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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Breakfast / How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

    How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

    Posted: May 21, 2021 Last Modified: Dec 30, 2022 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Cooking bacon in the oven is such a game changer. It’s hands-free, easy, splatter-free, and comes out perfectly crispy every single time! My go-to method, here’s how to cook bacon in the oven!

    If you’ve never made bacon in the oven, then you are missing out! Bacon comes out evenly cooked and so crispy on the sheet pan in the oven! I rarely cook bacon in a skillet anymore and pretty much use the oven method exclusively. You’ll be wondering why you haven’t done so earlier.

    Close up of oven baked bacon in a serving platter.

    Why You Should Make Bacon in the Oven

    • Clean up is so easy. I line my sheet pan with tin foil, and I have yet to have to scrub a sheet pan clean! Seriously, it is such a time saver.
    • There’s no splattering. One of the reasons cooking bacon in the oven is my favorite method is that I don’t have to protect myself from any rouge oil splatters or wipe down the stove’s surface after.
    • Beautiful straight, evenly cooked bacon. I find when I cook bacon in a pan on the stovetop, the bacon curls up, and some parts aren’t evenly cooked. Not with the oven method!
    • You can cook bacon in bulk in the oven. There are only so many pieces of bacon I can fit into one standard-sized skillet, whereas with my sheet pan, I can fit 10! Double it up on a second sheet pan if I need to, and I can feed a small crowd.

    What You’ll Need

    A pack of Kirkland bacon.
    • bacon — I recommend bacon that’s not too thin. If it’s super thin, you will have to adjust the baking time.
    • tin foil — to make cleaning up easier.
    • sheet pan — make sure it’s large enough to fit all your bacon!

    How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

    Ten strips of bacon on a lined sheet pan.
    • Heat oven to 400F.
    • Line a sheet pan with tin foil paper, then place the bacon strips side by side.
    • Bake the bacon for 18-20 minutes or until it’s reached your desired level of crispiness. Transfer the bacon with tongs to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb extra oil.
    Freshly baked bacon on a sheet pan.
    Bacon on paper towels.

    What Do I Do With the Bacon Grease?

    When cooking bacon on the stovetop, I always end up cooking my eggs or potatoes in it afterward so they’re packed with flavor. However, when cooking bacon in the oven on a sheet pan, I’m already cooking everything else at the same time! So what I do is I save the bacon grease from the sheet pan into a jar for next time!

    All I do is pour the sheet pan of grease through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar. Glass is best because the hot grease will melt everything else. You have to work fast as the grease might start hardening on the sheet pan as it cools.

    You can use the bacon grease for pretty much anything you’d use oil for. I like to sauté my vegetables in it for extra flavor. Bacon grease can last in your fridge for up to 3 months!

    Bacon grease in a jar.

    Make Ahead Tips

    • Meal prep: store the cooked bacon in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
    • Freezer: allow the bacon to cool before transferring it into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    Bacon in a serving platter.

    FAQs

    Should I use a cooling rack?

    I don’t cook my bacon on a cooling rack as I don’t find much difference in crispiness with and without one. So I save myself from having to scrub a cooling rack and skip using it entirely.

    Do I have to flip the bacon?

    Nope! When cooking bacon in the oven, I don’t flip it. If your oven is uneven, I’d rotate the sheet pan at the halfway mark but I usually just leave my sheet pan of bacon alone in the oven until my timer goes off!

    My bacon doesn’t look very crispy. What do I do?

    You can always add 1 to 2 minutes to your cook time if your bacon isn’t crispy. I found 18 to 20 minutes to be the sweet spot for pretty much any bacon I have, especially the Kirkland one from Costco that I buy in bulk. Keep in mind that the bacon will crisp up a bit more and harden after you’ve pulled it out of the oven, while it’s cooling.

    Can I skip the tin foil?

    You can skip the tin foil if you’d like, it just means you’ll have to spend more time scrubbing your sheet pans after. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper.

    Recipes Using Bacon

    • Chopped Salad with Shrimp
    • Healthy Chicken Cobb Salad
    • Chopped Chicken Salad Meal Prep
    • Chicken and Bacon Wrap with Southwest Ranch Dressing
    Close up of oven baked bacon in a serving platter.

    How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

    Cooking bacon in the oven is such a game changer. It’s hands-free, easy, splatter-free, and comes out perfectly crispy every single time! My go-to method, here’s how to cook bacon in the oven!
    5 from 28 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 18 mins
    Total Time: 23 mins
    Servings: 10 strips

    Ingredients

    • 10 strips bacon, or more

    Equipment

    • tin foil
    • sheet pan

    Instructions

    • Heat oven to 400F.
    • Line a sheet pan with tin foil paper, then place the bacon strips side by side.
    • Bake the bacon for 18-20 minutes or until it’s reached your desired level of crispiness.
    • Transfer the bacon with tongs to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb extra oil before serving.
    Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

    Nutrition Per Serving

    Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 71mg | Vitamin A: 13IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author: Carmy
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American

    More Breakfast Recipes to Try

    • Breakfast Potatoes (Air Fryer)
    • Paleo Breakfast Meal Prep
    • Turkey Bacon in the Oven
    • Diner Breakfast Bowls
    • Air Fryer Bagels
    • Breakfast Sausage Meal Prep Bowls
    • Air Fryer Sausage
    • Matcha Chia Pudding

    Other places to connect with me
    @carmyshungry on Instagram
    Facebook
    Shop my Amazon faves
    Email: [email protected]

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    Carmy is a healthy-ish living blogger based in Ontario. Here, you can find healthy-ish meal prep recipes, Instant Pot recipes, and lightened up family favourites! Follow along as she shares what she learns along the way!

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