How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

Once you learn this method of How to Cook Bacon in the Oven, you’ll get perfect delicious melt-in-your-mouth results and zero mess every time! There are a few tricks to perfectly baking bacon, but once you follow this recipe, you’ll never make it any other way.

Why this recipe works:

I’ve cooked bacon every possible way. In the microwave, on the stove, and I’ve even made air fryer bacon. Although I still prefer cooking bacon ends and pieces on the stove, if you have sliced bacon, this is by far the best way to cook it for two simple reasons.

• No mess: Aside from a utensil to flip the bacon, you won’t need to wash any dishes. Also, there’s no messy greasy splatter to deal with.
• Perfectly cooked every time: There’s a trick to getting perfectly cooked, flat slices of bacon where the fat is fully rendered and each chewy bite melts in your mouth. Keep reading to learn the secret!

Kitchen tools needed:

• Sheet pan: I highly recommend the USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan. It’s made of heavy duty Aluminized Steel that prevents it from warping in the oven. A good quality pan like this is needed to evenly cook the bacon.
• Parchment paper: I love using the Kirkland Parchment Paper I buy at Costco. You just need to make sure that the parchment is large enough such that a single sheet can line your entire baking pan, including up the sides.
• Tongs or a small spatula: I usually use my mini spatula I got from Pampered Chef years ago to flip the bacon, but a good pair of tongs work best.

How to bake bacon:

1. Prep: First step is to preheat the oven to 400°F and line your baking sheet with the parchment paper. The slices should be spread in a single layer as overlapping will cause uneven cooking. Don’t worry if there is some overlapping as they will shrink as they cook.
2. Bake: The bacon gets cooked at this hot temperature for 10 minutes. At this point, you will lower the oven temperature to 300°F.
3. Flip: Turn each slice over and continue cooking at the lower temperature.
4. Bake until done: After another 10 minutes or so, your bacon will be perfectly cooked. This time can vary based on your preferred doneness as well as the thickness of the slices. The hot slices will then get transferred to a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess grease.

No mess to deal with.

Not only do you avoid that messy grease splatter when you bake bacon in the oven, but you can either easily discard the grease or you can save it for a future recipe.

• To reuse bacon grease: Once the cooked bacon has been removed from the hot grease, you can lift the parchment paper and pour the hot grease into a mason jar for later use. Alternatively, you can wait for the grease to cool and solidify at which point you can scrape off with a spatula and transfer to a jar.
• To discard bacon grease: Never pour grease down your sink as it can clog your pipes. If you don’t have a use for the leftover bacon grease, simply allow it to cool and solidify on the parchment paper. Then, you can easily lift the entire thing off the baking sheet and put it in the garbage.

When I’m done, I just stick the baking sheet back in the cupboard because it’s still clean!

Cooking tips for perfect results:

• Type of bacon: My favorite kind of bacon is Trader Joe’s Black Forest bacon. Whatever you choose, I highly recommend buying some that is uncured and does not have artificial nitrates or nitrites (only natural preservatives).
• Temperature: To get these perfect results, you must start cooking at the high temperature. This allows that fat to turn into a hot sizzling grease and begin the cooking process. Once this starts is when you can lower the temperature, flip, and cook to perfection. The result will be the best bacon you’ve ever eaten where the fat is perfectly rendered.
• No rack: I’ve seen recipes on how to cook bacon in the oven where people place the slices on a rack. I’ve tried that and was not happy with the results. Bacon needs hot grease to cook in for the best flavor and texture.
• Watch it carefully: Be sure to keep a close eye on that oven baked bacon as it gets close to being done. It can go from perfect to borderline burnt if you forget about it. The benefit of finishing the cooking at the lower temperature, however, is that you have some wiggle room in there.
• Storage and reheating: Unlikely you will have any leftover bacon, but if you do, just store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, I just place in the microwave and heat at 50% power in 30-60 second increments. You can cover with a paper towel to prevent any splatter.

Favorite bacon recipes:

If you’re a bacon lover like me, here are some great bacon recipes you should make!

• Bacon Grease Gravy
• Bacon Jalapeno Fry Sauce
• Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Chicken
• Jalapeño Bacon Wrapped Scallops
• Turkey Bacon Parmesan Ranch Wrap
• Maple Bacon Cupcakes