When you try our method of how to cook bacon in the oven, you’ll never cook it on the stovetop or in the microwave again! We tried this oven method years ago and have been making it the same way almost every week since. It’s the most foolproof way to cook bacon evenly and perfectly with no prep or cleanup.
The best part is, once you place it in the oven you don’t have to flip the bacon or watch for the oil to sputter all over your kitchen. Just line the pan with foil and bake away. Now we make bacon for family breakfasts on the weekend all the time to serve with our ground beef and potato hash or breakfast sliders. It’s truly a life changing recipe.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Cook a large batch of bacon for a crowd all at once. This makes is simple to prepare a large meal and also easy cleanup too!
- Makes perfectly cooked bacon every time. The stovetop can cook bacon very unevenly, but the oven cooks it at the same temperature and same rate for even crispiness.
- Minimal hands-on time. No need to watch the bacon over the stove, just place it into the oven and bake.
Tips for Busy Cooks
Line your baking sheet with foil for easy, quick cleanup. This helps the bacon cook evenly and also makes your life easier since you can simply discard the foil after baking and clean the sheet pan.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Thick-cut bacon – We love thick-cut over thin-cut bacon because there’s more substance and chew to each bite. You can, of course, use regular, thin-cut too, but it bakes much faster, so we usually bake them at a lower temperature as well. More details on cooking time below.
How to cook bacon in the oven
Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
Step 1: Arrange the bacon slices on the baking sheet. It’s ok to overlap a little to fit all of them on the tray.
Step 2: Bake for 20 minutes, but at the 10-minute mark start checking so it’s cooked to your desired crispiness.
Step 3: Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel to absorb excess grease. You may want to pat them with more paper towels on top as well.
Step 4: Pour the bacon grease into a jar while it’s still warm, then use it as cooking oil.
Expert Tips:
- For thin-cut bacon, preheat the oven to 400°F, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Every oven is different in temperature and will have a slightly different cooking time. The cooking time will vary depending on the oven and how crispy you like your bacon. So start checking after the 10-minute mark.
- Bacon cooks faster towards the end of the cooking process. Keep a close eye on the strips the first time you make them in your oven. Note down the perfect bake time for the next time you make oven-baked bacon.
- Save your bacon grease to use later. Clean a heat-safe glass jar before storing the grease. Carefully pour the grease into the jar, while it’s still warm. It’s not necessary to run the grease through a sieve or paper towel. We love to use it to make a sauce, sear meat, or roast veggies for even more flavor. It can store in the fridge for a few months.
Storage
Cooked bacon stores so well for meal prepping to enjoy later in the week. You can refrigerate it in an airtight container, for 3 to 5 days.
Freezing the bacon also works well in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. We often like to chop up the strips before freezing for ease too.
The best way to reheat is in the microwave or air fryer for a handful of seconds or a couple of minutes until warmed. Watch carefully as you reheat the strips since you don’t want it to burn!
Ways to use oven-baked bacon
Everyone loves bacon in lots of different recipes. Here are our absolute favorites:
FAQs
Save the grease in your fridge to use in all sorts of ways. Bacon grease makes a flavorful roux, is great for roasting or sautéing vegetables, and also delicious to sear meat in as well.
First, make sure to cook the bacon until it’s nice and crispy. And it’s totally normal for it to get soft after refrigeration. Simply reheat in an air fryer, or microwave, and it’ll crisp up again.
No you don’t need to flip it, since the oven bakes it evenly and renders the fat at the same rate the strips will cook well every time. You can flip it once if desired.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
Oven Baked Bacon (Big Batch)
Oven Baked Bacon (Big Batch)
Ingredients
- 1 package thick-cut bacon strips Note 1
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Line a baking sheet with a heavy-duty foil. (Note: You can crumble the foil, or leave it smooth. I tested both ways and there was no noticeable difference.)
- Arrange the bacon slices on the prepared baking sheet. (It’s ok to overlap a little to fit all the bacon.)
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until desired crispiness is reached. Start checking after 10-minute mark. (No need to flip them half way.)
- Using a pair of kitchen tongs, transfer the cooked bacon onto a baking sheet lined with paper towel to absorb excess fat.
- Carefully, pour the hot bacon grease into a glass jar. You can use bacon grease for just about anywhere oil is called for.
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
· Every oven is different. The cooking time will vary depending on the oven and how crispy you like your bacon. So, start checking on your bacon after the 10-minute mark.
· Bacon cooks faster toward the end of the cooking process, so keep a close eye on them first time you make this in your oven. And note down the perfect time for your oven for the next time you make oven-baked bacon. Storing Directions:
· Refrigerate cooked bacon, in an airtight container, for 3-5 days.
· You can also freeze cooked bacon. Place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, place a bacon strip on a plate lined with paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds.
· You can also chop them up into small pieces to use for garnishes before freezing.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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This recipe was originally published on March 22, 2022.
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