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’m right there with you! Only thing I do differently is line the pan with foil first, then put on the parchment. Makes for an easier clean up (pan stays clean) and doesn’t affect the outcome. Anything to make our busy lives easier!!
Thanks for the tip Julie!! I usually leave my parchment hanging way over the sides so nothing touches the pan but if you just have the pre-cut sheets of parchment then yes, you’d definitely still need to clean up!
I made this, this morning and it was great!
There are several methods for this. But I prefer to put the bacon in the cold oven first, then start heating to 400 degrees. The best combination is bacon with eggs in my opinion.
I stated that wrong before – -some say preheat the oven and one says put in a cold oven, turn oven to 400 – – what to do?
Hi Carol, Everyone has a different method. Since writing this, I’ve been making it by placing the bacon in a cold oven, then turning it to 400. It usually takes 15 to 20 minutes (depending on how thick the bacon is).
Why do some directions say pre-heat oven and some say preheat before placing in the oven?? Will my gas stove really work or cause a fire??
Hi guys! I love bacon cooked in the oven as much as everyone else. I’d now love to read comments on cleaning bacon splattered ovens!! My relatively new Samsung oven is lovely and yes, it has a self-clean feature — but neither that, nor the baking soda/vinegar tips are much help. Any tips? Bacon will not be sacrificed! Lol
11 minutes (flipping halfway through) in a gas oven on 350F, 20 minutes will burn them to a crisp.
Also, running the bacon under cold water prior to cooking will reduce shrinkage 30%-50%.
I cooked at 400 in an electric oven and they were black after 20 minutes. Other recipes suggest starting at 400 but without preheating. This one is either for a malfunctioning oven or is simply wrong.
Has anyone tried this method with turkey bacon? If so, are the temperature and time still the same? Can’t wait to try this way.
Just made oven bacon for the first time today. Don’t know why I waited so long! Thanks!
The greatest thing to do is to soak bacon in maple syrup for a short amount of time then cook in the oven, flipping occasionally, until caramelized!!!!!! TO DIE FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<3
In the Navy we Oven-Fried Bacon 500 lb. at a time… mess hall smelled so good at 5 AM in the morning!!!
I recently attended a brunch/shower where they served oven baked bacon with brown sugar/maple syrup glaze. Not sure how they did it but they must have wrapped the bacon around dowel rods since it was served as pretty spirals of bacon. Great presentation.
place bacon on rack cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper underneath on cookie sheet cook bacon till nice& crisp. it gets nice& crispy& it don’t lay in its own fat causeing bacon to get super crisp& well done. thanks billy
I always coat my bacon in flour first and then bake…yummy goodness :)
Omg! I’ll never go back to frying bacon again. This was so easy and no mess! Thanks!
I have been using my large George Forman grill for years. It takes two batches to cook a pound of bacon…but the best part is all the grease runs off the bacon and into the little grease catcher. Faster and easier than an oven for sure.
I generally steer away from all the recipes that utilize and discard foil, paper towel, parchment, etc. It just seems so wasteful (mostly ecologically, but economically too). Does anyone know if the bacon will cook the same if I just lay it flat in a baking pan? I’m willing to put the pan aside to soak with detergent.
I just tried this and it turned out great! Will be making bacon this way from now on! Thank you!
easiest and faster way…. the microwave!!!!!!!
it takes 3 minutes and gets crispy….
I have also seen a lot of posts lately about starting with a cold oven. Has anyone tried this?
Hi Jan, I actually tried this after seeing so many suggest it, and I do think it’s even better! I am planning to update this post with that note.
I always cook bacon in the microwave, but the hubby doesn’t like it that way and insists on cooking it on the stovetop. The oven sounds worlds better and easier!
I love to put freshly ground black pepper on mine really kicks it up a notch. Be careful when using the brown sugar or maple syrup as it will burn easily. Learned this from experience, but do love having it on hand, buy it in large quantities (at restaurant food supply stores) and do several pans up just so its there when needed. This is how restaurants pre-fry their bacon so it doesn’t take as long, they also use a bacon press to keep theirs flat but it also makes it kind of dry at times.
The ultimate cure for vegetarianism!
A great way to jazz up your oven-fried bacon is by sprinkling a mix of 1part chipotle powder and 3-4 parts brown sugar on top before baking. It creates a super yummy candied effect that has just a hint of smoky heat! Love it this way…it’s like candy!
This worked awesome!!! Thanks for teaching us this :D
I have to try this! Great that you can line the pan and freeze the leftovers. I don’t mind bacon cooked in the microwave either.
I cooked center cut bacon in this, and it was only 12 minutes and done.
That bacon looks absolutely yummy!! I love my bacon crispy, does it go crispy in the oven?
Hi Sammie, I like crispy bacon, too. Yes, it will get crispy, just make sure you bake it long enough.
Now sprinkle it with Brown Sugar and Cayenne then bake!
Anyone know if you can do this with turkey bacon?