Perfect Oven Baked Bacon
Making oven baked bacon could not be simpler! This easy recipe results in perfect bacon every single time. You’ll never use the stove or microwave again!
Growing up, my mom never cooked bacon on the stove; it was always made in the microwave. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never found anything wrong with that – it seems to cook up perfectly crispy each and every time. However, if you need to make a large batch, it takes forever.
I can squeeze a few more slices into my large cast iron skillet, so I started cooking bacon that way. However, it’s insanely messy, also takes a long time standing over the splattering stove, and never seems to cook up evenly – I seem to always burn part of the bacon while part of it remains a little rawer than I’d like.
After experimenting with making oven-baked bacon over five years ago, I was 100% sold on making bacon in the oven. It’s the only way I’ve ever made it since. It bakes up evenly and is just flat-out perfect every single time.
How to Make Oven Baked Bacon
When I first started making bacon in the oven five years ago or so, I experimented with tons of different methods – baking the bacon on foil, on parchment, on a wire rack, in a preheated oven, in a cold oven, etc. Seriously, I made A LOT of bacon!
Below is the method I’ve found makes the absolute best oven baked bacon:
- Bake the bacon on parchment paper on a half sheet pan. I tried foil and it stuck a little and didn’t clean up as well as parchment. I tried a wire baking sheet, but I found the ends would burn a bit and cleaning the wire rack was a major pain.)
- Put the bacon in a COLD OVEN. This sounds crazy, right?! Especially for bakers who are taught to never put anything in an oven until it is preheated. However, I swear this makes the most amazing bacon! It is always evenly cooked and whether you like it softer or crispier, it seems to always be done absolutely perfectly. Baking in a preheated oven was hit or miss for me in terms of doneness and even cooking.
- Bake the bacon at 400 degrees F. I tried baking at temperatures ranging from 325 to 425 degrees F and settled on 400 degrees as being the sweet spot of perfectly slow-cooked oven bacon.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes. How long you cook the bacon in the oven really depends on her personal preference when it comes to doneness. We like crispy bacon in our house, so I tend to err on the higher end of cooking time, but if you like it done, but still a little soft and chewy, then you’ll want to use the lower end of the time range.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- This recipe is made using “regular cut” bacon. If you use thin-sliced bacon, you will need to decrease the baking time slightly, and if you use thick-sliced bacon, you will need to increase the baking time slightly.
- My favorite brand/type of bacon is Applegate Sunday Bacon. It’s uncured and since we found it and started buying it regularly, it’s totally taken our bacon to the next level. If you have another go-to brand or type, I’d love to hear about it!
- After removing the bacon from the parchment paper, you can pour the bacon grease into a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Use it to make nuts and bolts snack mix, fry eggs, make grilled cheese sandwiches, or use it to pop popcorn!
- Once the bacon has cooled, you can place it in an even layer on a clean, parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Place the frozen bacon in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, simply microwave for 15 seconds.
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If you’re a life-long maker of bacon in the microwave or in the skillet, then I beg of you to try the oven! It’s totally hands-off, super easy cleanup, and it makes perfect bacon every. single. time.
Plus, you can make a massive batch at once and keep a stash in the refrigerator or freezer for a bacon emergency *wink*
QUESTION: What’s your favorite way to eat bacon?
Put the Bacon in These Recipes:
- Bourbon-Brown Sugar Bacon
- Bacon Jam
- Jalapeño Poppers
- Cheesy Bacon-Wrapped Dates
- Brown Sugar Bacon Buttermilk Waffles
Serve It For Breakfast With This:
- Buttermilk Waffles Recipe
- Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- French Toast
Five years ago: Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
Six years ago: Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Oven Baked Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 to 12 slices bacon
Instructions
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Lay bacon slices in a single layer without overlapping on the parchment paper.
- Place in a cold oven, then turn oven on to 400 degrees F. Bake until desired degree of doneness, usually around 25 minutes for done and soft, closer to 30 minutes for done and crispy. Using kitchen tongs, remove bacon from pan and place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Leftover bacon can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The bacon can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
- This recipe is made using “regular cut” bacon. If you use thin-sliced bacon, you will need to decrease the baking time slightly, and if you use thick-sliced bacon, you will need to increase the baking time slightly.
- My favorite brand/type of bacon is Applegate Sunday Bacon. It’s uncured and since we found it and started buying it regularly, it’s totally taken our bacon to the next level. If you have another go-to brand or type, I’d love to hear about it!
- After removing the bacon from the parchment paper, you can pour the bacon grease into a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month. Use it to make nuts and bolts snack mix, fry eggs, make grilled cheese sandwiches, or use it to pop popcorn!
- Once the bacon has cooled, you can place it in an even layer on a clean, parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Place the frozen bacon in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, simply microwave for 15 seconds.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in October 2013. Refreshed in October 2018 with an updated recipe method, new photos, and recipe tips.
I recently became an oven-only bacon maker. I line my pan with parchment paper instead of foil though. This makes me want some right now! It will have to wait until Saturday :D
I love bacon baked! My mom would tell me to dip the raw bacon in a little flour(shake off excess) she thought it would help keep the bacon from curling & give it extra flavor-especially if you added pepper or other seasonings.
I forgot to add that I also use my Pampered Chef stone, cleanup is a breeze!
I’ve never tried the oven method- Does it splatter or make a mess in the oven?
Hi Kelly, No, I’ve never had an issue with splattering or smoking; the mess stays in the pan!
We cook bacon in the oven a lot. Such a great way to cook it! Try sprinkling it with brown sugar and cinnamon before putting it in the oven. Yummy!!!
Oh my god this looks heavenly!
I also cook mine in the oven, right on a cookie sheet with parchment. I never bother to preheat just like Maria. Seems like more fat renders out this way, leaving some really yummy bacon.
We love oven cooked bacon in our house too. I don’t preheat my oven either. Just put my oven on 400 and add the bacon to a cold oven-cook for 10 mins., flip it over and about 10 more minutes and it’s done. Of course, sometimes I let it go a bit longer because I like it really crispy. Easy clean up with the foil and great tasting bacon.
Oven bacon is great, this technique also works for link sausages
I started cooking bacon in the oven about 2 years ago and it’s the only way I cook it now. I don’t bother heating up the oven though.
Place the tray in a cold oven, and turn the oven to 400 F. Set your timer for 18 minutes and check when the timer goes off. Depending on the length of time it takes the oven to heat up, your bacon will be finished to perfection between 18 and 22 minutes.
I too love crispy, baked bacon, but I cook it a on a broiler pan so that fat drips away and it gets crispier. So that it’s easier to clean, I spray the top part of the pan (top and bottom) and the bottom pan with cooking spray; it’s a cinch. And my favorite way to eat crispy bacon is in a BLT.
I’ve been doing it this way for a while, and I’m glad to see you’ve converted to it as well! LOL
Another trick you can do is just throw a frozen pack of bacon on a pan and stick it in the oven. After about 10 minutes it will be slightly defrosted, take it out and use tongs to separately lay flat each piece and place back in the oven to continue cooking. Now theres no need to worry about defrosting first and I always have a pack or two of bacon in the freezer in case the urge strikes to cook some :)
I’ve been doing bacon this way for years and find that 18-20 minutes is perfect. When it gets towards the end of the time check it to make sure it’s not getting too dark. I also strain the grease into a jar for future use.
Try brown sugar and hot sause for a sweet heat, its addicting!!
Do you know if it makes a difference covering it loosley with foil? I like the idea of using the oven b/c foil clean-up is so much easier than a greasy pan! But I don’t want bacon grease spattered on the inside of my oven, either…so just curious!
Hi Karly, I didn’t have any issues with grease splatters, but I suppose you could try covering with foil!
I have oven-fried my bacon for many years. What a wonderful smell for your guests to wake up to when a large batch is needed, while you’re whipping up the eggs! After removing the foil and grease, I line the pan back up with bread for toasting and pop the pan back in the oven right before the eggs are finished. Brush with butter and breakfast is served! For small amounts of bacon, I line a microwave plate with paper towels, topped with the bacon and paper towels again. Bacon grease is all soaked up, so discard paper towels on top and carefully transfer bacon onto serving plates (it WILL be hot!), then into the trash goes the rest of the paper towels. No more dreaded cleanups!
I use a wire rack too. I line the baking sheet with tin foil and save a bit of mess. then pop both in the dishwasher.
I also cook bacon in the oven. I use parchment paper but, having a gas oven, find that the parchment paper tends to brown. Next time I’ll use aluminum foil. Oh, and I stick the pan in the oven while it is warming up. I had read a suggestion to do this because it cuts back on the grease splattering in the oven. Guess what, it worked! Go BACON!
Candied bacon. Cook up the bacon as you described, however not as long as I will be putting some brown sugar on it. Once most of the bacon fat is cooked off, pull out the bacon, put it on a silpat then throw an even amount of brown sugar until it melts and gets hard. Then put it in your favorite Vanilla ice cream recipe. Game Over.
I haven’t tried cooking bacon in the oven myself, partly because it seems a waste of energy (and money) to heat up the whole oven to cook just a few strips of bacon. However, I can see the benefits if you are cooking a lot of it. I’d be interested to hear if anyone has tried cooking the bacon on a sheet of pleated foil as described here: http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/super-quick-video-tips/2013/08/raise-bacon-to-new-levels-of-greatness-video/
Bacon. SIGH. Just one single food takes my breath away. Your bacon looks delicious!
I tried this the other day and it made a smokey mess in my oven… Is there a particular bacon I should be using? Thicker maybe?
Hi Christina, I just used regular sliced Sugardale bacon and didn’t experience any smoking. I’m not sure?
Could be the temp, make sure not to go over 350. Also might be just the splatter in which case you could try the parchment paper on top of the bacon as well like another poster suggested. For myself, since I don’t like the residual smell of cooked bacon….. I often cook mine on the grill in a jellyroll pan rather than the oven. Same principle as the oven, only you need to watch it closely after it starts turning brown. And I do usually flip them once when I cook them on the grill.
Parchment paper does the trick for me. Cut a large sheet that hangs over all the sides of the pan and once the bacon has baked to crispy goodness I roll it up and throw it away, the pan not even needing cleaning. That last part is the best!
I’ve also tried both methods in the past and agree that the wire rack method is involves more cleanup. But I just put my wire rack in the dishwasher, and problem solved.
I do a variation of this method with broiling instead of baking. It takes less time (probably 10 minutes vs. 20 or 30), again, depending on the doneness you like. Cleaning the broiler pan is messy. I may try foil next time and cut the broiler slits. I like the broiling because the bacon doesn’t sit in its own grease when cooking.
If you try broiling, just make sure to leave your rack in the middle, don’t move it to the top. This makes it cook much more evenly (just recently learned that from the test kitchen – great tip, and it works for all broiling).
I’ve really taken to buying the already cooked bacon – it’s worth it to have around for sandwiches or to crumble in salads, and it’s so convenient. It also keeps for a long time.
I too have been cooking bacon in the oven for years. I line my pan with parchment, but have recently found parchment in 15″ wide rolls … it totally covers my 12″ wide pans without letting grease seep underneath … even easier cleanup :)
I just started doing this, too!! So much easier and way less mess to clean up! Nothing worse than bacon grease splattering everywhere :)
This is my favorite way to make bacon, in fact I did it this way just a few days ago! I learned about it when I worked at an ice cream and sandwich shop during the summer! They would cook the bacon in huge batches in the oven! It always smelled heavenly!
Oh I usually just eat my bacon as is (meaning no added yummy brown sugar or syrup) but I love adding it to dishes like sandwiches and soups. This past Sunday I had Kale and Chickpea soup and added crumpled up bacon as a topping.
I love baking it because as you say it’s less messy and you don’t have to worry about getting splattered with hot oil and its certainly less work then bacon on the stove. With bacon on the stove to keep if from burning you have to turn it over every few minutes and you do that regularly until the bacon is cooked like how you like it. Definitely not a process I enjoy.
:) I admit I did it in the microwave for years too. Fast, easy & easier clean up. But as I’ve started to use more bacon in my baking, it’s the best way to do it evenly. I just used my last batch bacon to make a bacon bourbon apple pie and it was perfectly crisp.
ps – is there any better smell in the morning than bacon? It’s a sure whay to get your husband, kids, dogs up and moving :)
I’ve also been baking bacon this way and would never return to the range top. You have so much more control over the final product – especially if you do other chores during the oven time. You can drain the fat as it bakes just as if you were pouring it from a frying pan. Frankly, I’ve found an improvement in the flavor. Although it takes longer, in many ways it is a time and energy saver.