Learn How to Bake Bacon that’s easy and results in perfectly crisp, beautiful bacon every time!
The BakerMama’s Basics
Welcome to Basics by The BakerMama! I created this how-to series to help beginner cooks hone their skills, make the most of their time in the kitchen, and create great family memories. I hope you enjoy!
How to Bake Bacon
I get asked all the time how I bake our bacon so perfectly crisp so I decided to write this post to show you exactly how it’s done. I love how quick and easy baked bacon is and how I don’t have to stand and flip greasy sizzling bacon on my stovetop.
We are a bacon loving family that will go through a whole package in one meal. It’s so nice to be able to get the bacon baking in the oven while I prep the rest of the breakfast, brunch or brinner we’re having.
It’s all about the baking rack set over the foil-lined baking sheet so the bacon breathes as it bakes to beautiful crispness.
Just about 15 minutes in a 400°F oven is all it takes. It’s so nice to let the bacon bake while prepping the rest of the meal. Before I started baking our bacon, I would get so annoyed with all the little grease splatters that covered our stovetop after frying the bacon in a pan on the stove. No mess and no stress with this method.
Just let the oven work its magic. Bacon at its best every time.
And what makes it even better is that the clean up is so easy. You just roll up the grease drippings in the foil and toss it. You’re left with a clean pan that can go right back into the cabinet and a baking rack that can hopefully go straight into your dishwasher.
Choosing Bacon
Readers often ask which brand of bacon I use. I’ve used this baked bacon method on so many different brands over the years and they’ve all turned out great. The thinner the bacon, the less time it takes to bake crisp. I’m currently loving this uncured dry rubbed bacon from Trader Joe’s. It’s thin sliced, but not too thin with beautiful marbling and flavor.
Crisp baked bacon is hard to beat. It goes so great with a big breakfast spread, layered in a sandwich, crumbled over salads, I could go on and on…
If you’ve never baked bacon, what are you waiting for? It’s the best! Easy, less mess, less stress, crispy, beautiful and most importantly, so darn delicious!
Looking for more Basics by The BakerMama? Try How to Bake a Potato for tried-and-true steps to getting the perfectly baked potato, every time. I hope you find these simple basics helpful! When you make something with the help of my BakerMama’s Basics series, be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see and others can be inspired!
Enjoy!
xoxo,
How to Bake Bacon
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 14 slices
- Category: Breakfast
Description
Baked bacon is so easy and results in perfectly crisp, beautiful bacon every time!
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package thin sliced bacon (about 14 slices)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line a large rimmed baking pan with foil and set a baking rack into the pan. Spray the baking rack generously with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange bacon in a single layer on the rack trying not to let it overlap.
- Bake the bacon for about 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time, until bacon is of desired crispness. Remove bacon from the oven and let set for a few minutes before serving.
- For easy clean-up, let baking sheet cool completely. Remove rack and gently fold up the foil to put in the trash.
Notes
Thick sliced bacon usually takes about 25 minutes to bake crisp.
What kind of baking rack do you use?
Hi Jennifer! My absolute favorites is this Calphalon Rack: https://amzn.to/2whdq0C
I started baking my bacon a while back and can’t go back to frying it. So easy, and perfect every time! I’m usually pretty lazy and don’t use a baking rack, but I think you definitely have the right idea here!
@thebakermama Please tell me how you accomplish this on only 15 minutes?!? I LOVE baked bacon, bc I am a self-proclaimed bacon addict! Thus, baking it keeps u from frying it in its own grease. Plus, like u said, u can bake large amounts of bacon at one time, and the clean up is easy! (Thanks for the tip of lining the foil OVER the rim, btw, that makes a huge difference in the mess!) ALL that said, the picture you included with this recipe is EXACTLY how I like it! However, it takes me closer to 40 minutes to get it like that, and I still have to flip and rotate to keep the edges of the bacon from burning as well as the outer pieces from burning. Also, I line the bacon on the cookie sheet the same way you do… What am I missing here?
Hi Melissa! I love that you’re a bacon addict too! 😉 The only thing I can think of is that oven temperatures certainly vary so maybe yours just reads at a lower temperature than mine. Maybe try moving your top oven rack to the highest position so the bacon is closer to the heating elements. Are you putting the bacon in the oven after it has preheated to 400? Are you baking it on a rack or directly on the pan? Hope this helps.
I have tried baking bacon one time and my oven got so splattered with grease it was smoking the next time I used it. What did I do wrong? I really want to make the maple bacon for a birthday brunch I’m planning.
Hi Gina! Oh no, it sounds like your heating element at the top of your oven gets really hot. I would recommend moving the pan to a lower shelf in the oven or turning down the oven temperature and just baking it longer. Hope this helps! Have fun at the birthday brunch!
This is so awesome!!
THIS. This is the secret to perfect bacon! I shudder when I think of doing bacon on the stove-top again…
I actually put my oven on 375 and put the bacon in right away, rather than pre-heat it first – something about the slow rise in temp rendering more fat out or something…
Once the oven beeps that it’s at temp, I set a 9-minute timer, and it’s heavenly. I also don’t bother with the rack; it’s a pain to clean, and personally, didn’t see a huge difference in the end result.
Okay, now I have to go make bacon!
I put mine in a COLD oven and then set the heat for 375. I don’t time it. I just kind of keep an eye on it and follow my nose. By the time my teenager comes out of his room, sniffing the air and declaring his love for bacon, it’s probably ready.