How To Bake Bacon In The Oven: Easy Perfect Bacon
Save yourself time standing over a stove. This is how to easily bake bacon in the oven with no mess and just one pan!
I love bacon! I could eat it any time of day for every meal. The only thing that stinks about making bacon is the greasy mess it makes. You can skip all this mess and hassle and just bake it in the oven. When I discovered this trick I never went back to pan-frying again.
Bacon In The Oven
I used to think bacon had to be fried on the stove or griddle for it to be crispy. Turns out that was all wrong! You can actually get crispy, delicious bacon in the oven without all the grease and heat.
I have all of the steps in a printable card at the bottom of this post. I’ll also share some step-by-step pictures right away that you can see the entire process in action.
This bacon turns out perfect every single time. This is probably the safest way to make bacon – and it turns out restaurant-quality too!
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure.
Equipment You Need For Oven-Baked Bacon
- BAKING SHEET PAN WITH WIRE RACK
- XL BAKING SHEET PAN – (More sizes to choose from)
- COOLING WIRE RACK (make sure they fit in the size of your pan)
- FOIL
I seriously recommend you buy an oven-safe cooling rack if you don’t have one already. This will keep your bacon above the grease. The grease will drip off the bacon and onto your baking sheet, leaving you with crispy, non-greasy bacon.
I tried to use a baking sheet without the cooling rack. The bacon was sitting in the grease and I had to use a paper towel to “dry” off the grease from it. It still turns out just as crispy, it just adds a step.
Also, use parchment paper or foil. This makes cleanup so much faster and easier! You don’t want to have to clean a greasy baking tray after it’s all finished.
Your baking sheet needs to have a lip of some sort. Do not use a flat pizza tray. The lip of the baking sheet will prevent the bacon grease from getting all over your oven.
How To Cook Bacon In The Oven
Here are all the steps and photos along with some tips I learned along the way.
Don’t Let Bacon Overlap
As you place the bacon on the cooling rack, don’t let any slices overlap. If they are spread out enough they will crisp up so much better.
Don’t forget to spray the cooling rack with cooking spray or brush it with some oil. This prevents the bacon from sticking to the cooling rack.
Place The Bacon In The Oven As It Preheats
Do not wait for the oven to fully preheat. I know this sounds opposite to how you normally use the oven, but trust me, it turns out better this way. My oven was at 200F when I put the bacon in and it turned out perfect!
How long should bacon be cooked in the oven?
This depends on how thick your bacon is. Mine took about 20 minutes before it was nice and crispy. Check on your bacon after about 10 minutes and then every few minutes after that. Pull it out when it is as crispy as you like it. Some people like their bacon almost burned. If that’s you, bake it almost 25 minutes.
What To Do With The Bacon Grease
Lots of recipes call for bacon grease, so you can store it on your counter in a container if you want. Otherwise, discard the grease after it cools.
How To Do Two Baking Trays At Once
If you are going to put two baking trays in the oven at the same time, rotate them halfway through the cooking time. This will help them to bake evenly.
How to cook bacon in the oven without a rack
If you don’t have a cooling rack, I suggest getting one. It really does help. You can still make the bacon without it. The easiest way is to place the bacon directly on the foil-lined tray. It will still crisp up, it will just come out extra greasy. You really do need a baking sheet with a deep rim if you are going to do this option, that way the grease doesn’t spill in your oven.
Oven-Baked Bacon Instructions
Here’s the printable card! Don’t forget to pin this post so you can find it later.
Bacon In the Oven
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Foil
- Oven-Safe Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
Instructions
- Set your oven to 400F.
- Line a baking sheet that has a lip around the edge with tinfoil or parchment paper.
- Place an oven-safe cooling rack on the tinfoil and spray liberally with cooking spray (or brush with oil).
- Lay your bacon over top of your cooling rack, being careful not to overlap the slices.
- Place the bacon in the preheating oven. (My oven was at 200F when I put mine in.)
- Place the cooked bacon on a paper towel-lined plate to drain off excess bacon fat.
Nutrition
More Breakfast Recipes
This bacon will taste amazing with these breakfast ideas:
Susan B
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