Bacon is one of the most beloved foods of all time. It’s crispy, savory, and deliciously salty, and can be served in a variety of ways. While most people fry their bacon on the stove, baking it is actually a great alternative that yields perfect results every time. Today, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide on How To Bake Bacon to perfection!
Why Bake Bacon?
Baking bacon has a few advantages over frying it on the stove.
- Baking allows for even cooking and consistent results. With frying, it can be difficult to ensure that each piece of bacon is cooked perfectly. Some slices may end up over-done, while others may be undercooked. When you bake bacon in the oven, you can be sure that each slice will cook evenly, resulting in a crispy and delicious end product.
- Another benefit of baking bacon is that it allows the excess fat to drip off, resulting in a crispier and less greasy end product. When you fry bacon on the stove, the bacon sits in its own grease, resulting in a greasy and sometimes soggy end product. With baking, the bacon sits on a metal cooling rack that allows the excess fat to drip off, resulting in crispier bacon.
- Baking bacon is also a more hands-off method, which frees up time to prepare other parts of breakfast (or your meal) while the bacon is cooking. With frying, you have to stand over a hot stove and check the bacon often to ensure that it cooks evenly. With baking, you can simply place the bacon in the oven and let it cook while you focus on other tasks.
- Finally, baking bacon is a great option for those who want to cook a large batch of bacon at once. When frying bacon on the stove, you may only be able to cook a few slices at a time. With baking, you can cook an entire package of bacon at once, making it a more efficient and convenient option.
How To Bake Bacon (With Tips and Tricks)
Now that you know the benefits of baking bacon, it’s important to know how to do it properly. Follow these tips and tricks to ensure that your bacon comes out perfectly crispy and delicious every time.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure your oven is fully heated before you start baking your bacon.
- Use an extra-large sheet pan with raised sides. This will prevent the bacon grease from spilling over onto your oven and causing a mess.
- Use an oven-safe, heavy-duty metal cooling rack. Placing the bacon on a cooling rack will allow the excess fat to drip off, resulting in a crispier and less greasy end product.
- Grease the cooling rack lightly with cooking spray. This will prevent the bacon from sticking to the rack and ensure that it cooks evenly.
- Arrange the bacon slices in an even layer, making sure that they are not touching. This will prevent the bacon from sticking together and ensure that each slice cooks evenly.
- Bake the bacon until golden and crisp. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your bacon slices, so keep an eye on them as they cook.
- Remove the bacon from the oven and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Blot the excess grease off the bacon with another paper towel to remove any remaining grease.
How To Use Baked Bacon
Here are some ways to use your beautifully baked bacon:
- In breakfast dishes: Baked bacon is a perfect addition to breakfast dishes like omelets, Scrambled Eggs, breakfast burritos, or breakfast sandwiches. You can also crumble it up and sprinkle it over Pancakes or Waffles for a savory twist.
- In salads: Baked bacon can add a salty, smoky flavor to any salad. Crumble it up and sprinkle it over a classic Wedge Salad or Caesar salad, or use it to top our current salad obsession–this Herbalicious Quinoa Salad
- In sandwiches or wraps: Baked bacon is a classic sandwich ingredient. Use it in a BLT or add it to a turkey or chicken sandwich or wrap for an extra burst of flavor. We love bacon in this Turkey Wrap!
- In pasta dishes: Baked bacon can be used to add depth of flavor to pasta dishes. Try adding it to our favorite Fettuccine Alfredo or Chicken Alfredo Recipe
- Over soup: We love crumbling some baked bacon on top of a good, creamy soup recipe. Try adding it to our Cauliflower Soup Recipe or Broccoli Soup.
Storage
Here’s how to store baked bacon:
- Let the bacon cool: Before storing the bacon, make sure it has cooled completely.
- Store in an airtight container: Place the cooled bacon in an airtight container, such as a plastic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure the container is large enough to hold the bacon without squishing it.
- Refrigerate or freeze: If you plan on using the bacon within a few days, store it in the refrigerator. If you want to store it for longer than a few days, you can freeze it. Place the container of bacon in the refrigerator or freezer, depending on your storage needs.
- Reheat before serving: When you’re ready to serve the bacon, reheat it in the oven or microwave. To reheat in the oven, place the bacon on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until heated through. To reheat in the microwave, place the bacon on a microwave-safe plate and heat in 15-30 second intervals until heated through.
Add Bacon To One Of These Recipes:
- Arugula Salad with a white balsamic vinaigrette
- Cheesy Potatoes add bacon on top of the crunchy topping!
- Big Mac In A Bowl add bacon for extra protein!
- Biscuits and Gravy mix bacon into the sausage gravy
- Potato Leek Soup sprinkle bacon on top!
How To Bake Bacon
Bacon is one of the most beloved foods of all time. It’s crispy, savory, and deliciously salty, and can be served in a variety of ways. While most people fry their bacon on the stove, baking it is actually a great alternative that yields perfect results every time. Today, we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide on How To Bake Bacon to perfection!
Equipment
- Sheet pan with raised sides
- Oven-safe, heavy-duty metal cooling rack
- foil
- Cooking Spray
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon (Note 1)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Take an extra-large sheet pan with raised sides and line well with foil. Place a metal cooling rack on top of the tray. Lightly grease the cooling rack with cooking spray.
- Place bacon slices in an even layer (not touching) on top of the cooling rack.
- Bake the bacon in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until it is golden and crisped to your liking. The cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your bacon slices, so keep an eye on them as they cook.
- Remove the bacon from the oven and place it on a paper towel-lined plate. Blot the excess grease off the bacon with another paper towel to remove any remaining grease. Enjoy whole pieces or dice to use in recipes.
- You can wad up the foil with grease and discard OR carefully transfer the grease to a mason jar. Save that grease in the fridge and use in recipes--delish!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Each slice of bacon should be around 1 ounce for this timing. You can cook as many slices as you can fit on the cooling rack, this is 8 for me!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 11.1g | Cholesterol: 18.5mg | Sodium: 185.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have always wondered if it’s safe to cook bacon in a GAS oven. I mean . . . there is a FLAME in there! Will I catch my oven on fire if I try this? Also, doesn’t it make a greasy mess inside the oven? I know what my stovetop looks like after cooking bacon, so will the grease splatter in the same way in my oven?
This is a no-fail recipe – Thank you Chelsea!
So happy to hear this! Thanks so much Shirley! 🙂