It is SO much easier baking 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.

strips of crispy, sizzling bacon on a sheet pan.
Table of Contents
  1. The best way to Bake Bacon
  2. 10 Reasons you will love to Bake Bacon
  3. How to Cook Bacon in the Oven 
  4. How to store Baked Bacon
  5. Bake Bacon in the Oven FAQs
  6. How to Bake Bacon in Oven Recipe

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!!

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a single piece of baked bacon.

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.)

a hand holding a strip of crispy bacon above other strips on a sheet pan.

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!

The best way to Bake Bacon

strips of raw bacon arranged on a sheet pan.

But don’t you guys worry. I’m not going anywhere. I’m still comin atcha with:

10 Reasons you will love to Bake Bacon

  • 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.
a package of sliced bacon.

Here’s the local bacon I buy. Made in Manteca CA, my hometown!

a close up shot of crispy bacon on a sheet pan.

If you make this recipe, share it on Instagram using the hashtag #TheFoodCharlatan so I can see it! I love that.

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven 

Here’s a quick overview of how to do it. Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below!

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line your pan with aluminum foil (optional).
  2. Lay out your bacon in one layer on the ungreased pan. Arrange the strips as close to each other as you can. 
  3. Bake at 400 on the middle rack for 10-14 minutes depending on thickness and your desired crispiness level.
  4. When the bacon is done, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

What Temp to Bake Bacon?

I bake my bacon at 400 degrees. Some people go lower, some higher, but 400 degrees is the temperature I swear by for perfectly crispy bacon. 

How to store Baked Bacon

Once your bacon is cooked, the texture is going to deteriorate if you refrigerate it. Of course, you have to, because it’s meat, so here’s what I recommend. Wrap the bacon in a single paper towel and then place it in an airtight container. When you want to reheat it, put that paper towel-wrapped bacon on a microwave safe plate and punch in your desired amount of time. The paper towel will absorb moisture from the bacon while in the fridge and while reheating and keep the texture more crisp (though of course nothing like straight from the oven).  

Bake Bacon in the Oven FAQs

Do you need to flip bacon in the oven?

Nope! Just another reason cooking bacon in the oven is so easy. The heat from the oven circulates around and cooks the top and bottom at the same time. 

Can you cook bacon in the oven without parchment paper?

Yes, absolutely. I never use parchment paper, just cook the bacon straight on the pan. If you want super easy clean up you can cover the pan with tinfoil, but it’s optional. 

Is bacon better in oven or pan?

It is absolutely better in the oven (crispy! perfect! easy!), and here are the reasons why!
No flipping required. This means you are not standing over a hot pan getting your skin burned or your clothes stained with little sizzling pops of screaming hot bacon grease. 
No burning the bacon. When you bake bacon in the oven, all sides of the bacon are getting heated up evenly at the same time.
No limit to the amount of bacon you can cook. Ok, I’m exaggerating. Your oven isn’t infinitely large. But you can definitely put two entire half sheet pans of bacon in the oven at the same time (one on the top rack, one on the bottom) and that is WAY more than you can do in whatever skillet you would have used. 
No curling issues. I hate when bacon curls up in the pan, making some edges burn while others stay raw! This doesn’t happen in the oven.

Bake Bacon in Oven for these Recipes

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!

Deviled Eggs with Maple Candied Bacon << I adapted this process to make candied bacon on AMAZING deviled eggs

Oven Baked Bacon and Potatoes from Southern Plate

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How to Bake Bacon in Oven

4.80 from 5 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Let me show you how easy it is to bake bacon in the oven. It's way better than getting splattered with grease. And you can make a whole pan at a time!

Ingredients

  • any kind of bacon
  • 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 Pancake Recipe I've ever made. It keeps a long time in the fridge (several weeks.)

Notes

Bacon is great for freezing (raw). There’s never a time when I don’t have a copious amount of bacon in the freezer. It thaws so quick and easy in the microwave.
Bacon is a great make-ahead dish. Bake it before your event, throw it in the fridge, then microwave on a paper towel lined plate just before serving. If you plan to do this, you may want to under bake the bacon by a couple minutes so it is perfect when you serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 109mg | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 230
Keyword: 10 Minute Recipe, bacon, bake, how to
Did you make this? I’d love to see it!Mention @thefoodcharlatan or tag #thefoodcharlatan!

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Comments

  1. I use parchment paper or aluminum foil but I wrinkle it up a bit so there are more bends and twists to the bacon.

  2. 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.

    1. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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?

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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!

  8. 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.

    1. 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?

  9. 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! 

  10. 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!

  11. 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

    1. 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!

      1. I wonder if I place foil overtop of it to control the splatter,if that will somehow ruin it?

        1. 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.

  12. 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!

  13. Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil first. Then just toss the foil when done and there is no clean up!

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