Once you learn this method of How to Cook Bacon in the Oven, you'll get perfect results with delicious melt-in-your-mouth bacon and zero mess every time!
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Be sure paper is large enough to cover the sides of the pan.
Add strips of bacon to the lined baking sheet. Be sure to arrange so that it is not overlapping as much as possible.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. This time recommendation is approximate and is based entirely on the bacon. Ideally, you want to turn the bacon when it starts to brown, bubble, and sizzle on top but it is no where near done.
After 10 minutes of cooking, reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Flip bacon slices. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes (less if you like it really chewy, more time if you like your bacon crispy or if the slices were thick). This duration is an approximate recommendation and depends on the bacon, so watch it carefully. Remove from oven when bacon has reached desired doneness and immediately transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease.
Notes
Serving size based on roughly 8 slices of bacon in a 12-ounce package with one slice of bacon per serving.
Type of bacon: My favorite kind of bacon is Trader Joe's Black Forest bacon. It's the best store bought bacon I've ever had. Whatever you choose, I highly recommend buying uncured bacon that does not have artificial nitrates or nitrites (only natural preservatives).
Temperature: To get these perfect results, you must start cooking the bacon 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 cook bacon 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 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.