What’s an egg breakfast without bacon, right? But babysitting a skilletful of sizzling bacon while also cooking fluffy scrambled eggs or a perfectly formed omelet is too much for me first thing in the morning. Cooking bacon in the oven is a revelation—you can cook a whole package of bacon at once with zero babysitting! No grease splatters and no need to flip, either.
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Since I learned how to cook bacon in the oven, I’ve never gone back. I mean, why would you? There’s less mess and you can pop it in the oven and go about cooking the rest of your breakfast or brunch while it cooks. In just a few simple steps, the bacon turns out perfectly crispy bacon every time. Check out these expert tips and creative seasoning ideas to elevate your morning routine.
Easy bacon for a crowd
Everyone loves bacon and it’s the perfect sidekick to eggs any style. But the attention required to cook it perfectly on the stovetop? The aftermath of stovetop frying? What if you could skip all that and get great bacon without using the stovetop?
Enter easy oven bacon. It’s so simple. No standing over a pan of hot grease, no flipping, and all the splatters are contained inside the oven. Perfect for large batches with minimal mess, it’s a game-changer for breakfast or hosting a crowd.
Baking sheets and optional liners
All you need to make bacon in the oven is a rimmed baking sheet. I like to line the sheet with foil as it makes cleanup even easier, but it’s not necessary. You can put the bacon directly on a rimmed baking sheet. Either way, make sure you baking sheet is rimmed.
How to cook oven bacon
This method is so simple and is the basis for bacon twists, bacon weaves and plain bacon strips. It works for all types of bacon, including thick-sliced, thin-sliced and center-cut. You can also use turkey bacon or vegan bacon strips. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time according to the packaging.
- Arrange the bacon: This should be done on a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Cook the bacon: Place the baking sheet in a cold oven, turn the oven to 400 F for crispy bacon and cook until done to your preference.
- Drain: While the bacon is in the oven, line a plate, cooling rack or large cutting board with a few layers of paper towels. Once the bacon is cooked to your liking, transfer it to the paper towels to drain and cool. Then serve and enjoy.
How long to cook for the best crispy bacon
Getting the crispiest bacon requires a hot oven, as the higher temperature helps engage the Maillard reaction more quickly. It’s easier to get the crispiest bacon with thin slices, but you can also do this with thick-sliced bacon. The times are estimates, and your oven may vary depending on how quickly it heats up.
- Thin-sliced crispy bacon: Start in a cold oven and cook at 400 F for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Thick-sliced crispy bacon: Start in a cold oven and cook at 400 F for 25 to 30 minutes.
Oven-baked bacon tips
For the best, perfectly cooked baked bacon, there are a few things to keep in mind. Following these tips will help you get great results the first time and every time.
- Do not preheat the oven: An important part of this recipe is that you should be putting the pan into a cold oven. A hot oven causes the bacon to shrink up, while a cold oven allows those bacon strips to stay longer and flatter. Pay attention to how quickly your oven heats and adjust the cooking time as needed.
- Bake in a single layer: The slices of bacon should all be in a single layer. They can be touching but not overlapping, or they will not cook evenly. Use multiple pans and rotate them halfway through if needed.
- Drain before serving: Bacon is not a sponge, so it won’t reabsorb the fat that renders out during the cooking process. However, pork fat, aka bacon grease, is solid when cooled, so if you let the bacon cool while sitting in the fat, it will stick to the bacon in white globs. To prevent this, transfer the hot bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and blot away any excess grease before serving.
Cleaning up leftover bacon grease
When making bacon, you are going to have leftover bacon grease. To quickly and easily handle the mess, clean it up while it’s still a warm liquid.
If your intention is to discard the bacon grease, carefully drain the grease from the pan into a coffee mug or ramekin and allow it to cool. Once solid, wipe the bacon grease out of the mug and into the trash using a silicone spatula or paper towel. You can then wash the pan with minimal effort.
If you wish to save the bacon grease, use it to add extra flavor when sauteeing onions and garlic or frying homemade omelets or swap it in for the cooking fat in any recipe that would benefit from the flavor of bacon. Strain the liquid bacon grease through a metal sieve to remove any bacon solids and store it in a resealable container. Glass canning jars work well. Store it in the back of your fridge and use it as needed.
Enjoying oven bacon
The art of oven bacon is an easy way to transform your breakfast routine while saying goodbye to stovetop mess and hello to consistently perfect, hassle-free bacon strips. With a little bit of knowledge, the right equipment and creative seasoning options, bacon in the oven will quickly become your go-to bacon cooking method.
