Bacon in the Oven- An Easy, Low Mess Option
Cooking bacon in the oven is a common technique used by restaurants world wide. They have been using this technique for eons because they can cook large beautifully even cooked batches of crispy bacon with relatively little mess and very little man power. We can reap the same benefits at home!
Making bacon in the oven has become our favorite way of cooking bacon.
How To Make Bacon in the Oven
- Line a rimmed baking sheet (the rim is critical for catching drippings) with aluminum foil or parchment paper to make clean up super easy. You can absolutely do it without lining the baking sheet, see tips below for easy pan clean up.
- Place bacon strips on sheet making sure they don’t overlap (overlapping pieces will stick together and won’t get crispy).
- Insert into cold oven on middle rack. For big batches, use multiple racks – you may need to add a little more to baking time.
- Set oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Bake for 15-20 (time varies depending on your oven and the thickness of your bacon). Flipping is optional.
- Carefully remove pan(s) from the oven to avoid spilling any drippings (this is the trickiest part).
- Remove bacon immediately otherwise it will continue to cook in the hot oil.
- Place on paper towel lined plate to soak up grease.
- Pour grease from pan into a small heat-proof glass bowl. Store in fridge to use next time you’re frying up something delicious.
- Enjoy your bacon.
Top Tips For Baking Bacon in the Oven
- Use a rimmed baking sheet. A flat cookie sheet will lead to bacon grease all over your oven.
- Insert the bacon into a cold oven and set temperature to 400°F. This will help reduce any splatter that may occur in the oven (although there is much less splatter in the oven than on the stove). By the time the oven reaches temperature, much of the fat will have rendered, so the bacon will splatter less.
- Consider adding a little fresh cracked black pepper, maple syrup or brown sugar on top of the cold bacon slices.
- Lining with foil is optional. If you prefer not to use it, no problem. To clean up stuck on bits, let your pan cool then add a bit of water and slide back into a warm oven for a few minutes. Stubborn stains will be easy to wipe away.
- Use a broiling pan or cooling racks on top of a cookie sheet (with a lip) to lift the bacon out of its own grease. But be prepared to do a little more clean up.
Benefits of Oven Baking
Oven bacon doesn’t necessarily taste any better than fried bacon, but it is
- quicker to cook large batches
- less messy
- more evenly cooked
- less scary – no nasty hot oil splatters landing on you or your clothing
- easy, hands off cooking so you can work on other things
We’ve been oven baking our bacon since 2014 and we haven looked back!
What to Serve With Bacon
You probably don’t need a list of things to eat with bacon! Use it wherever you need a little salty, crispy bite – on pizza, soups, sandwiches, pasta, salads etc.
If you’re looking for breakfast ideas, try these:
Apple Cranberry French Toast Bake
French Toast Fingers with Stewed Rhubarb
I hope you give it a try and are happy with the results. When you do try it, let me know how it goes either down below or on Instagram @getgettys or Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.
Getty Stewart is a Professional Home Economist, speaker, frequent media guest and writer dedicated to putting good food on tables and agendas. She is the author of several recipe books on enjoying and preserving fruit, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.
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