Cooking bacon in the oven just might be the best cooking tip I was ever given. It is so simple and it comes out perfectly every single time. I’ve been cooking bacon in the oven for several years now and I’ll never go back to stove-top bacon.
No grease splatters across the stove, no splatter burns, no effort at all and we have a plate of perfect bacon ready to eat!
Watch the bacon very carefully the first time you cook it in the oven. Oven temps vary and the bacon can go from perfectly cooked to burnt in under a minute.
Kitchen Tip: How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Ingredients
- Bacon
- Aluminum foil
- Large baking sheet
Instructions
- Line the baking sheet with foil. The foil is not required, but it does make cleanup very simple! Spread the bacon strips out across the sheet and place in a cold oven. I usually slice our bacon in half and a full pound fits on a baking sheet. (In this photo, I was only cooking half a pound.)
- Place the bacon on the middle rack of a COLD oven. Set the temperature to 400 degrees and then walk away. Set a timer for 16 minutes and check the bacon. Remove it from the oven when it is as crisp or crunchy as you like. I remove ours at 18 minutes and it's a great balance of chewy crunch. If you like your bacon crispy enough to crumble, you will probably want to cook it another minute past that. Use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!
IdaBaker says
The restaurant industry has been cooking bacon in the oven forever. It's good to see it coming to the home market, too.
Thanks!!
The Slow Roasted Italian says
This is the only way we cook bacon. Frying in a pan is messy and dangerous. Great post Miss Mary!
Autumn@GoodEatsGirl says
I love cooking bacon in the oven! I hate the mess of the stovetop and I hate the smell of bacon after frying it that lingers forever! The oven is definitely the way to go!
Chris says
The only thing I do different is cook it on a cooling rack placed on top of the foil covered jelly roll pan so the hot air circulates all around the bacon. Yum!
Sue/the view from great island says
This is so easy it's scary, and the strange thing is, I don't think the grease spatters at all in the oven, it must have something to do with the more even heat. Love this!
Pam says
Once you do bacon this way, you never go back. I also do mine on a rack on top of the foil.
Christine's Pantry says
I have been cooking bacon in the oven for a long time… love cooking it this way.
Gerry @Foodness Gracious says
I hate cooking bacon on the stove, so messy and the bacon is all curly aghh drives me nuts! The oven is way better 🙂
Raymund says
That looks very crispy, very tempting to do one now 🙂
Jean | Delightful Repast says
Mary, I've always meant to try bacon in the oven, but never actually knew anyone who did it that way. Now I do! I'll take your word for it and give it a go the very next time I have bacon!
Tricia says
We always have bacon when camping – but given the easy cleanup with the oven method, we may have more at home! Thanks for this one too.
Andrea {From the Bookshelf} says
I've done it in the oven, but never like this. Thanks for the fool (ME!) proof tip!
Kim says
I tried this, and it is perfect! However, I amped it a little by drizzling the bacon with a very thin line of real maple syrup, and then sprinkled it with just a tiny touch of brown sugar. It gives the bacon a candied, caramelized taste similar to a nice, glazed ham. Perfect for extra special breakfasts, like Christmas or New Year's.
Anonymous says
But I like to cook my eggs in the bacon fat!!
Mary says
I pour the grease off the sheet into a small jar and save it in the fridge. I love eggs cooked that way too!
Anonymous says
Before I read this I had tried with a preheated oven and alot of the pieces burned because I didn't watch close enough. I'll try the Cold oven and check more often for doneness. Thanks!
Gigi says
Quick question: Was this thickly sliced bacon, or regular?
Mary says
Either one will work fine, Gigi.
Kim Honeycutt says
Does it not splatter a lot in the oven? I am all for trying this. Do you think using a rack vs flat on the sheet makes much difference? Pinning it!
Mary says
I've never noticed much splattering, Kim. I've been doing this for years. I've used both a rack to raise it and I've also cooked it flat on the foil lined pan. They both work great. I usually skip the rack though, because I really don't notice it making much of a difference.
Tamara Wright says
I have a comment about your garlic mashed potatoes. Scientifically you “always” add butter before adding any milk. The chemical reaction of adding milk first causes the potatoes to become starchy and not smooth and not the desired fluff we expect from mashing. Check it out.
Mary Younkin says
Good to know, Tamara. I didn’t know there was science behind it, but I do always add the butter first.
Camila Carter says
Sounds yummy 🙂 Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing such amazing content.
Faith Bailey says
doesn’t it splatter in the oven and make a greasy mess in there
Mary Younkin says
It doesn’t splatter nearly so much as on the stovetop, Faith. That said, it may not be the method for you. It doesn’t bother me at all and it’s so much easier!