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About This Recipe
If you love bacon but haven’t started cooking it in the oven yet, let me tell you, it’s a GAME CHANGER! Seriously, if you’ve ever cooked bacon in a frying pan you know the huge mess it can make. You’re left with grease splatters everywhere and you’re limited in the amount of bacon you can cook at once. Definitely not ideal for a big crowds, holiday breakfast or lots of hungry kids!
Plus, you have to stand over the stove pretty much the whole time making it hard to cook anything else simultaneously.
That’s why I think the easiest way to cook bacon is in the oven! Just line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and let the oven do all the work. Not only does the oven allow you to cook a big batch at once but it also frees you up to cook breakfast items like pancakes, french toast or scrambled eggs while it bakes! Once the bacon is done, just let it cool then toss the sheet of parchment paper in the trash for easy cleanup.
Another reason cooking bacon in the oven is the best, each piece of bacon gets evenly crispy! You can adjust the baking time based on personal preference so all you bacon lovers can get it just like you like it!
Clearly bacon for breakfast is a staple but there’s honestly so many more ways to enjoy bacon. Some of my favorite ways include crumbling it into bacon bits for a cobb salad, throwing it on a sandwich like my bacon turkey bravo or adding it to these bacon cheddar egg bites!
Why You’ll Love This Crispy Baked Bacon
- My favorite method to cook bacon! Way less mess than cooking on the stove top!
- So many ways to enjoy! Serve for breakfast, add to sandwiches, crumble over salads!
- Great for cooking a lot of bacon at once. Perfect for feeding a crowd or meal prep!
- Allows you to multi-task in the kitchen. Let the bacon cook while you prep some pancakes or waffles!
- Cook bacon to your desired level of crispiness!
- Bacon: you can use regular bacon or thick cut bacon. Generally, thicker bacon tends to be chewier, whereas thinner cuts result in a crispier texture. Whatever your preference, use that!
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Turkey bacon: you can certainly use turkey bacon for this recipe if you prefer just note turkey bacon has a lower fat content and will require less baking time.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Adjust oven rack so it’s placed in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a baking sheet. Line with parchment paper or foil (for easy clean up) and place a fitted wire rack on top. Lay the bacon slices on top of the rack. It’s ok if they touch but make sure they’re not overlapping.
2. Season with some freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
3. Bake for 15-22 minutes or until the bacon is as “crispy” / browned as you like. Thicker cuts will take a little longer and thinner cuts won’t need quite as long. Bacon cuts can vary so watch closely at the end.
4. Let bacon cool / drain directly on the wire cooling rack. Pat both sides with a paper towel to remove grease and help crisp up (or transfer to a paper towel-lined plate). Bacon will crisp up even more as it cools.
Store leftover bacon in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze cooked bacon up to 2 months. To thaw, just let bacon sit on countertop for a few minutes (bacon thaws in minutes so you use be able to use right away).
I personally love cold bacon but you can reheat the bacon if you prefer. The best way to reheat is to pop it in air fryer for a couple minutes to keep it crispy but you can also microwave it on a paper plate lined with paper towels in 30 seconds increments (just be careful not to overcook or it will become chewy bacon).
Helpful Tips
- Parchment paper: I highly recommend lining your large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up!
- Oven temp: remember that all ovens cook slightly different. I’ve found 400F works well for both regular and thick-cut bacon but just take a look at your bacon around the 10-12 minute mark to make sure it’s not already too brown/burnt and adjust baking time as needed.
- Large baking sheet: I love using this large baking sheet to make sure I can cook a whole package of bacon at once. It’s super important that your bacon lays in a single layer (not overlapping) so the air can circulate and crisp up the bacon. Also make sure to use a rimmed baking sheet to that the grease doesn’t drip off into the oven. If you don’t have a big enough cookie sheet, feel free to use two so you have enough room.
- Save the bacon fat: once you remove the tray of bacon from the oven, pour the rendered fat into a glass container (don’t use plastic or it will melt) and save for later. Bacon grease has a high smoke point so it’s great for scrambling eggs, searing meats or adding a ton of flavor to roasted veggies. Seriously, it’s like liquid gold for cooking! Just let bacon grease cool and store in an airtight container for later use.
- Rotate your pan: to ensure even cooking, rotate your pan halfway through baking.
Can I use tin foil instead of parchment paper?
Yes, you can use tin foil instead of parchment paper to bake bacon. Just make sure to use heavy-duty aluminum foil (so it doesn’t tear on the baking pan letting the grease seep through) and lightly spray it with olive oil so the bacon doesn’t stick (typically only needed if using thin-cut bacon with less fat). Also, the cook time might be shorter since it’ll cook faster on the foil.
What’s the best type of bacon to use for crispy bacon?
The thickness of your bacon will typically determine how crispy it gets! For extra crispy bacon, I recommend grabbing thinner regular cut bacon. If you like chewier bacon, feel free to grab thicker-cut bacon. The thickness of bacon can vary per pack so try look at the few pieces of bacon that show in the package before choosing to make sure you get your ideal bacon.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Crispy Oven Baked Bacon
Ingredients
- 12 oz. bacon regular sliced, see notes
- Fresh cracked black pepper
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Instructions
- Adjust oven rack so it’s placed in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Prepare a baking sheet. Line with parchment paper or foil (for easy clean up) and place a fitted wire rack on top.
- Lay the bacon slices on top of the rack. it’s ok if they touch but make sure they’re not overlapping.
- Season with some freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Bake for 15-22 minutes or until the bacon is as “crispy” / browned as you like. Thicker cuts will take a little longer and thinner cuts won’t need quite as long. Bacon cuts can vary so watch closely at the end.
- Let bacon cool / drain directly on the wire rack. Pat both sides with a paper towel to remove grease and help crisp up (or transfer to a paper towel lined plate). Bacon will crisp up even more as it cools.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
