Oven baked bacon is the easiest way to cook bacon with no mess and no splatter while you do something else—perfect crispy bacon every time from your convection oven on an aluminum foil covered tray.
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đź‘ŤWhy you should bake your bacon
- No standing at the stovetop flipping bacon, trying to get it flat, and getting splatter burns on your hands,
- You get perfect crispy flat bacon every time.
- The cleanup is easy by baking on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet. And no splatter like the stovetop cooking.
- No need to bake on a rack and no rack to clean.
- By using a convection oven at 400°, you will get extra crispy oven-baked bacon from the circulation of the air.
- This method works for thick and thin bacon; the timing is different.
- A great way to batch-cook bacon.
- You can even bake bacon without preheating.
👨‍🍳How to cook bacon in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. No rack is needed; if you have sticking problems, add a piece of parchment paper to the foil.
- Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer, not touching or overlapping on the tray.
- Bake until the bacon reaches the desired color—about 20 minutes for medium-thick bacon.
- Drain on paper towels.
⏰How long to bake bacon
18-20 minutes for medium-thick bacon in a 400° convection oven. It will vary by the thickness and type of the bacon, exact oven temperature, and your desired level of browning—cook to the crispiness you want and never by time, so always check it a few times early.
Thinner bacon will cook faster, while thick-cut bacon will take a few extra minutes to achieve perfect results. Some brands of bacon are cured differently, and time may vary.
🌡️What oven temperature to use
400° convection cooks both thicker and thinner bacon well. But I have used as low as 350° up to 450° in conjunction with baking other dishes simultaneously.
Convection is recommended for crispier bacon that will cook more evenly. So use it if you have it but cooking without convection or at different temperatures will only have minor effects on your results.
The bacon can go into a cold oven, but it adds time.
âť“FAQs
No, it is not needed.
While you can cook turkey bacon in the oven like pork bacon, it is thinner and much leaner. So, it will tend to stick without parchment paper. Cooking time will be 8 to 12 minutes—pay close attention.
The bacon fat can be strained and refrigerated in a glass container with a lid for 3-6 months. Great for frying an egg or using it to add more flavor to sauteed or roasted vegetables and other places where you want to add a hint of bacon.
The fat can turn bad quickly if unstrained as the food particles decay.
❄️Storage of Leftovers
Refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in a microwave wrapped in a paper towel. Cooked bacon can also be frozen for up to a month.
đź“‹Breakfast Recipes
How To Cook Sausage in the Oven
Smaller French Toast Casserole
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
Line an 18-inch × 13-inch rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place bacon close together but not touching. 8-10 pieces, about ½ pound, will usually fit.
Bake to a crispy brown—about 20 minutes. Time will vary with the thickness of the bacon and your taste. Thinner bacon will cook faster, and thick-cut bacon may take a few minutes more, so check a few times early.
Drain on paper towels and pat off any fat.
Recipe
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven—Quick and Easy
Ingredients
- 8-10 slices bacon
- aluminum foil - to cover tray
- parchment paper - if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
- Line an 18-inch × 13-inch rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil. Place bacon close together but not touching. 8-10 pieces, about ½ pound, will usually fit.
- Bake to a crispy brown—about 20 minutes. Time will vary with the thickness of the bacon and your taste. Thinner bacon will cook faster, and thick-cut bacon may take a few minutes more, so check a few times early.
- Drain on paper towels and pat off any fat.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- A half-pound of bacon or a bit more will usually fit an 18-inch × 13-inch sheet pan.
- You do not have to preheat the oven. It just takes a bit longer.
- I have done this with oven temperatures from 350° to 425°. With or without convention. Just adjust the time some.
- Thinner bacon cooks faster. Very thick bacon will take a few minutes longer.
- Thinner bacon and bacon with more sugar will tend to stick. Use a layer of parchment paper if you are unsure or have a problem.
- No flipping or rack is needed, although some people will use them.
- It is done when it looks cooked to your taste.
- I generally do two sheet pans at a time in a convection oven. I rotate them front to back and switch the top to bottom at 10 minutes.
- Cooked bacon is good refrigerated for 4-5 days and frozen for one month.
- Reheat bacon in a microwave covered with a paper towel for about 8-10 seconds per piece. If frozen, thaw first.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally published October 8, 2011, and updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Karen
This is the only way I make bacon now! Thank you for sharing this recipe it’s so good!
Nana Donna 2 6
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
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
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!