Oven baked bacon is, hands down, the easiest way to get perfectly crispy and delicious bacon with the least amount of mess. Once you learn how to bake bacon in the oven, you'll never cook it any other way... Makes big batches a cinch!
How To Bake Bacon
I can still vividly recall the first time I cooked bacon myself... I cranked up the burner and fried those slices into oblivion. My older cousin took one look at the shriveled-up, singed pieces of bacon that I pulled from the skillet and literally laughed out loud. Definitely NOT my finest cooking moment!
I can't say that I ever perfected frying bacon on the stovetop, but once I learned how to bake bacon in the oven, it became a moot point. Cooking bacon in the oven is, hands down, the easiest and BEST way to cook bacon. You get crispy and delicious slices of bacon with the least amount of mess. I'd saying this trick is running neck and neck with this baked grilled cheese for my favorite #momhack of all time!
I'm always amazed at how many of my friends and family don't realize that you can bake bacon in the oven... It dawned on me tonight, while I was baking a batch, that if they don't know, chances are a good portion of you may not be aware of how to bake bacon either.
And it would be such a shame not to share the knowledge, because baked bacon is such a pleasure. Baking bacon almost always yields perfectly cooked bacon! But even better, it creates much less of a mess, and there's less of that lingering scent of fried bacon. Oh, and did I mention you don't need to turn it repeatedly?
I understand if you're a little skeptical, but give it a try just once. I really think you'll be a baked bacon convert. Especially if you're cooking for a crowd — baking bacon in the oven makes big batches a cinch!
How To Make Bacon In The Oven
Are you ready for this? Simply lay the bacon slices out on a cooling rack that's placed on top of a rimmed aluminum baking sheet, making sure that the slices don't overlap.
Pop the whole thing into an oven that's been preheated to 400 degrees, and then bake it for approximately 15-20 minutes. Pat each slice dry with a paper towel to remove any extra grease, and serve. Easy-peasy!
How Long To Bake Bacon
Note that how long to bake bacon in the oven depends 1) on the thickness of your bacon and 2) how crispy you like it. I like a high-quality, thick-cut bacon myself, so I tend to bake it for the longer end of the spectrum. Until you get a feel for how long you need to bake your favorite brand, I suggest checking it at 15 minutes and then every additional minute until it's cooked to your taste.
Also, I really like this cooling-rack-on-baking-sheet method because it produces crispier bacon and most of the fat drains off while it's cooking. But if you like your bacon a little chewier, you can try baking it right on the sheet. In either case, lining the baking sheet with aluminum foil makes for even easier cleanup (and I'm ALL about easy cleanup)!
Oven baked bacon is a TOTAL game changer for me! No more standing at the stovetop for 30+ minutes watching and turning bacon, while trying to avoid those painful grease splatters. I just can't help but share the love!
Printable Recipe ↓
How To Bake Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet that's lined with aluminum foil. Lay the bacon slices out on the rack, making sure that they don't overlap. More than one tray can be baked at the same time if necessary.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. How long to bake bacon depends on the thickness of the bacon and desired crispiness. Check frequently toward the end of the cooking time.
- Pat each bacon slice dry with a paper towel to remove excess grease, and cool slightly before serving.
Recipe Notes
Save The Rendered Bacon Fat
One final tip: don't even THINK about throwing out the flavorful rendered bacon fat that collects on the baking sheet. This stuff is pure magic!
Let it cool slightly, then pour it off into a glass jar through a mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter. You can then store it in the refrigerator for up to a month or in the freezer for even longer.
Wondering how to use it? Well, I like to use it for sautéing and roasting vegetables, like in this roasted butternut squash recipe... EVERYONE always wants to know the secret to my amazingly flavorful veggies — I don't mind sharing! It's also fantastic stirred into cooked beans, for greasing the griddle when making pancakes (like the ones at Cracker Barrel!), and in savory cornbread. Trust me, you'll have NO PROBLEM using it up!
Wondering how to use leftover bacon? Try these recipes:
- Easy Overnight Breakfast Casserole with Bacon
- Mini Spinach Quiche
- Crunchy & Creamy Cold Pea and Peanut Salad
Did you make this recipe?
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Sweet Malou says
My bacon kind of stuck to the cooling rack. What did I do wrong? Cook it too long? Tia
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Tia! I'm not sure what kind of cooling racks you're using, but the non-stick variety work the best. Mine have become a little worn out over the years, so my bacon does stick occasionally, too. If you let it cool for a few minutes, you should be able to remove the slices without them breaking apart.
Krystal says
I love cooking bacon this way! The only problem I have found is cleaning the cooling rack afterward. It’s a pretty big pain!
Tara Kuczykowski says
Agree with you there! I just toss mine in the dishwasher, and it usually comes out pretty clean.
Tara says
@Tara Kuczykowski,
What if you don’t have a dishwasher? Any other recommendations to make it easier. I ask since my work is making us make bacon this way and cleaning the cooling racks after baking bacon on them in the oven is a pain to clean off. Takes about 30 mins with a scrub brush and even using degreaser on it.
Tara Kuczykowski says
If you haven't tried the Dawn Powerwash spray yet, I cannot recommend it enough! Just spray it all over the baking sheet and/or cooling rack and then let it work its magic for a few minutes. It really cuts through the grease and grime and makes it so much easier to scrub everything clean. Plus I love that you can buy refills for it, so I don't feel like I'm creating a lot of waste with the spray nozzles.
Kimberly says
I couldn't live without bacon - great tips!
Kellie says
The only way we make bacon here!
Sommer says
Perfectly crispy bacon every single time!
Nellie Tracy says
I love this idea! Seriously no mess!
Marjory says
This is the way to go when cooking bacon for a crowd for sure! Will be using this a lot come December! Thanks!
Andie Thueson says
I have been cooking bacon in the oven for a while, but I love the idea of placing it on a baking rack!!
Anna says
I will never go back to frying bacon in the pan! Love this!
Marquita says
How bad does it splatter in the oven.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Actually, because the bacon cooks more slowly, there's virtually no splattering! And the rimmed baking sheet will catch any excess grease that drips off while baking.