bacon could be made at home without any mess, it completely changed my breakfast game. Like many, I was used to the stovetop method—dodging grease splatters while trying to flip curling strips of bacon in a crowded pan. Then I learned the secret that professional kitchens have known for years: baking bacon in the oven is not only easier, but it produces superior results. This simple technique delivers consistent, evenly cooked bacon that’s ideal for everything from breakfast platters to BLT sandwiches, all while keeping your stovetop (and your clothes) clean and grease-free.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The magic of oven-baked bacon lies in the even heat distribution that surrounds each strip. Unlike stovetop cooking where parts of the bacon may cook faster than others, oven baking ensures uniform cooking from edge to edge. The elevation on a wire rack (if used) allows hot air to circulate around the bacon while the fat drips away, resulting in perfectly crisp strips without any soggy spots. The controlled temperature environment prevents burning, and the hands-off cooking method means you can prepare the rest of your meal while the bacon cooks to perfection. It’s truly a foolproof method that delivers restaurant-quality results every time.
Ingredients
- Bacon – The star of the show; works with any variety (thick-cut, maple, peppered, etc.)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan completely with aluminum foil, making sure to cover the edges. This is crucial for easy cleanup.
- If using a wire rack, place it on top of the foil-lined baking sheet. This optional step allows the fat to drip away, resulting in crispier bacon.
- Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the foil or wire rack, making sure they don’t overlap. Leave about ¼ inch of space between each slice to ensure even cooking.
- For flat bacon, you can place a second baking sheet on top of the bacon to prevent curling (optional).
- Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of your preheated oven.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes for regular-cut bacon. For thick-cut bacon, you may need 20-25 minutes. The exact time will depend on your preferred crispness and the thickness of your bacon.
- Check the bacon at the 12-minute mark to monitor its progress. Bacon can go from perfectly crisp to burnt quickly.
- Once the bacon reaches your desired level of crispness, remove the baking sheet from the oven.
- Using tongs, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease.
- Let cool slightly before serving or using in recipes.
- If not using immediately, store cooled bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Perfect Baked Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil, you can leave the foil a little crinkled so the grease doing pool under the bacon.
- Do not use a flat cookie sheet, use a bar pan. A flat cookie sheet will get you a mess in your oven, as the grease forms it will drip down the pan.
- Lay out bacon one strip at a time on the cookie sheet. The bacon should not touch. You can leave about a quarter inch between of space between each slice of bacon.
- Place cookie sheet with bacon into the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. When the bacon is browned and crispy, you will drain it on paper towels. Now wasn’t that easy?
Video
Notes
What to do with all of this bacon goodness
- You can precook bacon for a whole week on the weekend, and simply reheat just before serving.
- Store cooked bacon in an airtight plastic bag, and use as you like
- Be sure to save the bacon grease for cooking in other recipes.
Nutrition
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Allow bacon to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Place paper towels between layers to absorb any excess grease.
Freezing: Cooked bacon freezes beautifully. Place cooled strips between layers of parchment paper in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Microwave refrigerated bacon between paper towels for 10-15 seconds per slice. For crisper results, place in a 350°F oven for 2-3 minutes. From frozen, add an additional 30 seconds in the microwave or 2 minutes in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Perfect baked bacon enhances countless dishes:
- Classic breakfast with eggs and toast
- BLT sandwiches with extra crispiness
- Crumbled over salads for added flavor and texture
- Mixed into pasta dishes like carbonara
- Wrapped around dates or scallops for elegant appetizers
- Chopped and added to baked potatoes
- As a topping for burgers or grilled cheese sandwiches
Uses for Baked Bacon
- Meal Prep: Cook a full batch on Sunday for quick breakfast additions all week
- Party Planning: Easily make large quantities for brunch gatherings
- Recipe Ready: Have perfectly flat, crisp bacon ready for sandwiches and wraps
- Uniform Pieces: Get consistently sized pieces for topping deviled eggs or hors d’oeuvres
- Bacon Bits: Chop cooled bacon for homemade bacon bits to top salads and soups
Bacon Cooking Tips
- Select the Right Pan: Always use a rimmed baking sheet to prevent grease from spilling into your oven
- Line Properly: Ensure foil extends up all sides of the pan to contain all the grease
- Thickness Matters: Adjust cooking time based on bacon thickness (thin slices: 12-15 minutes, regular: 15-17 minutes, thick-cut: 20-25 minutes)
- Save the Grease: Strain cooled bacon fat through a fine-mesh sieve into a jar and refrigerate for future cooking (up to 1 month)
- Consistent Results: For professional-looking bacon, avoid overcrowding the pan
Before putting in the oven, I like to pepper my bacon! Adds zip and way cheaper than buying peppered bacon which is usually thick cut. Perfect for BLT’s and club sandwiches. Also burning a candle helps with the bacon smell in the house.
I also frequently make bacon in the oven, with the cooling rack. I don’t always use foil in the pan, but let the grease cool in the pan and then wipe it out with a plastic bag to wrap it up and throw it out. If I don’t do it in the oven, I use my microwave with lots of paper towels to sop up the grease as it cooks.
Great suggestion Julie!
Taking a page from Epic Meal Time today are we? http://www.epicmealtime.com/ baking bacon appears in just about every episode!
You know I just recently began to watch Epic Meal Time. I think many people love the bacon.
ummm, the temp of the oven to bake the bacon would be nice.
thanks
350.
I use a large disposable foil broiler pan, works great!
I like this!
I used to bake mine at 400 until I read an article that if you bake at 375 it renders the fat in the bacon better and you get a crispier bacon. I tried it and it worked much better than the higher temp.. . I like my bacon extra crispy : ) just sayin’ 🙂
I used to bake mine at 400 until I read an article that if you bake at 375 it renders the fat in the bacon better and you get a crispier bacon. I tried it and it worked much better than the higher temp.. . I like my bacon extra crispy : ) just sayin’ 🙂
I used to bake mine at 400 until I read an article that if you bake at 375 it renders the fat in the bacon better and you get a crispier bacon. I tried it and it worked much better than the higher temp.. . I like my bacon extra crispy : ) just sayin’ 🙂
I have done this for years, only difference is I put the bacon in the oven and then turn it on to 400, found that I do not have it spatter as much when starting it in a cold oven, same goes for doing this on a gas grill.
I have done this for years, only difference is I put the bacon in the oven and then turn it on to 400, found that I do not have it spatter as much when starting it in a cold oven, same goes for doing this on a gas grill.
The only way for me!
just made bacon in the oven for the 1st time. loved it. so easy – almost fool proof. the directions I had started with a cold oven and bake 17 – 22 minutes, depending on how thick the bacon is. came out perfect. wonder what the difference is between starting in a cold oven and pre-heating the oven.
Insane Cooking Skills. Check out the quick hands this guy demonstrates while preparing some egg fried rice.
http://bit.ly/rNThHA
Insane Cooking Skills. Check out the quick hands this guy demonstrates while preparing some egg fried rice.
http://bit.ly/rNThHA
Does it splash all over the oven?
could you use a broiler pan? I use them for jalapeno poppers because I love using the jalapeno bacon grease drippings with other recipes! Like pork chops fried in spicy bacon drippings? YUM! (not the healthiest, but still… amazing flavor!)
I hate frying bacon. Hate the smell left in my kitchen and the mess! and I always manage to burn some on my ceramic cooktop stove, b/c the heat is so hard to slow down.
I am aware this is two years old, but in case others wonder, yup! I do it all the time in order to save the bacon fat drippings for later use (I mix a bit with canola oil to impart bacony flavor without the full fat bacon grease hit).
I LOVE baking bacon! I started doing this after I got tired of making things messy just to have unevenly cooked bacon. I use a porcelain-lined cast iron skillet or a pie tin and no foil at all, and they don’t stick whatsoever. So happy more people are learning to make bacon the easy way!
I love cooking too, and have food blog full of personal recipes which are mostly very healthy with a heavy emphasis on taste and satisfaction. Please come and check it out! If you’ve got a food blog, too, post what it is in my blog comments! 🙂
xoxo,
Corner Girl
I have been baking bacon in my oven for years. It is the way alot of big restaurants do it. I don’t use the broiler pan either. I hate to wash that thing and would not use it for bacon. It spatters more in the oven on a broiler pan than in a flat cookie sheet with edges. Line the cookie sheet with (Reynolds non stick foil works the best.) Use a hot oven 425 degrees.Put it in the oven and bake till crispy. Every pack of bacon is different. Some cooks nice and crunchy,some doesn’t. Depends on the grade of bacon. Put it on a few paper towels to drain and get the fat off the top side by dobbing with another paper towel. Allow your baking sheet to sit until the grease hardens. Roll it up and throw away. No mess to clean up. Keep the broiler pan for your steaks….
This sounds like a really good idea. Do you think it would work with sausage; patties and/or links?
It will..I worked in an institutional kitchen and sausage was always done in the oven. It does fine.
I love oven baked bacon; been doing this for years! When I moved from Tx to NJ, my hubby’s family had never heard of baking it…so they learned something useful…lol. Always did this at the retirement home (where I worked) too!