How to Bake Bacon in the Oven: Crispy and No Mess
Bacon is my favorite meat, but until I learned how to bake bacon in the oven, I wouldn’t cook it! I hated how the grease would splatter all over the kitchen, but the worst part was that the grease would get all in my hair.
Now I can have my favorite meat without all of that mess, and it is so easy. Baking bacon in the oven lets every strip cook perfectly crisp, and you can even cook large quantities with ease. It is a simple method and the easiest way of cooking bacon.
Below are the simple steps to baking perfect bacon without the mess.
What You Will Need
- 1 pound of thick cut bacon
- A large rimmed baking sheet (approximately 18 x 13 inches)
- One sheet of Parchment paper for easy cleanup (You can also use aluminum foil.)
- Oven mitts or an Ove’ Glove
- Paper towels (for draining excess grease)
- Tongs
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Allow it to preheat fully, as this helps to achieve a crispy texture.
- If you are using a thin cut of bacon, preheat the oven to 350.
Prepare the Baking Sheet
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. If you use a good quality parchment paper, your baking sheet will not have a drop of grease on it in the end. (Thank you Laura for this tip!)
- You can also use aluminum foil.
- In both cases, be sure that the paper or foil is large enough to completely cover the baking sheet.
Arrange the Bacon
- Lay the strips of bacon flat on the baking sheet in a single layer. Be sure the pieces do not overlap. This allows the bacon slices to cook evenly and get crispy.
- If all of the bacon slices do not fit onto the baking sheet, you can overlap them a little bit. As they cook down and shrink, separate them with tongs.
Bake the Bacon
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 40 minutes, depending on your desired level of crispiness.
- Thick cut bacon may take a bit longer, so keep an eye on it.
Flip the Bacon (Optional)
- For extra even crisping, you may choose to flip the bacon halfway through the baking process (about 15-20 minutes), although this step is not necessary.
- I have tried both ways and cannot tell a difference.
Check to See if it is Done
- Watch the bacon closely during the last few minutes. You want it to be a deep golden-brown color.
- It will continue to crisp slightly after you remove it from the oven. If you want extra crispy bacon, let it bake a little longer.
Drain the Grease
- Once the bacon is done, remove the baking sheet from the oven using oven mitts.
- Use tongs to remove the bacon strips and place them on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain the excess grease.
Enjoy
- Allow the bacon to cool slightly before serving. However this is very hard to do! I usually have to eat one strip of bacon right away.
Other Tips
- Using a thicker bacon results in better texture and more flavor, as thinner varieties may burn quickly in the oven. Remember to turn the oven down to 350 for thinner bacon.
- Cut the pieces of bacon in half before placing them on the baking sheet. Somehow they seem to fit better.
- Cooking time can vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the bacon. It’s best to check on the bacon before the suggested time is up.
- You can also use an air fryer to bake strips of bacon.
- Consider sprinkling some brown sugar, black pepper, or your favorite spice blend on the bacon before baking for a sweet and savory twist.
- For more of a crunch, let the bacon cool on a wire rack. This allows air to circulate around the strips.
- Rather than throwing out the bacon grease, save it for cooking. Let it cool then add it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. It adds extra flavor to all sorts of dishes.
- Store any leftover bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to place them in paper towels and store them in a gallon sized baggie. Whenever you are ready for a few strips of bacon, take them out and put them in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Crumble leftover bacon and use for bacon bits. These are great on baked potatoes!
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This cooking method is my favorite way to make bacon! Besides the ease and SO much less mess (almost none), you can make a large amount of bacon – cooked perfectly! It is absolutely delicious crisp bacon every single time!
Too all of my fellow bacon lovers – If you are used to frying bacon in a frying pan and contending with all of that mess, I hope you will give baking bacon a try. It may end up being your favorite method as well.
P.S. My son was a chef, and he always baked bacon in the oven. He said it was the most efficient way.
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Until next week…
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“Every living creature will be food for you; as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything.” Genesis 9:3
I can’t wait to tell my Mom about this technique Susan! Only the boys in our family eat bacon so she doesn’t make it very often but when she does it is a MESS. It takes forever to clean up, degrease and wipe everything down. She will be so excited she doesn’t have to do that anymore! Thanks so much for these tips! Hugs, CoCo
I absolutely hate frying anything! In fact, I won’t cook it if I have to fry it. It is so messy!!!