How to Bake Bacon in the Oven in 12 Minutes
I literally never make bacon on the stove anymore. It is SO much easier cooking bacon in the oven than to stand over a hot stove getting splattered with grease. And you can make a whole pan at a time, making it great for a crowd. You can even make it ahead! Let me show you how to bake bacon – it’s simple.
Originally published June 4, 2017.
Do you guys want to see what’s on my to do list every single day?
- pray
- exercise
- eat breakfast
- shower
- sword fight with Truman
I call this my “preliminary to do list” because it’s all the things I want to do every morning before I do the things I actually have to do every day (my “real” to do list), like doing photo shoots for the blog and running errands and answering emails and, you know, stuff. 
I’ve been looking back over my planner the last few weeks and just think it’s kind of funny/pathetic that showering is consistently on my to do list. On Thursday it didn’t get done until 5pm, that’s when you know it was a doozie of a day. But the bathrooms got clean!!
Also pathetic that playing with Truman is on my list. But it is. I was just reading this post about comparing yourself to others called How to Sabotage Your Life. It’s from Amy Lynn Andrews (who runs an online business like me–love her), and she writes:
“I’ve also had to review what I’m trying to do with my work in the first place. What really is my purpose here?
I started out with the idea I would supplement our income so I could preserve my freedom to stay home with my kids and pour into them. Somewhere along the line though, it seems that got flipped around. Many days, as I’m shushing them and telling them to “hold on a minute,” I realize it looks a whole lot more like my work is my focus and my children are secondary.”
Oh boy is this me. So. Sword fighting goes on the to do list. (And Charlotte stuff too of course, but she’s in school in the morning so not on the morning list.)
Do any of you working moms struggle with this? “What am I trying to do with my work in the first place.” My best friend Sarah started working from home within the last year. She got up to 20 hours a week freelancing (with legit $$) and then decided to quit just a few weeks ago. She says she feels so free. Sometimes I wonder what that would be like. I started my blog just after Charlotte was born, so I’ve had it as long as I’ve been a stay at home mom. What would my life look like without it?
I really don’t know! But I think that’s okay. I love this blog too much to imagine anything else. I’m trying to be zen about work-life balance lately. Letting more stuff go, and trying not to feel lazy about it. (Hence the totally random and off-schedule Sunday morning post (written Saturday night). Good morning everyone!!) I don’t want my kids to look back on their childhood and remember that my face was always shielded by a computer screen or a camera lens. My husband’s old boss used to say, work to live, don’t live to work. It’s so true!
How to bake bacon
But don’t you guys worry. I’m not going anywhere. I’m still comin atcha with:
10 Reasons You Should Bake Bacon in the Oven:
- NO splatter! (Can you tell I’m bitter about the splatter thing?? I’ve been zinged one too many times.)
- You can make it ahead of time. See note below the recipe!
- You can make a ton of bacon all at once. And even microwave it later after it’s cooked! See note.
- You don’t have to babysit it. Throw it in the oven, set a timer, and get back to flipping pancakes on your freed up stove. (When are they going to invent baked pancakes already? Or actually never mind, Calvin already has a solution.)
- The strips of bacon are nice and straight. This is great for perfectionists, BLT’s, and the Grilled Cheese Eggs Benedict with Bacon recipe that I am posting next. IT’S AMAZING JUST YOU WAIT.
- No need to flip the bacon.
- No need to bake on a cooling rack. Years ago I read that you need to put bacon on a cooling rack and then put the rack on the sheet pan and then bake. (lots of recipes say this.) But cooling racks are a pain in the neck to clean grease off of, so I started doing it straight in the pan. Guess what, it works better. Think about it: bacon cooks in its own grease when you do it on the stove, right? It cooks faster. In doing research for this post, I saw lots of forums and comments where bakers were saying it was taking 20, 30, 40 (!) minutes to get the bacon crispy. I buy thick cut and it never takes more than 12-15 minutes. Leave that cooling rack in the cupboard. Cooking bacon in the oven is so fast!
- Bacon is so freezable. I mean when it’s raw. I always have it in my freezer. It’s super quick to thaw, just throw it in the microwave.
- Did you know that bacon is only 50 calories a slice? Eric read it off the package the other day and I didn’t believe him. That has nothing to do with the baking aspect, just a fun fact. Bacon for dayzzzz
- Buy high quality bacon. Just remember guys: IT’S WORTH IT.
Here’s the local bacon I buy. Made in Manteca CA, my hometown!
If you make this recipe, share it on Instagram using the hashtag #TheFoodCharlatan so I can see it! I love that.
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter
One year ago: Mississippi Mud Cake
Two years ago: Pimiento Cheese Dip
Five years ago: Dark Chocolate Brownies (Gluten Free!) << this is one of my favorite blog stories.
How to Bake Bacon in 10 Minutes
Serves 6 adjust servingsIngredients
- Bacon
- large sheet pan
- aluminum foil, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line your pan with plenty of aluminum foil for easy clean up. (Or don't. I just wash the pan. No big deal.)
- Lay out your bacon in one layer on the pan. No need to grease the pan. Bacon is basically grease, so you're good.
- Arrange the strips as close to each other as you can. Touching is fine, but don't overlap. I usually can get 1 or 2 strips at the bottom of the pan, perpendicular to the rest.
- Bake at 400 on the middle rack. If you use regular bacon, it will take about 10 minutes. (I always buy thick cut, that's going to be more like 12-14 minutes.) Either way, check on it after 10 minutes. Then set the timer again until it's done to the crispiness level that you like. The darker it gets, the crispier it will be. Feel free to take one out and test it.
- When it's done, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- My rule for baking bacon is to always bake a full pan. If you need 4 strips for your recipe, you're wrong. You actually need 4 strips plus 2 or 5 to snack on while you cook. (Seriously though, throw the rest in the fridge and eat it for breakfast tomorrow. You won't regret it.)
- If you want your life to be amazing, funnel all the bacon grease you just made into a mason jar and store it in the fridge. Then use it next time you make The Best Pancakes I've Ever Made. It keeps a long time in the fridge (several weeks.)
by The Food Charlatan
Here are some recipes to bake bacon for:
Easy BLT Pasta Salad << this would be great for 4th of July parties!
Bacon and Goat Cheese Aioli Burger with Crispy Onions << yeah dude.
Cheesy Overnight Bacon and Egg Casserole << this ones really popular around here.
Overnight Bacon and White Cheddar Scones << I haven’t made these in forever, but guys, you brush the tops with bacon grease before they go in the oven. If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.
Bacon, Gouda, and Spinach Frittata << this one is healthy and delicious!
More baked bacon tutorials:
Oven Baked Bacon and Potatoes from Southern Plate
Baking Bacon: A How to Guide from Mom on Timeout
How to: Oven Baked Bacon from Bless This Mess
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
WARNING: I read your blog regularly and love using many of your recipes….However, you wrote: “Buy high quality bacon. Just remember guys: IT’S WORTH IT” but then you showed a picture of your preferred bacon, with Sodium Nitrite, Sodium Erythorbate, and
other chemicals that are NOT indicative of quality–only chemical preservation of the meat from bacteria.
According to Live Science (and many other reliable science web sites), sodium nitrite can damage cells and also morph into molecules that cause cancer. The other ingredients in your “high quality bacon” are also potentially carcinogenic.
While baking bacon is a fantastic time-saving idea–and a method I have employed for years–using “high quality” bacon means getting a brand that doesn’t have chemical preservatives or antibiotics, AND treats the hogs humanely prior to slaughter. Consider getting brands like Wellshire Farms, Nature’s Rancher, Maverick Ranch, Greenfield (NOT Smithfield), or Applegate. (Other brands that say “uncured” are also likely to be free of harmful chemicals, but not necessarily humane to the animals.) Another tip: By pouring all the cooled (chemical-free) bacon drippings in a glass jar in the fridge, you have a chemical-free, tasty reservoir of bacon fat to use as “cooking oil” all year round. At room temp, rendered bacon fat is liquid–and it is actually unsaturated and healthier than corn oil, soybean oil, etcetera (see “Know your Fats” by Mary Enig).
If you line the pans first with foil, when finished just wad up the foil and toss and no cleaning pans also I lay the bacon on paper towels as I take it out of pans to get rid of as much grease as possible.
Great tips Karen! Thank you!
I made this for me and my kids tonight – it’s a delicious and convenient way to make bacon! I like that I don’t have to stand at the stove and babysit the skillet. Will be using this method again!
TRY IT! I first tried it to take along camping. (It was always such a mess to clean up when we used the camp stove!) I just heated it in the microwave to warm it up. You couldn’t tell it wasn’t cooked frsh
That’s an awesome idea for camping Janet! Thanks for the tip!
Well, I was certainly NOT looking forward to frying up the few strips of bacon I need for the baked bean dish I plan to try with the resulting greasy splatter, so BOY was I pleased to see this method! Took a couple minutes longer than the 10 minutes in the recipe but worked wonderfully well! Plus, the house smells great! LOL!
Better than lighting a bacon scented candle, right Beth? ;) (haha, hopefully that’s not even a thing.) I’m glad it worked out for you! Thanks for the review!
I made this for me and my kids tonight – it’s a delicious and convenient way to make bacon! I like that I don’t have to stand at the stove and babysit the skillet. Will be using this method again!
How did I not know bacon turned out this crispy and delicious in the oven?! It’s the perfect bacon to crumble up or to garnish on runny eggs. Love that there’s no grease splatters all over the hob too, will definitely be trying this!
Line a baking sheet we with parchment.. lay bacon in pan. Bake 30 [email protected] 350. Perfect bacon everytime.
I use parchment paper or aluminum foil but I wrinkle it up a bit so there are more bends and twists to the bacon.
Bring on the bends and twists! Thanks for the tip!
After baking in the oven and cooling, what method do you use to keep it in the fridge for the next day? Should you use a zip lock, foil or or a glass covered dish? Thank you. I need to make 2 packages.
Hi Phyllis! Yes, either of those methods will work fine, as long as it’s in a sealed container. If you are microwaving it the next day, put the bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Or you can pop it back in the oven on a pan for a few minutes.
Did this yesterday.Turned out perfect! Ty!
Don’t bother heating the oven first. Just wasting time. Put the bacon in when you turn on the oven at 400. It will be done in 18-20 min. That is total time.
Do you cover the bacon with tin foil when cooking in the oven? Otherwise the oven is going to get splattered with grease. Yes/no?
Hey Bob! I’ve never tried that, sounds like a good idea! Let me know how it goes.
Baking bacon is the only way! I always had trouble with the bacon sticking to the foil. No more! I use baking paper on top of the foil. Pretty sure the bacon browns better too.
Oh good idea! Parchment paper is one of my favorite kitchen items. It’s the best.
I generally make 3 or so slices in the toaster oven using the foil sheets from the Dollar Tree.
I sometimes rinse with water first and usually flip slices half way through.
I bake at 325 degrees (or so since I don’t know how accurate the toaster oven is) for 20 minutes total. No fuss, no muss, just toss the grease-filled foil away. Probably could do it at 400 for a shorter time, but it might need more attention.
Rinse with water! So interesting Nance, why do you rinse first?
I absolutely love bacon cooked in the oven. Turns out perfect everytime. Cleanup is easy. No grease on top of the stove or the wall or the counters or…me!
When I first read about baking bacon I thought this would be better than slced bread. Sadly, I was wrong.
I have tried at least 5 times or more. I usually use thick bacon but my first attempt took 30 minutes and it just wouldn’t cook trrough So I got out ny skillet and finishrd brownig it. The next time I tried regular sliced bacon. 25 minutes later I was pulling out the skillet. None were overlapped so the next tired I tried less bacon. I had more than an hour investedi in that adventure. Also,, had the required skillet to finish it off. Not much to the instructions so not to adjust. Just doesn’t work for me.
Hey Stormy! I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you. I’m so surprised because this is a very common cooking method. What temperature did you have your oven at?
I’m definitely going to try this recipe but I gotta tell you…. you are so funny! I laughed out loud at your writings! Rule #7 cracked me up. You don’t need just 4 strips of bacon, you need 2-5 more to snack on while you’re cooking! Haha!
The first thing on your list was prayer and then you give us great recipes for bacon 🥓.
I want to be friends with you!
In fact, I’ve just decided that I’m going to start telling people that I’m good friends with you!
Haha! Thank you Kathy!! I mean what is life without some extra bacon, right? Enjoy!!
I don’t like to clean the baking sheet, I like EASY….. I cut a piece of PARCHMENT paper
(get the BIG roll at big box store!) so it come up all 4 sides. The grease can then be contained in the pan and thrown away! OK, keep some to brush on those scones!
That is genius!! Thanks Nikki!
Oh my gosh, don’t you LOVE oven baked bacon?? Nothing thrilled my soul more than when I learned this tip – I don’t even remember the last time I cooked bacon on the stove! ;D
Does this not make a mess in the oven?
I haven’t noticed any mess Phyllis! I mean I’m sure the splatters get on the inside of my oven and eventually I will have to clean it…but it’s not like I clean the oven every time I make bacon. Better than having it all over the stove!
I wonder if I place foil overtop of it to control the splatter,if that will somehow ruin it?
Hey Carrie! I haven’t tried that but I think it would work! It might take a little longer, so you will have to check in on it.
I’ve been baking my bacon for several years and I will never go back. Just not having to clean up the stove and the counter after traditional bacon cooking is reason enough to switch!
I’ll never go back either!!
Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil first. Then just toss the foil when done and there is no clean up!
Why don’t I do this more?? For some reason I only remember half the time. Oops!!