Hands-Down the Easiest Way to Perfectly Cook Bacon

I must admit to a kind of love-hate relationship with bacon. On the one hand, my family loves bacon, which means I cook it often. And until I discovered the best, easiest way to do that, I dreaded frying bacon!

The problem in two words: splatters, smell. I’m not a fan of splatters all over the cooktop. And that lingering smell of stale bacon throughout the house for hours and beyond? That nearly knocks me out.

Then there’s the problem of keeping the first batch hot and crispy when only about 1/4 pound fits well in a stovetop skillet.

Trust me, I’ve tried all the methods—stovetop, microwave, griddle, and outdoor grill. The outdoor grill has been mostly my go-to method, but when it’s 10 F. with a foot of snow out there, not so much.

All that is history, now that I’m hooked on the absolute best way to cook bacon—in the oven. It’s easy with minimal, if any, splatters. The smell of bacon is all but limited to the baking time. I can cook an entire pound of bacon at once, and clean-up is a cinch!

Why is oven-baked the best method?

Almost everyone has access to an oven. While there may be other similar methods, this for me outperforms all others; does not require the need to purchase a countertop grill, airfryer, or any other equipment.

Until I tried it, I assumed cooking in the oven would make an even bigger mess than using my cast iron skillet on the stovetop. And require more time. Just the opposite is true. I can prepare an entire pound of bacon without having to babysit or tend to it. Oven-baked, it stays flat with no splatters. Even better? The “fragrance” of bacon is short-lived.

No need to flip

Just set the timer, and that’s it. The oven does everything automatically. No flipping, no checking, and no splatters. The bacon bubbles and sizzles, but really, and I repeat—no splattering!in rea

A pound all at once

It sounds like a lot of bacon, but in reality, one pound makes 4 to 6 servings. You can prepare an entire pound on a single half-sheet pan with the oven method

What if I want extra crispy bacon?

Baked on a sheet pan, bacon comes out crispy around the edges but still slightly chewy in the middle—the way many of us prefer. But if you like it extra crispy, no problem. Lay the bacon on top of a metal cooling rack set over the foil-lined sheet pan. Now it will come out super crispy all the way through.

 

 

How is the clean-up with the oven method?

It’s so easy. If you want to reserve the bacon fat for later use, simply allow it to cool on the sheet pan for a few minutes, then pour it into your container of choice. If not, wait for the pan to cool, then gather up the foil and discard. Wash with soap and water, as usual. That’s it! No baked-on mess or ugly stains.

 

 

Cooking bacon in the oven is easy, produces excellent results, and is quite possibly the only method you’ll ever use to cook bacon once you give it a try!

How to Cook Perfect Bacon in the Oven

It’s easy, produces excellent results, and is possibly the only method you’ll use to cook bacon once you try!

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Lay bacon on top of the foil in a single layer.
4. Optional: Place parchment paper on top of the foil to absorb grease.
5. Optional: For extra crispy bacon, fit a metal, oven-safe baking cooling rack on top of the foil-lined (and optionally parchment  paper sheet pan
6. Bake until golden brown or to taste about 18 minutes
7. Using tongs, move the perfectly oven-baked bacon to a paper-towel-lined platter.

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Last update on 2024-04-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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