Learn the easiest way to cook bacon perfectly. Totally flexible—any bacon (thick or thin), any oven (convection or regular), any temperature—even start with a cold oven. Simple, splatter-free cleanup every time.
🤔 Quick Answer: How long and at what temperature to cook bacon in the oven
- Temperature: 400°F convection or 425°F regular suggested—other temps work too
- Time: About 20 minutes, depending on thickness
- Done: When it looks just right for your crispiness preference
Jump To (scroll for more)
Featured Comment by Rosalina:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is, hands down, the best way to cook bacon. Thanks for sharing a really helpful post on how to bake bacon the right way!"
🧡 Why You’ll Love This Method
- No flipping or babysitting — the oven does all the work
- No rack needed — easier cleanup and perfect results
- Consistent crispiness — every slice cooks evenly
- Flexible — works for any bacon thickness or oven setup
🥓 What You’ll Need
- Bacon – any style or thickness
- Rimmed sheet pan – catches the grease safely
- Heavy-duty foil – easy cleanup
- Optional: parchment paper – helps prevent sticking
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
1. Prep the Pan: Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil.
✅ Pro Tip: If your bacon is thin, sugar-cured, or tends to stick, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the foil.
2. Arrange the Bacon:
Lay bacon strips close together but not overlapping.
3. Bake: Bake at 400°F convection for about 20 minutes—other settings work, and time depends on thickness. Stop when the fat has rendered and the bacon reaches the color and crispiness you like.
✅ Pro Tip: You can also cook bacon from a cold oven. It just takes a few extra minutes to bake your bacon to your crispiness.
4. Drain on paper towels and blot off extra fat.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips and serving ideas.
Save this recipe!
Enter your email address and we'll send the link straight to your inbox!
⏰ How Long to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Cook medium-thick bacon for 18 to 22 minutes at 400°F convection (425°F regular) for most situations.
- Thickness: Thinner bacon cooks faster; thick-cut takes longer.
- Oven temperature flexibility: Anywhere from 350°F to 450°F works.
Lower temps cook more gently and render fat slowly; higher temps brown faster but need closer watching near the end. - Oven type matters: Convection circulates hot air for even, crisp results in less time. Regular ovens may take a few minutes longer—especially if the rack sits lower.
- Cold oven start: You can skip preheating. Place the pan in a cold oven, set the temperature, and add 2–3 extra minutes to the total cook time. Results are nearly identical.
- When is it done? The fat has mostly rendered and the bacon is the color and crispiness you like.
✅ Pro Tip: If you prefer extra-crispy bacon, leave it in for another minute or two—but check often near the end, since it can go from perfect to overdone quickly.
💡 Pro Tips for Perfect Bacon
- Convection cooks faster and crispier. If you have the option, use it for the most even browning.
- Use heavy-duty foil for easier cleanup.
- Add parchment on top of the foil if your bacon tends to stick—especially with thin or sugar-cured types.
- No rack needed. Bacon renders perfectly right on the pan, and cleanup is simpler.
- Watch near the end. Bacon goes from perfect to overdone quickly—check early the first time you try a new brand or thickness.
- Drain on paper towels to remove excess fat and keep the crisp texture.
❓ FAQs
Nope. The oven cooks both sides evenly—no flipping needed.
No. The bacon cooks fine right on the foil. Add parchment on top if your bacon tends to stick.
Yes, but it’s leaner and cooks faster—start checking around 5–11 minutes. It won’t get quite as crispy as pork bacon. It is very thin and tends to stick to foil, so always use parchment paper.
Absolutely. Place the pan in a cold oven, set the temperature, and add 2–3 minutes to the total cook time. The results are nearly identical.
Strain and store it in a glass container in the fridge for 3–6 months. It’s great for eggs, roasted veggies, or anything that needs a bacon boost. Unstrained grease spoils quickly because of food particles, so always strain before storing.
👨🍳 Serving Ideas & Breakfast Recipes
Oven-baked bacon goes with just about everything—from scrambled eggs and pancakes to breakfast sandwiches or BLTs. It’s also perfect for meal prep or freezing for quick breakfasts later.
Try it with:
- How to Cook Sausage in the Oven
- Baked Blueberry Pancakes
- Small Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Small French Toast Casserole
🎄 Holiday Tip: Oven bacon is perfect for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, or any big breakfast crowd—easy, no mess, or make ahead and reheat in the microwave in seconds.
❄️ Storage of Cooked Bacon Leftovers
- Store cooked bacon in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days, or freeze for up to one month.
- Reheat in the microwave for 5–7 seconds per slice, wrapped in a paper towel, until hot and slightly crisp.
- Cooked bacon can also be frozen for up to a month, per the USDA
📖The Recipe Card
Oven-Baked Bacon (Crispy, Easy, and No Mess)
Ingredients
- about ½ pound 8–10 slices of bacon - thick-cut preferred but others work
- aluminum foil - to cover tray
- parchment paper - if needed
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (convection bake) or 425°F (conventional). Line an 18-inch × 13-inch rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil.
- Place bacon close together but not touching—8 to 10 slices (about ½ pound) will usually fit.
- Bake until browned and crispy, about 18–22 minutes. Time will vary depending on thickness and your preferred doneness. Thinner bacon cooks faster; thick-cut may need a few extra minutes—check early.
- Drain on paper towels and pat off any excess fat.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
Notes / Pro Tips (streamlined with convection mention)
- A half-pound of bacon (8–10 slices) will usually fit a standard 18×13-inch sheet pan.
- Bake at 400°F convection or 425°F regular. Convection crisps a little faster, but either way works. Temps from 350°–450°F are fine—just adjust the time.
- Thin bacon cooks quickly; very thick bacon can take longer. Always stop at your perfect crispiness.
- Sugary bacon and turkey bacon tend to stick—use parchment if needed. Turkey bacon also cooks fast (about 8–12 minutes).
- No rack or flipping required.
- Cooking two pans at once? Use convection if available, rotate pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through for even cooking.
- Store cooked bacon in the fridge 4–5 days or freeze for about a month. Reheat in the microwave under a paper towel for 8–10 seconds per slice.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally published October 8, 2011, it was updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Larry Penner says
There is little benefit to convection over use. I bake in a conventional oven for 15 minutes at 400 and the bacon is perfect
Karen says
This is the only way I make bacon now! Thank you for sharing this recipe it’s so good!
Nana Donna 2 6 says
I saw an earlier post about this from you a year or so ago and it's the only way I cook my bacon now. I always despised doing this on the stove due to the grease splatter and the cleanup of the stove/area afterwards. I love being able to put it in the oven and then get the rest of the meal items ready (like toast, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo). I did discover tonight, however, that you really do need to make sure you cook the sheet-pan of bacon IN THE MIDDLE as it cooks more evenly and doesn't burn as easily. Cleanup is super easy in addition to saving the bacon grease. Thanks for posting this again!
Terry says
This also works well on a gas grill. Use the indirect heating method and a sheet of foil with sides folded up. I do turn my bacon over about half way. 400 degrees same amount of time as the oven. Thanks for a great site. Definitely my go to.
EveM says
I spray a rack both sides and line my pan with foil. Lay the bacon (regular) on the rack at 400 for 20 minutes. The bacon is crispy and cleanup..well there isn't any really. The foil is thrown away, the pan is still clean, and I briefly wash the rack, since it was sprayed and any bits will come right off. Will never go back to frying..If you need the grease for other reasons just pour from the foil...
In the oven allows you time to do other things while the bacon is baking.It's great!
Linda Jones says
I used the instructions to cooking this bacon and it was wonderful. Nice and crispy is what I like. This is the only way my husband will eat it now.
Rosalina Villarruel says
This is, hands down, the best way to cook bacon. Thanks for sharing a really helpful post on how to bake bacon the right way!
Web says
Do you need to preheat the oven? A lot of people swear by starting with a cold oven, and then setting the oven to 400 F at the same time you put the bacon in. With this method, the bacon fat renders slowly and can result in evenly cooked bacon excellence. However, some ovens heat up much faster than others, so when you don t preheat it s more difficult for us to tell you how long to cook bacon in the oven since we re not at your house using your oven and eating your bacon. Try both methods next weekend and let us know which you prefer!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Web,
Welcome to the blog.
I don't think it matters. I have done both and to me, the texture is the same.
The amount of time it takes to get to a specific temperature does vary A LOT. I have two ovens, both high-end things. One will preheat to 400 in 5 minutes if it uses rapid mode and 10 otherwise. The second take closer to 15 minutes but will brown bake cooks better.
I almost always use Black Label thick cut. I turn on oven #1 and spread the bacon on a tray. And is close to 400 when I put the trays in. But the cooking time still varies by 2-3 minutes. So even the "same" bacon cooks somewhat differently - it is a natural product.
I sometimes forget to flip the oven on and it will take 3-4 minutes longer is my sense of the timing for the faster oven. But the same even cooking and results overall, just a few minutes longer.
So either is fine. As with all meat cooking, you cook to the final endpoint you want and not by time.
Dan
KimarieSings says
I made 6 slices of extra thick bacon in my counter top convection oven. Aluminum foil @ 400 deg for 20 minutes and I will NEVER go back to a frying pan again. Every slice was evenly cooked and crisp. No huge mess as far as splatters. Thank you for posting your method. It works wonderfully.
DrDan says
Hi Kimarie,
Welcome to the blog.
It is so simple and glad it worked for you well in the countertop oven.
Thanks for the note.
Dan