Once I started cooking bacon in the oven, I pretty much stopped cooking it on the stovetop. There’s no standing over a skillet, no constant flipping, and a whole lot less grease to clean up afterward.
It’s simple, dependable, and especially handy when I’m cooking breakfast for more than a couple of people.
What Makes This Method A Keeper
- Less mess. Parchment paper catches the grease and makes cleanup easy.
- No flipping. Once the bacon goes in the oven, you can leave it alone while you finish the rest of breakfast.
- Cook more at one time. A large sheet pan holds much more bacon than a skillet.
- Even cooking. The bacon cooks evenly from end to end instead of having some pieces done before the others.
- Easy to make ahead. Cooked bacon stores and reheats well for breakfasts, dips, salads, and sandwiches.
What You’ll Need
- Bacon – Regular-cut or thick-cut bacon both work. Thick bacon may need a few extra minutes in the oven.
- Parchment Paper – This is my favorite for easy cleanup. Aluminum foil works, too, especially if you want to save the bacon grease.
- Rimmed Baking Sheet – The rim is important because it keeps the rendered bacon grease contained.
How To Cook Bacon In The Oven With Parchment Paper
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the bacon. Place the strips in a single layer without overlapping. They can be close together since they’ll shrink as they cook.
- Bake and check. Cook for 10 minutes, then check the bacon. Continue baking for another 6 to 7 minutes, or until it reaches the crispness you like.
- Drain. Using tongs, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any extra grease.
That’s it. No flipping and no standing over a hot skillet.
How Long To Cook Bacon In The Oven At 400°F
The exact cooking time depends on bacon thickness and how crisp you like it.
- Regular-cut bacon: Start checking at 10 minutes. Mine usually takes about 16 to 17 minutes.
- Thick-cut bacon: Plan on a few additional minutes and keep an eye on it toward the end.
Bacon can go from crisp to too dark pretty quickly, so once you get close to your preferred doneness, check it every couple of minutes.
Why I Use Parchment Paper For Oven Bacon
Parchment paper makes this method especially easy because cleanup is almost nothing. Once the grease cools, you can carefully fold up the paper and discard it.
You don’t need a wire rack, either. The bacon cooks right on the parchment and comes out beautifully crisp.
Save That Bacon Grease, Y’all
I almost never waste good bacon grease. A spoonful adds so much flavor to simple recipes. To save the bacon drippings, use aluminum foil instead. Turn the edges up slightly to help contain the grease, then carefully pour it into a heat-safe glass container once it’s cool enough to handle.
I use it for frying eggs, making Southern Fried Corn, or in Warm Bacon Dressing for spinach salad. Store it covered in the refrigerator and you’ll have it ready when you need a little extra flavor.
Donya’s Tips & Things To Know
- If your oven cooks unevenly, rotate the pan about halfway through the cooking time.
- For a big batch, you can cook two sheet pans at once. You may need to add another 5 to 10 minutes depending on your oven.
- Don’t overlap the bacon. A single layer helps it cook evenly.
- If you’re cooking a second batch, replace the parchment paper before adding more bacon.
- Pull the bacon out when it’s just about as crisp as you like it. It will crisp a little more as it cools.
- Keep the baking sheet on the middle rack so it’s not too close to the heating element.
How To Store And Reheat Cooked Bacon
Let the bacon cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, warm it for a few minutes in a 350°F oven or in a skillet over medium heat until heated through and crisp again.
More Easy Oven Recipes
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
What To Serve With Crispy Bacon
Around here, bacon works with just about everything.
For breakfast or brunch, serve it with French Toast Casserole or Three Cheese Quiche. I also love crumbling it over Stuffed Baked Potatoes, adding it to BLT Tortellini Pasta Salad, or stirring it into Crock Pot Baked Beans.
Oven Bacon FAQs
Nope. That’s one of the best parts of this method. Arrange the bacon on the baking sheet, put it in the oven, and let the heat do the work.
No. I cook the bacon directly on parchment paper and get great results without a rack.
Yes. Some cooks like putting the bacon into a cold oven and then setting the temperature to 400°F so the fat renders slowly as the oven heats. My tested method uses a preheated 400°F oven, and that’s the method I use most often.
There can be a little splatter, but I find it’s much less messy than cooking bacon in a skillet. Use a rimmed baking sheet and keep it on the middle rack so the grease stays contained.
Absolutely. Foil works well and is especially helpful if you want to collect and save the bacon grease.
Yes. Let it cool completely, then place it in a freezer-safe bag and remove as much air as possible before sealing. It’s great to have on hand for dips, salads, breakfast casseroles, and other 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!
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I’ve made bacon many times like this – But – my new favorite way is to make cold-oven bacon. Place bacon on foil or parchment lined pan. Put in cold oven, set the temp for 400 degrees, set time for 18-20 minutes (desired crispness). The bacon doesn’t shrink as much. Hope you give it a try.
That’s a great tip! I love the cold oven method — it really does cook the bacon evenly and keeps it from shrinking as much. Thanks so much for sharing!
~Donya
With bacon uncovered, what keeps it from spattering in the oven. Couldn’t the oven become a mess over time?
Great question — and you’re right to think about that!
Bacon can splatter in the oven, but it’s usually much less messy than stovetop frying because:
• The fat renders more slowly (especially with the cold oven method)
• The bacon isn’t sitting in bubbling grease like it does in a pan
To keep your oven clean:
• Line your pan with foil or parchment
• Use a rimmed baking sheet so grease stays contained
• Place the pan on the middle rack, not too close to the top element
• If you want extra protection, you can loosely lay a piece of foil over the top
Extra tip:
If you’re cooking a lot of bacon regularly, placing a sheet pan on the rack below will catch any stray drips — but honestly, splatter is usually minimal.
So yes, it can splatter a little, but with those simple steps, your oven should stay nice and clean over time.
~Donya
After the Bacon has cooled from being baked, and then torn into pieces for- (Dip Recipes), can it be stored in Ziploc Bags in the “Freezer” ?
Yes, absolutely. Once the baked bacon has cooled completely, you can store it in Ziploc freezer bags in the freezer. It freezes very well and is perfect to grab for dip recipes later. Just squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing. ~Donya
Was always afraid of the mess in the over. I sure will do it next time. I did cook bacon this morning, my frying pan is stainless steel so very easy to clean, but the stove was a mess. To clean the stove I spray vinegar all over and 2 minutes all is clean, shiny not greasy. Thank you Donya
Sound like you know your way around the kitchen. I love it! So happy you are following and cooking with me.
~Donya
I bought a silicone mat with raised cones on one side (Amazon), cut it to fit my baking sheet, cook at 400° for 10 minutes, then rotate pan (my oven cooks unevenly) for 8-9 minutes more, the silicone sheet is easy to drain after every batch and the clean-up is so much easier than when I did it on a wire rack. I’ve found that it keeps for a couple weeks if the fat is drained and blotted on paper towels, then stacked and refrigerated.
Thanks so much for sharing your method! That silicone mat with raised cones sounds like a game-changer for easy cleanup and even cooking. Rotating the pan is such a smart move if your oven runs unevenly. Love the storage tip too—draining and blotting really helps keep the bacon fresh for longer. Appreciate you adding this for others who might want a no-mess option!
~Donya
I use a rack and line pan with foil, either save or discard bacon grease.
Thanks for sharing your method! Love hearing different tips that make cleanup easier!
~Donya
I bake bacon on a rack. I put in oven then start the preheat to 400. Once it reaches temp set timer for 5 min. Check and add additional minute or two depending on how crispy you want the bacon.
Thanks for sharing your method! Love hearing different tips that make cleanup easier!
~Donya
Best bacon in the oven
Hey there Laura!
I couldn’t agree with you more, oven cooked bacon is delicious, crispy and so simple to make! Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe and for your kind words, I appreciate your support!
~Donya
This method produced the most beautiful bacon I’ve ever cooked, and there was no oven splatter that I could see. It took me four batches to cook a pound of bacon b/c I used a smaller pan. I used foil instead of parchment paper. Next time I’ll use a larger rimmed cookie sheet. It freezes well, and can be reheated in the microwave. It was a bit chewier after reheating, but still delicious. I zapped four slices for 20 seconds on high with a paper towel underneath and on top.
Hey there Sarah!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and method, it sounds like you did a wonderful job! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for your fantastic rating, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to reach out!
~Donya
I love this recipe!