Oven-Fried Bacon…the only way I will make bacon in the future. Perfectly cooked, crispy bacon, without all the mess and cleanup – so simple to make!
I don’t make bacon often because of the mess it makes all over me, my stove and walls. After visiting my sister in Alaska, I no longer dread making bacon. She, like many others, cooks her bacon in the oven and has been making it this way for over 20 years.
As of today, I no longer fear and dread the mess of making bacon. When we have our next Sunday brunch, I promise to have a plate full of perfect crispy bacon on the table.
***ALWAYS BE VERY CAREFUL WITH BACON GREASE – REMOVE SLOWLY AND USE LONG OVEN MITTS TO COVER HANDS AND ARMS WHEN PULLING OUT OF OVEN ***
Oven-Fried Bacon – How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven
- *Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place oven rack in center of oven. Lay slices of bacon side-by-side in a single layer in a pan with a lip- jelly roll pan, roasting pan, cookie sheet. If you are cooking a lot of bacon, it’s okay for the bacon slices to slightly over lap (see second above). For easier clean-up, you can line your pan with foil.
- Cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and then check your bacon. If cooking thin slices of bacon, check sooner, between 10 to 12 minutes. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of your bacon and how crispy you like it. If necessary and for even cooking, you may need to flip your bacon once using tongs- this depends on the thickness of the bacon.
- Once bacon is golden brown and has reached desired crispness, remove with tongs and place on platter lined with paper towel. Enjoy!
***ALWAYS BE VERY CAREFUL WITH BACON GREASE – REMOVE SLOWLY AND USE LONG OVEN MITTS TO COVER HANDS AND ARMS WHEN PULLING OUT OF OVEN ***
- *Some methods for cooking bacon in the oven say NOT to preheat the oven, others say to preheat the oven. My sister has tried both methods over the years and prefers to preheat.
- Be sure to keep an eye on your bacon while cooking. Once it starts to brown, it can go from crispy to burned fast.
- For a quicker clean-up, you can line your baking pan.
- If you are cooking thin slices of bacon, check your bacon sooner, between 10 to 12 minutes. You will most likely not need to flip the bacon.
**Many people have left comments on Facebook stating for even less mess, reduce your oven temp to 350 degrees F. I reduced the temperature as recommended while staying in cabin rental over the holidays – there was zero mess. Zero. The bacon took a little longer to cook, but turned out perfect. At home I cook bacon at 400 degrees. without any issues. Each oven cooks differently, If you notice a lot of splatter, try reducing your oven temp.
Sharing at Weekend Potluck.
Connie Campbell
Place a heavy duty cooling rack inside the cookie sheet so the bacon doesn’t sit in the grease as it’s cooking. Crisper, not as greasy.
Marilyn Tax
cooking bacon in oven doesn’t that cause grease splatter all over oven while cooking as it does when cooking on top stove???as it does splatter a bit when
cooking on top stove if not will
happily try in oven
King bacon
No it doesn’t. Its a lot cleaner and you can save the grease like when you pan fry. Except when baking you can flavor more with different spices or sauces.
T. Dyer
Always rinse the bacon in cold water before bajing, reduces shrinkage.
Jann
I use a baking rack over the foil to lift the bacon out of the grease,, no blotting needed!
Kent Gregoire
Did I miss something here, as with frying bacon in a pan on top of the stove, how do you prevent grease from splashing inside the oven when using this oven method?
Thanks!
Lauretta Clemons
Cover with parchment paper…works perfectly!
King bacon
Don’t need to. Been doing my bacon like this at home over 10 years since working in kitchens. I prefer it because you can add spices or sauces after it starts crisping. I love adding just cracked peppers or a ketchup or BBQ sauce wixed with brown sugar.
David Olsen
I’ve cooked my bacon in the oven for several years now. The only difference in my method is that I place a tight-grid cooling racking on top of the baking pan and lay my bacon on the rack. This way, the bacon doesn’t sit in the fat as it cooks. The bacon turns out perfectly every time. As soon as i take it out of the oven, I just dab the top of the bacon with a paper towel to get rid of any fat that pools there,
David
Barbara
I use my larger width heavy duty foil for this and gently crumbled it so I need to measure on the larger size. It allows a little grease run off with the bacon elevated in spots. Nothing really exaggerated I’ve also done it just running the flat sheet of foil on the cookie sheet. Some cooks on TV place a cooling rack on the foil and lay the bacons across that, I’ve also done that too but now you have a cleaning job!
Mary Neumann
You lost me with this comment.
Shelley
Bacon turned out perfect!!
Mary Beth Procaccini
This is similar to how I’ve been doing bacon for 20+ years. I learned while working in a restaurant. Chef would line sheet pans (with edge) with parchment paper and lay out the bacon on the parchment (he would do this up to 2 days ahead when he had time). Then the morning of buffet, he would put bacon in cold oven, turn temp to 400 – and when oven came up to temp, give it ~ 5 min. and take it out – now that I have a convection oven, I do all of the above but depending on the thickness of the bacon, usually 3-5 min. once it gets to 400. This is the ONLY way to do bacon for a big crowd or a small crowd because you don’t have to stand over it and no splatters all over the stove and kitchen.
ruth doucet
I always tear a piece of bread and put it around the bacon. It absorbs alot of the grease. Love cooking the bacon in the oven.
King bacon
You save the grease for cooking other stuff. Real good with stir fry stuff
Geri
And then wipe down the walls and top of the over which have been spattered with grease. No thanks. Just give me an apron and large fry pan.
Susan Sims
amen
Lillian Sweeney
Thanks for the oven fried bacon recipe.
I have a package of bacon that needs to be cooked now. Ian going to cook it for and make a 7 layer salad for supper tonight.
Sandra
This is how i cook bacon also. I have to cook at 375 or smoke will billow out! Cough!
Norma
Is the odor not as prominent like it is when made on top of stove?
Chuck
Another hint; ,use the bake button for your oven, do NOT use the convection oven,choice,as the fan will splatter the grease all over your oven. I found this out and learned what a mes the convection oven choice makes.
Linda
I also cook bacon like this, but set the bacon on a rack in the pan, therefore it doesn’t sit in it’s grease . I also set parchment paper over top, absolutely no mess then
ruth doucet
I brake up a slice of bread and place around the bacon. The bread absorbs the grease.
Anonymous
I bake a full package of bacon each time and put leftovers in the freezer. When I want use it, I pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds. This saves so much time during the week.
Sue Rowland
I do two pkgs at a time and then wrap a few pieces in paper towels and micro wave 1 minutes when needed. Makes it really crispy
.
Anonymous
Funny I learned the oven method from my daughter..funny because she is vegetarian but cooks it this way for her family..
Anonymous
Do NOT preheat the oven put the bacon in a COLD oven then turn it on to 400. Pork cooks better this way
Anonymous
Put the bacon on a cake rack on a cake pan or cookie sheet and it tastes better. A lot less greasy and tastes the same.
Michele R
I've been doing bacon this way for a number of years now. I just bake them on a rack, set in the baking sheet. Comes out great every time. Nice & straight too. Great way to add seasonings such as spices, syrups or sugars to your bacon also.
Colleen
I combine brown sugar and chili powder to rub on my bacon. It's delicious 🙂
David L.
I use parchment paper on the bottom of a cookie sheet. Oven at 425, takes around 15-20 minutes, turn the bacon once at the halfway mark. Once the bacon is cooked and removed from the cookie sheet, just put a couple of pieces of paper towel on top of the parchment paper to soak up any grease, then fold up the parchment paper and put it out with the organic waste. We've been cooking our bacon this way for years now and we'll never go back to pan frying.
Beverley Cooney
This makes sense. I’m going to try this.