Once you cook bacon in the oven, you’ll never go back to the frying pan! Learning how to bake bacon in the oven will change your life, especially when you have to cook bacon for a crowd. This no mess, simple method will take the hassle out of cooking bacon once and for all.
I love bacon, but.
I’m a huge breakfast person. I love to cook breakfast and love to eat breakfast. I’m a big fan of pancakes, waffles, eggs, biscuits and quiche. but when it comes to cooking bacon, those warm fuzzy feelings disappear! The hot grease spattering, time tending the fry pan and messy clean up, all add up to a task I avoid like the plague. Where’s my hide the face emoji??!! I’m also a little particular about how I like my bacon cooked. It has to be firm, as in, if you take a piece and hold it up there is no floppage. Spell check is telling me floppage is not a word, but for this post on how to bake bacon in the oven, it is. The bacon should be firm, but not burnt, and should hold its shape when picked up. Bacon rules, my friends.
The problem with crowds
Cooking bacon for 2 is simple. But once I have to fire up the stove for more than 4-6 pieces of bacon, I start entertaining thoughts of becoming a vegetarian. How many times have you had to cook bacon for a large group and cringed at the thought of the task at hand? Once you learn how to bake bacon in the oven, the hassle of cooking bacon for a crowd is a thing of the past! You’ll need a cookie sheet ( I used a half sheet pan), parchment paper or foil and a little bit of time. No layer of grease all over the stove top, and no more messy, oil-filled fry pans.
The Two step and choosing bacon
Baking bacon involves two steps. Lay the bacon on the cookie sheet, and bake. Oh, there’s also the disposal of the parchment or foil, but that hardly counts as a step. That’s it. It does’t really even seem recipe-worthy does it? After baking bacon several times, I wanted to be able to bake the bacon without the guesswork. So I wrote it down for my own benefit. I tried a few different temperatures (350,375,400) and types (thickness) of bacon. I prefer thick cut bacon. If I’m going to eat bacon, I want to sink my teeth into a perfectly cooked thick-cut slice! Regular-cut bacon is usually sliced about 1/6th of an inch. Thick cut is usually closer to 1/8th of an inch. It varies from brand to brand. If you’re looking to cut fat, try center cut bacon, which is traditionally cut closer to the bone and has a 20-30 percent less fat content. No matter the bacon thickness or cut, switching from the fry pan or griddle to baking bacon in the oven is going to free you up to make waffles, or our favorite, buttermilk pancakes!
How to Bake Bacon in the Oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon, or more, thick, or regular slice
- parchment paper
- baking sheet or jelly roll pan with 1/2 inch lip or edge
Instructions
- Turn oven to 375 degrees and set rack in center of oven.
- Place sheet of parchment on pan, lay bacon on parchment, close together but not overlapping.
- When oven reaches 375, place pan in oven.
- Do not cover.
- Bake until bacon is cooked to desired firmness, about 25 minutes at 375, or 15-20 minutes at 375 convection bake.
- Remove from oven, blot bacon with paper towel and serve on platter or directly onto plates. '
- After pan has cooled, fold parchment paper up and dispose.
Notes
-I watch the bacon carefully and turn the pan or pans as needed.
-If you are baking several pans of bacon and need to keep warm, but don't have spare oven space, heat up a slow cooker and line with paper towels and layer bacon in slow cooker until ready to use. I recommend not using the slow cooker lid.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Rachel
This is such a great way to make a LOT of bacon quickly and the clean up is just the best. I fold the edges of my parchment and there is hardly any grease on the pan when it’s time to clean up. I love this method!
Si Foster
Rachel, totally agree with you! It’s delicious and easy to clean up! Thank you for your positive review.
XO
Si
Erika hardy
Game changer – makes such crispy bacon and easier to toss the grease. It’s the only way I cook bacon anymore, same with Si’s hard boiled egg recipe. Saves so much time and the outcome is that much tastier!
Jennie Richards
Will never go back to cooking bacon any other way! Sooooo easy!
Kae Lynne Nielson
I had tried baking bacon many times in the oven. I tried Barefoot Contessa on a wire rack with maple syrup. I tried putting it directly on the cookie sheet and the bacon would stick. Finally, I tried this recipe which includes a lower heat, but most important is the parchment paper. Thank you! This is the only way I cook bacon any more!
Kate
I loved this recipe! So easy and life changing! I followed the directions exactly as written above. Perfect bacon every time!
Si Foster
Kate,
Cooking bacon isn’t a big deal anymore! Simple and delicious! Thanks for reading ABK.
xo,
Si
Katie
Life changing! Thank you for this post. I will no longer dread cooking bacon.
Si Foster
Katie,
Enjoy your bacon!
Thanks for reading ABK.
xo,
Si
Chef Smell
IMO cooking bacon in the oven is no different than in a fry pan on the stove top because it still spatters and instead of cleaning the stove top and near by counter top you now have to clean the inside of your oven before you can use it again. And for those of us that relish the bacon fat drippings for other recipes the only way to maximize that collection is on the stove top. So bottom line you gain nothing by using the oven, again IMO!
abountifulkitchen
Chef Smell,
Thank for your comment. Interesting, but when I bake bacon, there is no spattering in the oven. That’s the beauty of baking, very little clean up!
Have a great day!
Si
kris
I’m with you Si! I learned of this trick a couple of years ago and have never looked back at my bacon skillet since. Life changing! No grease splatter, easy for a crowd, and easiest clean up.
Thanks for another great kitchen tip!
Si Foster
Kris,
Thank you for your comment and thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si
Julia
Si—You are my bacon soul sister! Floppage!!😂
Have you ever sprinkled brown sugar on yours? Um, yeah. Kinda yummy.
When I first started oven baking bacon I did it this way but lately the way I do it is I lay foil or parchment down on my cookie sheet then I place a cookie cooling rack on top of the foil or parchment and then I lay the bacon on top of the cookie cooling rack. It does give you the rack to clean but the bacon fat drips off the bacon leaving less ‘bacon juice’ to blot.
I usually turn my bacon over at least once but I’m going to try your way!
Thanks for your great tips!! Breakfast is just a day away!!
Julia
Si Foster
Julia,
Thank you for your comments and bacon cooking tips! Why turn the bacon over if you don’t have to? Enjoy your freedom – enjoy your bacon!
Thanks for reading ABK!
xo,
Si
Trudy
Thank you so much for writing this down. I’ve heard of baking bacon, but with no particulars. Can’t wait to try it and I’ll keep this handy reference as well. You are great!!!
Si Foster
Trudy,
Thank you for your positive comments. I think you’ll find baking your bacon will make your breakfasts even more fantastic!
I’m glad you’ve found this post so helpful.
Thank you for reading ABK!
xo,
Si
DeAnna
Thank you so much. I wanted to start baking my bacon all the time and had bacon on my shopping list today…so thanks for the instructions…I have already copied them off for future use.
Si Foster
DeAnna,
You are so welcome! Once you try this simple and quick method of baking bacon, you’ll never go back to the old fashioned way.
Let me know how these tips work for you!
xo,
Si
Fawn Liebowitz
I cover with foil, to prevent spatters in the oven and spillage because I’m clumsy at times.
SO with you on the whole done-ness on bacon~
Si Foster
Fawn,
Thanks for your handy tip! Enjoy your bacon!
Thanks for reading ABK.
xo,
Si