Perfect Bacon in the Oven (The Trick!)

Cooking bacon in the oven is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to get perfectly crispy strips every time with almost no cleanup.

With my tips below, it’s much less messy than frying it on the stove. In fact, this is virtually “mess-free” and foolproof!

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you master this mess-free, easy technique. Once you cook perfectly crispy bacon in the oven with these tips and instructions, you’ll never want to use another method.

How to Cook Perfectly Crispy Bacon in the Oven

Some recipes that teach you how to cook bacon in the oven will tell you to preheat the oven. In my opinion (and the opinions of more professional chefs), this is not the way! This is one of the few times you should not preheat your oven.

Step 1: Do NOT Preheat the oven.

That’s right—start with a cold oven. Do not preheat the oven.

High-fat pork products like bacon and pancetta benefit from this method because it allows the fat to render slowly.

This is one of the few instances where placing meat in an unheated oven works to your advantage.

Step 2: Prepare the Pan with This “Mess-Free” Trick

Start by grabbing a sheet pan and lining it with foil—see the video on this page how I line it with 3 sheets of foil to make clean up easy.

I use 3 sheets of foil because the bacon grease will leak between the sheets, and this method allows you to roll up and toss the tinfoil once the fat has solidified at room temperature.

If you’re going to keep the fat (I give you lots of tips on that below), put a piece of parchment over the foil, because some studies suggest foil transfers aluminum to the food (better safe than sorry!). I buy my parchment paper sheets and the foil on Thrive Market for the best price.

Set Up a Wire Rack

Place a wire cooling rack on top of the foil-lined sheet pan, then place the bacon slices on the wire rack. It’s ok if they touch, but don’t overlap them.

This allows the bacon slices to cook evenly and lets the excess fat drain away, and takes care of that cooking on aluminum issue I mentioned above.

If you don’t have a wire rack, you can skip this step and place a piece of parchment on top of the foil, but it’s nice to use a wire rack if you have one to avoid the extra step of draining the bacon on paper towels after baking.

You can also skip the foil and parchment altogether and put the bacon directly on the sheet pan, but I suggest using them for easy cleanup.

Step 3: Put the Pan in the Oven, Then Turn The Oven On

Again, here’s the big tip: do not preheat your oven.

What temperature for bacon in the oven:

Put the sheet pan in the oven, then turn it on to 375°F (190°C).

How long to put bacon in the oven:

Set a timer for 20 minutes.

Generally, it takes between 20 to 25 minutes to reach that perfect level of crisp bacon, starting from a cold oven.

IMPORTANT TIP! All ovens are different! If your oven has different settings, choose the “Bake” option. Keep in mind that all ovens are different, so for your first try, check the bacon at the 17-minute mark to avoid overcooking.

Step 4: Cool and Clean Up

Once the bacon is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool.

If you used a wire rack, you can pop it in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. Let the bacon fat on the foil solidify before rolling it up and tossing it in the trash. This makes cleanup a breeze.

Storage

Cooked bacon: Store any leftover cooked bacon in the refrigerator in a container with a lid or sealed ziplock bag (or silicone stasher) for up to 3 days.

Uncooked bacon: Store uncooked bacon in an airtight container in the freezer up to 3 months.

Perfect Oven-Baked Bacon FAQs:

• Can you cook the bacon directly on a sheet pan without foil, parchment, or rack?
  • Yes, you can! But it will be a lot to clean up. The foil and wire rack steps are optional but highly recommended for easy cleanup. The foil catches the drippings, making them simple to dispose of afterward. This creates less mess than cooking it on the stove.
• Can I keep the bacon fat from oven-baked bacon?
  • If you want to keep and reuse the bacon fat for other recipes, place a piece of parchment paper on top of the foil. Once it’s come to room temperature, you can easily use a spatula to scrape it off the parchment paper, which is easier than trying to pour hot bacon grease into a container. Place the bacon fat in an airtight container or jar with a lid in the fridge for up to 3 months to use as cooking fat in other recipes. See tips to use it below.
• Can I use a castiron skillet to cook bacon strips in the oven.
  • If you don’t have a sheet pan, you can use a castiron skillet. You don’t need the foil, wire rack, or parchment if you use a cast iron skillet. Place the bacon strips in a cold skillet, then place it in the oven without preheating it and follow the instructions. It make take longer, so just watch it. If you do have a sheet pan, a sheet pan is the best option, in my opinion.
• Why not preheat the oven?
  • Starting with a cold oven is key to rendering the fat in bacon evenly. When you place the bacon in a preheated oven, the sudden high heat can cause the fat to cook too quickly, resulting in bacon that is crispy on the edges but chewy in the middle. By beginning with a cold oven, the bacon heats up gradually, allowing the fat to slowly melt and cook evenly across each strip. This method ensures that you get perfectly crispy bacon without any undercooked or overly burnt spots.
• How to cook bacon in the oven without making a mess
  • One of the best things about cooking bacon in the oven is how mess-free it can be. To minimize any splatters, use a rimmed baking sheet, which keeps the grease contained. Lining the pan with foil or parchment paper further simplifies cleanup. The wire rack allows the fat to drip off, which not only results in crispier bacon but also means there’s less grease left on the bacon itself. If you’re concerned about any lingering grease on your counters or oven, place a second sheet pan on a lower rack to catch any potential drips.
• How to cook bacon in the oven on a rack
  • Cooking bacon on a wire rack on a sheet pan is a great way to ensure that it cooks evenly and becomes extra crispy. The rack elevates the bacon off the baking sheet, allowing air to circulate around each strip. This method helps the bacon cook evenly on both sides without the need to flip it halfway through. Additionally, the excess fat drips away from the bacon, resulting in a less greasy end product. If you prefer your bacon less crispy, you can skip the rack, but using one is the best way to achieve that perfect texture.
• Can I use a cookie sheet?
  • Some people use the terms sheet pan and cookie sheet interchangeably, but they are different. A sheet pan has rimmed edges, which you need here to catch the grease. A cookie sheet is flat with no rimmed edges. Do not use a cookie sheet or flat pan (or a pan without a rim).
• How long to put bacon in the oven
  • The exact time can vary depending on your oven and how thick the bacon is, but a general guideline is 20 to 25 minutes at 375°F (190°C) starting from a cold oven. It’s important to keep an eye on the bacon, especially if it’s your first time using this method. Start checking around the 17-minute mark to ensure it doesn’t overcook. For those who like their bacon extra crispy, you can leave it in for a few additional minutes, but be careful not to burn it.
• Should I add anything to the bacon strips before baking them?
  • It’s not necessary to do anything to the bacon slices, but some people like to brush them with maple syrup or brown sugar, or add freshly ground black pepper on top to change up the bacon flavors.
• Is it OK to cook on aluminum foil?
  • Some research has shown that cooking with aluminum foil can cause a small amount of aluminum to leach into food. The amount of aluminum that transfers depends on several factors, including the temperature, cooking time, acidity of the food, and the presence of certain ingredients like salt or spices. My personal opinion is “better safe than sorry,” so I use aluminum foil for easy cleanup but put the bacon on a rack. In recipes where the food will touch the paper or foil, use parchment paper (not wax paper) instead of foil.

Print

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Description

Cooking bacon in the oven is by far the best method, whether you want a few slices of bacon or a big batch of bacon. It offers consistent results with minimal effort, and you’ll never go back to stovetop frying.

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This recipe works for as many pieces of bacon you need. 1 sheet pan generally fits 1 pound (1 package) of bacon strips)

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1. Prep the Sheet Pan: Line a sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup and place a wire rack on top (optional, but helps drain excess fat).
2. Place Bacon: Lay bacon strips in a single layer on the rack or directly on the foil-lined pan. It’s ok if they touch a little, but try not to overlap them.
3. Cook: Start in a cold oven, put the sheet pan in the oven then set the temp to 375°F (190°C), then start a timer for 20-25 minutes. (All ovens are different, check at 17 minutes; thick-cut bacon may take longer.)
4. Cool & Clean: Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool. Enjoy the bacon and discard the foil once the fat solidifies for easy cleanup.

Notes

See the tips on this page. Do not preheat the oven. Start the 20-minute cook time when you put the bacon in the cold oven.

This recipe is for traditional American pork bacon, refer to package instructions for turkey bacon or vegan bacon.

What to Do with Leftover Bacon

There are so many ways to use leftover bacon. Here are some of my favorite ideas:

• Make a BLT: Use leftover bacon to create a classic BLT sandwich with fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and your favorite bread.
• Top a Cobb Salad: Crumble the bacon over a Cobb salad for a smoky, savory addition to the traditional mix of greens, eggs, avocado, and blue cheese.
• Enhance Burgers: Add leftover bacon to burgers for an extra layer of flavor and crunch.
• Bacon-Wrapped Delights: Wrap bacon around chicken breasts, shrimp, or asparagus and bake for a tasty treat.
• Mix into Scrambled Eggs: Chop up the bacon and stir it into scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast.
• Bacon Mac & Cheese: Sprinkle crumbled bacon over mac and cheese for a rich, indulgent twist on a comfort food favorite.
• Add to Pasta Dishes: Toss bacon into pasta dishes like carbonara or Alfredo for an extra burst of flavor.
• Bacon Topped Potatoes: Use it as a topping for baked potatoes or mashed potatoes to elevate your side dish.
• Bacon Fried Rice: Stir into fried rice for a savory upgrade.
• Soup Garnish: Crumble bacon on top of soups like potato, cauliflower soup, tomato, classic broccoli cheese soup or chowder for added texture and taste.

What can I use the reserved bacon fat for if I keep it?

Reserved bacon fat is a versatile ingredient that can add a rich, savory flavor to a variety of dishes. You can use bacon fat wherever you’d use butter or oil (heat it up to melt it to make it a substitute for oil), just remember that whatever you use it in will have a bacon flavor.

Here are some ideas for how you can use it:

• Cooking Vegetables: Use bacon fat instead of oil or butter when sautéing or roasting vegetables. It adds a smoky depth of flavor to greens, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, or even mushrooms.
• Frying Eggs: Use bacon fat instead of butter or oil to make your eggs. The fat adds a rich, savory taste to the eggs, making them extra flavorful.
• Making Salad Dressings: Warm bacon fat can be used as a base for a warm vinaigrette. Heat it up to melt it, then mix it with vinegar, mustard, and a touch of honey for a flavorful dressing, perfect for spinach salads.
• Baking: You can use bacon fat in place of butter or oil in savory baked goods like cornbread, biscuits, or even pie crusts. It adds a subtle bacon flavor that enhances the overall taste.
• Popping Popcorn: Use bacon fat to pop popcorn on the stovetop for a smoky, bacon-flavored snack. Just replace the usual oil with bacon fat, and finish with a sprinkle of salt.
• Making Gravy: Bacon fat is an excellent base for gravies or sauces. Use it to make a roux by mixing it with flour, then add stock or milk to create a rich gravy for biscuits or mashed potatoes.
• Greasing Pans: Instead of using butter or oil, use bacon fat to grease your pans before cooking. It works well for frying foods or as a non-stick agent for baking.
• Flavoring Beans or Soups: Add a spoonful of bacon fat to beans, lentils, or soups for extra flavor. It pairs especially well with hearty, rustic dishes like black beans or split pea soup.
• Making Homemade Croutons: Toss bread cubes in melted bacon fat before baking them in the oven. This will give your croutons a crispy texture and a savory, smoky flavor.
• Seasoning Cast Iron Pans: Bacon fat can be used to season cast iron skillets, keeping them well-maintained and adding a natural non-stick layer.
• How long can I store bacon fat in the fridge? Storing bacon fat in an airtight container in the fridge keeps it fresh for up to three months, giving you plenty of time to experiment with these ideas.

Nutrition in Bacon

Bacon is not a health food, but small amounts of high-quality bacon can definitely be part of a healthy eating plan. (Note that these nutrition facts are estimates and will vary by brand.)

• Calories: Approximately 42-45 calories per slice, depending on thickness.
• Protein: Around 3 grams of protein per slice.
• Fat: Contains about 3-4 grams of fat per slice, including both saturated and unsaturated fats.
• Sodium: Typically high in sodium, with about 190-200 mg per slice.
• Micronutrients: Provides small amounts of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
• Consideration: Bacon is calorie-dense and high in sodium, so moderation is key.

Cooking bacon in the oven is a game changer, offering consistent results with minimal effort. Try this method, and you’ll never go back to stovetop frying.

Enjoy!