Avoid a splattered stove top and pan scrubbing by learning How to Cook Bacon in the Oven. Oven baked bacon is perfectly cooked every time.
Bacon may be the most popular meat in America. We see it on nearly every menu in every diner and cafe.
Entire cookbooks are devoted to it and just about everyone has their favorite way to eat it.
In the past few years, we have even seen candied bacon and chocolate-covered bacon.
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Quick Bacon FAQs
Bacon is salt-cured pork. Bacon meat comes from various cuts that come mostly from the middle portion of a pig between the loin and the belly.
Typically bacon is brined and then sliced. The brine may contain smoke flavorings or the bacon can be cold-smoked for a smokey aroma and flavor.
Regular sliced bacon is sliced 1/16" thick and is the most commonly used bacon at home. It cooks quickly compared to thick sliced bacon. Thick sliced bacon is cut ⅛" thick and can be purchased at the grocery store just like regular sliced bacon. It is best used for sandwiches or dishes where bacon is the main meat.
Bacon is very versatile. It can be a side dish or flavoring or accent in a dish. Typical uses are as a companion dish to eggs or as a flavoring to green beans or baked beans.
Both uncooked and cooked bacon can be frozen. If you have a large amount of uncooked or cooked bacon, consider packaging it in smaller portions for convenience.
Why You Should Cook Bacon in the Oven
Everyone knows that cooking bacon is very messy. Pan-frying it causes splattering across the cooktop. I've tried a splatter guard to minimize the splatter and still the clean-up is tedious.
Then, there is the electric griddle which is also a pain to clean. Microwaving bacon works well, but it can be tricky... and you can have splatter in the microwave.
But if you cook bacon in the oven you eliminate much of the clean-up and you can save time making breakfast by baking a batch of bacon at a time instead of a couple of strips each day.
And why does baking bacon cause less splatter? When bacon is cooked slowly in the oven, the splatter is contained and it splatters much less, meaning clean-up is so much easier. Generally, all you will need to do is put your baking pan in the dishwasher, so clean-up is a breeze.
Let's see. Less clean-up, less time, and more bacon! Sounds like a winning strategy doesn't it?
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
- Uncooked Bacon - You can use any brand and type of bacon. Smoked, maple, unsmoked, uncured, etc.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
Instructions on How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Prepare. Preheat the oven to 400°F/204°C and line a large baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If you do not have parchment paper or aluminum foil, spray the baking pan lightly with a non-stick cooking spray.
Place. Place strips of bacon at least ¼" apart on the lined baking pan. Do not let the strips of bacon touch.
Bake. Bake the bacon for 18 to 20 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the baking time to ensure the bacon cooks evenly.
Cool. Using tongs, transfer the bacon to a triple layer of paper towels to drain.
If you are serving the bacon now: Transfer the bacon to a serving plate or to individual dishes to eat now.
If your plan is to store the bacon: After the bacon has cooled, blot each slice with a paper towel to remove excess fat. Store the bacon in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight wrapping or container. You can wrap the strips of bacon in parchment paper, cling wrap, or aluminum foil. Or place them in an airtight container with a lid or zipper-sealed plastic bag.
My Top Tips for Perfectly Cooked Bacon
♡ Make sure to place strips of bacon at least ¼" apart so that they don't stick together while cooking. This gives beautiful single strips of bacon every time.
♡ If you cook two pans of bacon in the oven at the same time, switch the pans between the racks in addition to rotating them at the midway point of baking.
♡ Cut bacon slices in half. This is a great trick to control portion sizes which saves calories and money.
How to Reheat Cooked Bacon
- Use a Skillet - Place strips of bacon in a large skillet and gently heat them over medium heat until they are warmed.
- Use the Oven - Place the cooked bacon in a parchment-lined baking pan and bake at 300°F for just a few minutes until the bacon is warmed.
- Use the Microwave - Place a few strips on a paper towel-covered microwave-safe plate and cover with another paper towel. Microwave the bacon for 30-second bursts until the bacon is warmed.
More Ideas for Using Cooked Bacon
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📖 Recipe
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
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Equipment
- 1 Large Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Tongs
Ingredients
- Non-Stick Cooking Spray, Optional
- 12 Slices Uncooked Bacon
Instructions
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 400°F/204°C and line a large baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If you do not have parchment paper or aluminum foil, spray the baking pan lightly with a non-stick cooking spray.Non-Stick Cooking Spray
- Place strips of bacon at least ¼" apart on the lined baking pan. Do not let the strips of bacon touch.12 Slices Uncooked Bacon
- Bake. Bake the bacon for 18 to 20 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the baking time to ensure the bacon cooks evenly.
- Cool. Using tongs, transfer the bacon to a triple layer of paper towels to drain.
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.
© 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.
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