How to Bake Bacon
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I’m going to show you how to cook bacon in the oven TWO ways – with and without a rack! It’s easier and less messy than pan frying!
The best way to cook bacon with little to no clean up. Sure everyone has tried it in the oven, but have you tried this kitchen hack?
We love bacon around here. I am sure you may have noticed all of the bacon recipes on our site.
But, I don’t like the mess that cooking bacon on the stove top or even in the microwave create. These 2 new methods I am sharing are so much less messy and one of these hacks causes little to no clean up. That is my kinda kitchen tip.
My whole family loves bacon, but I don’t like the mess. I have cooked it in a skillet on the stove. I have cooked bacon in the microwave with a ton of paper towels and I hear you can even cook it on the grill (although I have never tried).
I worked in many (seriously, many) restaurants as a young adult, and noticed they weren’t making a mess cooking it in a skillet or microwaving it. They baked bacon in the oven on rimmed baking sheets. Since then I have been cooking bacon in the oven (unless it is just 1 or 2 slices).
How to Bake Bacon on a Rack
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and place an oven safe cross-wire grid cooling rack in the pan.
Lay slices of bacon on the pan. Do not overlap the slices or they will not cook properly.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. The length of time will vary based on the thickness of your bacon (thick cut takes longer) and the doneness you prefer. (I like mine crispy).
You can cook 2 sheets at the same time, but it will increase your bake time significantly. Switch baking sheets half way though cook time.
Gently crumple a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil causing wrinkles. DO NOT crumple into a little ball. Just squish it together and pull it apart. Lay it across your baking sheet and gently straighten it out. Do NOT smooth it down or you will lose your crumbles.
Tuck the edges under the lip of the baking sheet. Lay bacon strips on top of foil. As you can see above the bacon lays across the little ridges. The bacon drippings will collect in the foil below the bacon (pretty smart, huh?). Do not lay strips on top of one another or they will not cook.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. The length of time will vary based on the thickness of your bacon (thick cut takes longer) and the doneness you prefer. (I like mine crispy).
You can cook 2 sheets at the same time, but it will increase your bake time significantly. Switch baking sheets half way though cook time.
When you are done (drain bacon drippings into a storage container if desired) and toss foil. Easy clean up.
I used the rack method above for many years, then one day I had cookies cooling on the baking racks and wanted to make bacon. So, I tried other options. I tried baking it flat on parchment and foil. This resulted in a very greasy product, no matter how much I drained it or patted it with paper towels, the bacon was still greasy tasting. Then I found my favorite method. I still use the foil method outlined below, because it eliminates scrubbing that cooling rack.
Which let’s be honest I do not like doing dishes and scrubbing pots and pans is my least favorite.
I am sure these methods will work for you too. Let me know in the comments how you cook your bacon.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven 2 Ways
Ingredients
- 12 strips bacon
Instructions
Cooking Bacon in the Oven without a Rack
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Gently crumple a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil causing wrinkles. DO NOT crumple into a little ball. Just squish it together and pull it apart. Lay it across your baking sheet and gently straighten it out. Do NOT smooth it down or you will lose your crumbles.
- Tuck the edges under the lip of the baking sheet. Lay bacon strips on top of foil. As you can see above the bacon lays across the little ridges. The bacon drippings will collect in the foil below the bacon (pretty smart, huh?). Do not lay strips on top of one another or they will not cook.
- Place pan in oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. The length of time will vary based on the thickness of your bacon (thick cut takes longer) and the doneness you prefer. (I like mine crispy).
- You can cook 2 sheets at the same time, but it will increase your bake time significantly. Switch baking sheets half way though cook time.
Method 2 – Oven Bacon on a Rack
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and place an oven safe cross-wire grid cooling rack in the pan.
- Lay slices of bacon on the rack. Do not overlap the slices or they will not cook properly.
- Place pan in oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. The length of time will vary based on the thickness of your bacon (thick cut takes longer) and the doneness you prefer. (I like mine crispy).
- You can cook 2 sheets at the same time, but it will increase your bake time significantly. Switch baking sheets half way though cook time.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
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I’ve started baking mine on a broiling pan. I don’t have to waste all that foil, and I hate hate, hate washing cooling racks. Idk why, they are just such a pain to me to wash! With the broiling pan, the grease drains to the bottom, I pour it out in a can, and the pan washes easily. Very easy method!
Does using the broiler pan change any of the times or temps in the above recipe?
I live alone so I only need to cook a few pieces of bacon at a time. I use a microwave bacon plate with a paper towel on top. It takes only a few minutes, I can easily pour the grease in a jar and put the bacon plate in the dishwasher. And if I need more bacon I still use this.
I would think cooking bacon in the oven would leave your oven all splattered with grace
No splatter
I have been grilling bacon for many years. It is mainly something to sustain the chef while the steaks grill. (All that grilling requires calories!) The only caveat is that you need to watch it closely or it will burn…like a bon fire burn!
I have cooked bacon in the oven for many years however I do not preheat oven. Just put it in a cold oven and set temp for 400°. It will still cook within the 15-25 minute time. (We never preheated the skillet, right??).
Can you cook Bacon in a Gas stove oven. ? Just wondering because of the fire below if the grease would start a fire with the flames.