Cooking bacon in the oven is the key to perfect, crispy bacon for a crowd.

Overhead view of person removing a pan of bacon cooked in the oven

Once you know how to cook bacon in your oven, you may never go back to making it on the stove. Not only does this method minimize shrinkage, but it also produces crispy bacon in bulk so you can make an entire package at a time.

Oven-Cooked Bacon for Meal-Prep

If you like meal-prepping in advance, this is the way to go! Tuck it into your favorite meal-prep containers and reheat it in the microwave or enjoy it cold. Don’t have a favorite breakfast meal-prep recipe? Make a batch of these Jimmy Dean-copycat hot breakfast bowls and stash them in your freezer.

The Restaurant Trick to Perfect Bacon

Ever wondered how restaurants get that bacon on your burger perfectly flat? Or how their bacon bits are always crispy, never soggy? The secret is baking bacon in the oven rather than on the stove. You’ll love how easy it is to do and how simple it is to clean up afterward, too.

Prep Time:2

Cook Time:15

Equipment

Baking sheet
Foil
Rack for baking sheet (optional)

Ingredients

12 strips bacon

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with foil. (Optional: top with a rack for extra-crispy bacon.)
Arrange 12 strips of bacon on the foil or rack so they're close but not touching.
Place the pan of bacon into a cold oven and close the door. Turn the heat to 425°F (215° C) and cook it for 10-15 minutes, checking after 10. (Thicker bacon will take longer.)
Once it's to your preferred doneness, remove the pan from the oven and transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra grease.

Notes

Eat immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Cooked bacon can be frozen, too.

To reheat, microwave for 30 seconds or heat it in a hot pan for 15 seconds on each side.

To double the amount, you can cook two pans of bacon at a time on different racks in the center of your oven. Halfway through cooking time, switch the racks the pans are on to promote even cooking.

Nutrition

Servings: people

Calories: 183kcal

Author: Katie Berry

To clean up afterward, wait until the pans cool, pull the corners of the foil together, and discard the whole thing in the trash.

Where to Next?
Bacon Garlic Cheddar Crackers Recipe
Crockpot Bacon Cheeseburger Soup from Scratch
Broccoli, Cauliflower and Bacon Salad Recipe
How To Clean An Oven Naturally

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2 Comments

Boyd says:

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I keep meaning to leave you some feedback here, but…why am I here again? Oh yeah, feedback.

When I bacon in the oven, I set the temp to 400°F, so I’ll have to try your recommended 425°F. I bacon a little longer to get the desired crispness, but I’ve found it can be a challenge to achieve crisp perfection without (too much) burning of that glorious rasher of pig.

I also don’t worry too much about the slices touching each other. Yes, they can get kinda stuck to each other, but having to eat two, three or even four slices of bacon at once is just a burden I have to bear on occasion.

Oh, and thanks for the “crumple the foil” idea. That should help.

1. Katie Berry says:
  
  at
  
  The real key is putting it into a cold oven to start. That gives the bacon time to warm as the oven heats, releasing the fat so you get that crispy texture you’re looking for. Whether you cook it at 425 or 400 after that is a matter of choice — it’ll cook faster at 425 but also goes from crispy to burned quickly if you get distracted.
  
  And you’re welcome on the foil trick!

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven