Cook Bacon in the Oven Without the Hassle
Want to cook bacon in the oven without the mess and hassle of stovetop cooking? This method is a game-changer, reducing splatters and confining smells. Follow our step-by-step guide to enjoy perfectly crispy bacon every time, and make cleanup a breeze.
My Love-Hate Relationship with 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. But until I discovered the best, easiest way to do that, I dreaded frying bacon!
The problem in two words: splatters and 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 methodsโstovetop, microwave, griddle, and outdoor grill. The outdoor grill has been mostly my go-to method, but when it’s 10ยฐF 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 baconโin 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 cleanup is a cinch!
Why You Should Cook Bacon in the Oven
Almost everyone has an oven, and while there are other methods out there, this one beats them all hands down. No need to buy a countertop grill, air fryer, or any other fancy equipment.
Until I gave it a try, I assumed cooking bacon in the oven would be messier and more time-consuming than using my cast iron skillet on the stovetop. But I was so wrong. With the oven method, I can cook an entire pound of bacon without babysitting it. The bacon stays flat, there are no splatters, and best of all? The smell doesn’t linger forever. Oven-baked bacon is easy, efficient, and the results are consistently perfect. Oh, and I start it in a cold oven!
No Need to Flip
Set the timer, and you’re done. The oven takes care of everything automatically. No flipping, no checking, and no splatters. The bacon bubbles and sizzles away, but here’s the best partโno splattering! Just perfectly cooked bacon every time, without the mess.
Cook a Pound All at Once
It might sound like a lot, but one pound of bacon actually makes 4 to 6 servings. With the oven method, you can cook the entire pound at once on a single half-sheet pan. It’s incredibly convenient and ensures you have plenty of bacon ready to enjoy without multiple batches.
Tips for Extra Crispy Oven-Baked Bacon
Baked on a sheet pan, bacon comes out crispy around the edges but still slightly chewy in the middleโthe 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.
Easy Cleanup After You Cook Bacon in the Oven
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.
Keep Your Aluminum Cookware Looking New
Never put aluminum cookware or bakeware in the dishwasher or soak it with dishwasher detergent. Always wash aluminum by hand using liquid dishwashing soap. Automatic dishwasher detergent can cause dark stains and unsightly marks on aluminum surfaces, leaving your cookware looking tarnished and dull. Keep your aluminum looking new by giving it a gentle hand wash every time.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Cooking bacon in the oven is easy, produces excellent results, and might just become your go-to method once you try it. Here’s how to do it:
- Do not preheat your oven. ย You want to start out in a cold oven, which ensures the bacon cooks evenly and crisps up beautifully.
- Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil. This not only makes for easy cleanup but also helps reflect heat, cooking the bacon more evenly.
- Lay the bacon strips in a single layer on top of the foil. For best results don’t overlap the pieces.
- Optional: Place parchment paper on top of the foil to absorb grease. This can help reduce splatters and make cleanup even easier.
- Place the pan in the cold oven, close the door and turn it on to 400โ.
- Bake the bacon in for about 25 minutes, or until it’s golden brown and cooked to your liking. Keep an eye on it toward the end of the cooking time so it doesn’t overcook, otherwise known as burnt!
- Using tongs, transfer the perfectly cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined platter to drain any excess grease.
That’s it! Enjoy your perfectly oven-baked bacon with minimal mess and maximum flavor.
Perfect Oven-Baked Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon, thin or thick-cut
Instructions
- Do not preheat the oven!
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Lay bacon on top of the foil in a single layer.
- Optional: Place parchment paper on top of the foil to aid in absorbing grease.
- 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.
- Place pan of bacon in the cold oven. Close the door and set to 400 F.
- Bake until golden brown or to taste, for about 25 minutes. Watch carefully to as to avoid overcooking.
- Using tongs, move the perfectly oven-baked bacon to a paper-towel-lined platter.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Question: What’s your favorite way to cook bacon? Do you prefer the stovetop, microwave, or have you tried baking it in the oven? Let us know in the comments down below.
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My late husband did not like bacon cooked in the oven, but I did. He preferred it cooked in a skillet.
I lay a sheet of parchment over the bacon before putting in the oven. It minimizes splatter that gets blown around by the convection fan. Less splatter inside the oven = less smell lingering inside.
The best way to cook bacon is roll it in flour before baking it. Itโs crispy and has an awesome flavor. It also doesnโt crinkle up, it lays perfectly flat
I’ve never heard of doing this, Lawana but you can be sure I’m going to give it a try. Thanks!
First, I want to mention when I discovered cooking bacon in the oven, I loved how the bacon came out and the fact you can cook a whole pound of bacon this way at once. However, I would like to let everyone know when you pull the pan out from the oven, be careful! I had a terrible burning accident due to not pulling the pan out slowly and evenly. I guess I was in a rush pulling it out. I had an oven mitt on my right hand, however, nothing on my left hand. Some of the grease from the pan ended up on my left hand causing severe burns on 3 of my fingers. Thankfully, I quickly removed my rings I had on my fingers and immediately went to the sink to immerse my hand in cold water. The damage had already been done though. The pain would not stop. By the next day, I had big blisters and ended up going to a burn clinic. Moral to my experience, do not rush taking the pan out of the oven and be careful! In the recipe, it mentions using parchment paper as an option. I would consider using it to soak up some of the grease. Thankfully, my had has healed with no scaring to speak of.
We love BLTs in our house. If you cut the bacon package in half you can take 6 half slices and weave them with 3 across and 3 down. One you bake them they meld together and create a slab of bacon that fits on a slice of toast perfectly.
Now that’s a cool idea!
I enjoy oven cooked bacon, but it’s hot here in South Texas for a large part of the year, so I avoid using the oven when possible. Instead, my husband cooks it outside on the grill in a small shallow pan. Turns out great every time, doesn’t heat up the house, and no lingering smell!
I read somewhere that if you don’t preheat the oven, the fatty parts of the bacon will crisp up much better. I tried it and it really works! So pop your bacon in the oven and then turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minute. I don’t use a rack and I’ve never had a problem with soggy bacon.
I used a rack once, but I didn’t use it again. It’s so hard to clean it. I don’t think it’s necessary for crispy bacon! I also store the bacon grease in a glass jar with tight-fitting lid in the fridge. I use the bacon grease for cooking eggs or potatoes, etc
WHAT leftover bacon?
HAHAHAHA!
This is how we cook bacon, and we use a rack. I never have a problem with clean-up, and we don’t have leftovers!
I’ve been baking bacon this way all my adult life, thanks to my mother. She sometimes would drag the slices through a little flour with black pepper. Adding the flour seems to make the result just a little chewier; the pepper adds a nice zing.
Hi Mary,
We now cut the bacon slices in half, lay them in the fry pan and add a bit of water (1/8 C.)to the bacon in the pan. Much less spatter , bacon cooks more evenly , easier turning and quicker! Voila!
1 person household? Cook it all, remove what is needed at the time, and freeze the rest by portion size.
I’ve been using the oven to cook bacon for years now. I have metal grid racks that I use to avoid soggy slices. Cooking two packs of bacon at once (I have two cookie sheets and two racks) saves time and energy costs. IMHO, there’s no better way to cook bacon.
I’m a fan of oven baked bacon. When working as a line cook for a casino buffet, I baked about 30 lbs every morning. At home, though, I’m leery of the splattered oven walls. Do you think it would cook evenly in a roasting pan with 4″ sides?
Darlene, if it helps you, when I do one pound, I really donโt notice any spatter. It sizzles a little more when I take it out and the cooler air hits it. My oven stays cleanโif I fry on the stovetop, there is always a spattered mess.