Are you ready to make bacon like a pro without the mess? Get ready for crispy, delicious bacon straight from your oven! Whether you’re a bacon lover or just looking for a hassle-free way to cook, I’m showing you the secrets to perfect bacon every time!”
What do you serve bacon with? Almost everything! My favorites are French Toast Casserole, Three Cheese Quiche, or sprinkled on Stuffed Baked Potatoes.
I’ve been cooking bacon in the oven for several years now. Once I figured out how to do it, it was almost a life-changing experience! I’d always hated “babysitting” the pan of bacon on the stovetop so that I could get just the right amount of crispness without burning it.
Benefits Of Cooking Bacon In The Oven
- It’s a hands-off recipe. You don’t need to flip the bacon—that’s how easy it is!
- Using a sheet tray, you can cook a large batch of bacon at once, versus a skillet or round pan.
- There’s no mess, no projectile grease splatter, and easy clean-up using sheets of parchment.
- Each piece is perfectly and evenly cooked, unlike in a pan where some pieces burn, and others are undercooked.
What You’ll Need
- Bacon – thick cut bacon, regular strips of bacon, or turkey bacon.
- Parchment Paper helps with clean-up. You can also use aluminum foil and curl the edges to hold the grease.
- Sheet Tray – I use a large baking pan to fit as much bacon as possible on the tray.
How To Cook Bacon In The Oven
- Heat the oven and line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Lay bacon slices on the parchment in a single layer without overlapping pieces.
- Cook for 10 minutes and then check them. Keep cooking for another 6-7 minutes until they reach perfect crispiness.
- Remove the bacon strips, using tongs, and place them on paper towels to absorb excess grease.
Save That Bacon Grease, Y’all!
Bacon grease adds SO MUCH FLAVOR to whatever you are serving. To save, you can use foil instead of parchment paper. Roll the edges up around the pan to hold the bacon grease in, then pour it into a glass container after the bacon is cooked. Use it to fry eggs, in Southern Fried Corn, or Warm Bacon Dressing for spinach salad.
Donya’s Tips
- If you need to cook a big batch of bacon, you can use two sheet trays to cook two batches at a time. To cook these, increase the cooking time by 5-10 minutes to cook two trays of bacon.
- Discard the parchment paper between cooking batches so the bacon isn’t cooking in its own fat.
Questions And Answers
No, as long as you replace the parchment paper, you don’t need a wire rack to cook bacon in the oven.
Nope, that’s what is so awesome about this method. You just let it cook while you prepare other things.
You sure can! Make Brown Sugar Pepper Candied Bacon or add a drizzle of maple syrup.
What To Serve With Crispy Bacon
Bacon can be used in so many ways, including just munching on it! My favorites are sprinkling it on Baked Potatoes and BLT Tortellini Pasta Salad. And it makes Crock Pot Baked Beans crazy good!
More Easy Oven Recipes
If you tried this How To Cook Bacon In The Oven Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Lay ½ pound of bacon strips on parchment. Place in oven to cook. Check at 10 minute mark. Continue to cook for 6 to 7 additional minutes or until desired crispness.
- Remove bacon strips to paper towel to drain.
- Discard parchment paper with bacon grease and repeat process with other ½ pound strips.
- Store bacon in an airtight container or ziplock bag until ready to use in your favorite recipes.
Notes
Store cooled bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. How to Reheat Bacon:
Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the oven at 350°F for a few minutes until warm and crispy.
Nutrition
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I use my broiler pan that has been sprayed with Pam for easy clean up.I save dripping too.
I live alone and would love to bake a pound or two of bacon and store it in the freezer.
Have you tried freezing it after baking and reheating in the microwave?
I’m wondering how much of a mess this makes in the oven. I would rather have to clean the stove top than have to clean the oven if it splatters. Can someone who’s tried this let me know?
Hi …thanks for a great recipe! I just wanted to let you know that your website name doesn’t come up anywhere on your printed recipe. You might want to add it so your readers will remember where they got it and also to remind them where to stop back for more recipes!
Thanks again!!
Lori from Pgh
Thanks Lori! I made the change.
XO,
~Donya
When I found a recipe for cooking bacon in the oven a couple years ago it said to put the bacon in a cold oven and turn it to 400 and cook for 20 minutes. My bacon usually takes longer than 20 minutes to cook but I also use thick slices. But this recipe said putting the bacon in a cold oven kept it from splattering. I notice that you say to preheat the oven. So does it not splatter in a preheated oven? Also, just yesterday I ran across another place that listed cooking the bacon at a lower temp. I don’t remember exactly what the temp was, as a matter of fact, I was looking for that when I found this.
Would you happen to have an easy candy bacon recipe?
Not yet but it’s a great idea!
Thanks.
XO,
~Donya
I made it this morning and it was perfect! My grandson loved it. I chopped it up and put in my fried potatoes. Yummy.
I never knew you could use parchment paper to cook bacon in the oven. Thank you!
We line the pan with foil, that way we get good drippings and easier cleanup. We’ve been cooking bacon in the oven for several years now. When I think of all the years I stood over a cast iron skillet flipping strips of bacon….my goodness!
Great idea Mama Jane. I agree on standing at the stove…goodness indeed!
Thanks for sharing and stopping by.
XO,
~Donya
Now this is the only way to cook a lot of good crispy bacon! I don’t line my pan because I like to keep the bacon drippings for seasoning. Yes, I know the “health nuts” don’t agree, but hey, what ever floats your boat, right? Thank you for all the great recipes you share. I have saved just about all of them, and have tried a lot of them. I do so look forward to reading your newsletter.
Oh my goodness Claudine! You have made not only my day but my week and beyond. Thank you so much for your sweet words, they mean the world to me. I am so happy that you like A Southern Soul and are cooking right along side me. I’ve got a newsletter in the works and can’t wait to share it with you.
Love & a big hug around the neck,
~Donya
Does the bacon need to be turned during cooking?
Hey Jeanne, I have never had to turn my bacon, it comes out great with cooking on one side. The only reason you might want to is if you are using a really thick cut. I hope that helps!
XO,
~Donya
I love crispy bacon, this looks like the perfect way to cook it, thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome, Mary. Crispy is the way to go!
XO,
~Donya
I HATE TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE, HOW DOES THE PAPER DO ANY GOOD IF YOU COVER IT?
Doesn’t the bacon spatter? I’ve never heard this method of baking the bacon. A friend does it in a deep pan. I hate cleaning the oven worse than babysitting the bacon and cleaning my Corning Ware cook top that is over 50 years old.
Hey Mary! I feel your pain on cleaning the oven. I doesn’t really splatter that much. I’ve never had a problem with that and the method is tried and true. I guess everyone has their own level of what they will put up with but for me, this is the only way to cook bacon.
Thanks for stopping by!
XO,
~Donya