Learn to cook perfectly crispy bacon in the oven that everybody will love. Nothing is better than great bacon, and now you can have it with no splattering mess to clean up with these easy step by step instructions.
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Introduction and My Rating
How many times have you stood at the stove cooking bacon? You splatter everything, including those annoying "burns" on your hands. It wrinkles and rolls up. You have a hard time getting the ends to uncurl and cook. And if you're cooking for company, you are missing all the action.
Well, I here to tell you, it is not necessary, just put it on a tray and bake it in the oven. You can preheat or not preheat. It will be done in about 20 minutes.
I initially thought the taste would be different if oven baked. Nope, it tastes the same. Your days for frying bacon are now gone.
My Rating
A very high five. How could great bacon be anything else?
🐖Bacon
Bacon is salt-cured meat that is from pigs. That “curing” is done by soaking in salt, nitrates, and occasionally with some sugar and smoke.
Various cuts of pork are used for bacon around the world, but in the USA, it is mostly the belly or side belly.
Generally, the bacon will have about 50% fat and needs to be cooked at a higher temperature to render the fat.
I usually use thick-sliced Hormel Black Label bacon from Sam's Club. I highly recommend this as one of the top bacon commonly available. But this will work with the bacon of your choice. Just get the bacon you love.
Thinner bacon will cook faster and does tend to stick more, so parchment paper may be preferred to foil. Bacon with more sugar will also tend to stick more.
♨️The Oven
400° convection or 425° conventional oven is a good starting point, but you may use anywhere from 350° to 450° if doing other cooking. The general rule, of course, is convection runs 25° "hotter" than conventional. So 400° convection is considered equivalent to 425° conventional. Of course, adjust your time a little.
If cooking other things in the same oven at the same time, I use the temperature recommended for the other dish I'm cooking: a coffee cake, an oven-baked pancake, etc.
⏰How Long
Generally, about 20 minutes for thick bacon in a preheated 400° convection or 425° conventional oven. Your variables are the oven, the bacon, and finally, the crispiness you want.
Thinner bacon will take about 16 to 18 minutes in the same oven. Very thick bacon will take a few minutes more.
If you don't preheat the oven, it will take a few minutes longer.
Your done point is that it "looks done." Don't expect it to look different from pan-fried. I like my bacon very crispy, so I use 20-22 minutes depending on the oven and the bacon.
👨🍳Variations
To use a rack or not.
Many feel it will make the bacon crisper. I don't seem to have a problem getting crispy, so I don't use a rack. They are a pain to clean vs. folding up the foil.
Foil vs. parchment paper.
Parchment paper will be less likely to stick—another problem I don't have. I like the foil since it will contain the fat and make cleanup a breeze. One suggestion is a sheet of parchment paper on the foil.
As I have already said, thinner bacon tends to stick more to me, and parchment paper is probably preferred for thinner bacon. But "non-stick" foil is another option.
Some methods "wrinkled" the aluminum foil to get more waves in the bacon. I tried both methods, and I will stay "flat" since it still had some waves in it.
For comparison of several of these methods, please check The Pioneer Woman.
❄️Storage
Raw uncooked bacon vacuum packed will have a best if used by date. It is usually good a few days past that, but if I’m approaching it, I like to freeze the bacon.
Sealed raw bacon is usually really quality frozen about one month but usually safe for 3-4 months but can vary some by type. See the USDA Recommendations if in doubt.
Once cooked, bacon is good refrigerated for 4-5 days and frozen for one month if sealed well.
To reheat leftover bacon, cover with a paper towel and microwave for 8-10 seconds per slice.
📖Breakfast Recipes
How To Cook Sausage in the Oven
Smaller French Toast Casserole
🖼️Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional. Or start with a cold oven and add a few minutes. You can use a lower or higher temperature if needed.
Line an 18-inch × 13-inch rimmed sheet pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil (heavy-duty preferred) and turn up edges. Place bacon on sheet close together but not touching. 8-10 pieces, about 1/2 pound, will usually fit. If you are doing thinner bacon or have issues with sticking, then parchment paper may be a better choice for you.
Place in the middle of the oven for 18 minutes and come back to check. Time will vary with the thickness of the bacon and your taste.
It is done when it looks done. I like my bacon very crispy, so I use 20-22 minutes with thick bacon. Drain on paper towels. Thinner bacon will usually be 16-18 minutes but be alert.
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📖 Recipe
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Ingredients
- 8-10 slices bacon
- aluminum foil - to cover tray
- parchment paper - if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425°. Or start with a cold oven and add a few minutes. You can use a bit lower or higher oven temperature if you want, it will take a few minutes more or less.
- Line an 18-inch × 13-inch rimmed sheet pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil (heavy-duty preferred). Place bacon on sheet close together but not touching. Up to 9-10 pieces, about 1/2 pound, usually fit. If you have issues with sticking or using thinner bacon, then parchment paper may be a better choice.
- Place in the middle of the oven. Do something else for 18 minutes and come back. Time will vary with the thickness of the bacon, oven temperature, and your taste. It is done when it looks done. I like my bacon very crispy, so I use 20-22 minutes with thick bacon.
- Drain on paper towels and pat "dry" with another paper towel.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- A half-pound of bacon 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 time some.
- Thinner bacon cooks faster. Very thick bacon will take a few minutes longer.
- Thinner bacon and bacon with more sugar and 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 done to your taste.
- I generally do two sheet pans at a time in a convection oven. I rotate them 180-degrees 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.
Nutrition
Editor's Note: Originally published October 8, 2011 and updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Linda Jones
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
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
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
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
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
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
Cindi
This didn’t work for me at all - 425 degree oven, foil below & parchment above because I DID want to keep oven clean. It took much longer than 20 minutes for “crispy” & then only 2 strips of about 10 were actually crisp (both on 1 end of the pan). The rest was floppy & saturated w/ grease. Very disappointing & a waste of bacon.
DrDan
Hi Cindi,
Sorry you had issues with this. I have done this perhaps 50 times with no issue and it is fairly standard.
I'm thinking the parchment paper above the bacon probably was a contributing factor to the issue. The bacon do not need to be covered.
Dan
monti markell
Cindy, maybe covering it did it.I cook it likethis exclusively and it works great!
Sharon
Number 5
MsMarm
So, for what one of my friends calls "crack bacon," also called candied bacon or maple bacon, how would you use this cooking method?
DrDan
No, I would modify it some. See my Spicy Candied Bacon post at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/spicy-candied-bacon/. I use a rack due to the sugar and some other changes. If you don't have a rack, use parchment paper and not foil.
Dan
halfadime7
When the bacon is finished, I prop the pan up and put all the bacon at one end (long ways) and let the fat drain down. Then I put the grease into several small plastic containers and freeze (think... little hockey pucks) and save in a freezer bag for other use while cooking various other recipes. Bacon is good in almost anything and great in New England Clam Chowder.
Rick V TUCKER
I was wondering do I need to turn the bacon over in the middle of the cooking time or anything?
DrDan
Nope, no flip needed.
Dan
Dr. Horshenschwartz
Suggestion for the battle of parchment vs aluminum foil: Line pan with foil for the ability to contain the grease and easy cleanup but put a piece of parchment on top of foil for the anti-stick properties.
DrDan
God bless the compromiser. It does seem to be a great debate that many take very seriously. I admit to being a foil person due to laziness. I did two trays of bacon this morning with no sticking. But if it is an issue for the readers, I love your idea. So everybody, go with the other good doctor's suggestion. Foil line with parchment paper on top of the foil. The best of both worlds.
Thanks Doc
Dan
Loretta
I need to cook 5 lbs for an Easter morning brunch. Can I cook the day before and reheat?
DrDan
To some extent yes but... My experience is that it is just not quit the same. So you have the tradeoff between convince and time vs taste and texture.
Google reheat bacon and you will find several recommendations.
DrDan