How to Make Bacon in the Oven

My entire childhood began on Saturday mornings with smelling a skillet of bacon cooking on the stove. But many years ago I changed the way I cook bacon because I discovered that cooking bacon on the stovetop wasn’t the best way to do it.

Video: How to easily make bacon in the oven

The benefits of bacon baked in the oven

From my point of view, there are a few good reasons to bake bacon:

1. This keeps your stove clean. You don’t have to worry about bacon grease splashing around your kitchen and you can use your burners for other things.
2. It’s less work. You don’t have to worry about constantly turning the bacon or keeping a close eye on it. Pop it in the oven and come back later for nice bacon!
3. Most importantly, the bacon cooks evenly . Some cuts may cook a little faster if cut to a different thickness, but generally, oven-baked bacon is crispy all over!

So, yes – bake your bacon!

The best bacon for baking

I prefer center-cut bacon that’s an even thickness across the width. I generally don’t like to bake thick-cut bacon because it takes longer, but you can bake any bacon you want. Just add 5-10 minutes to the bake time if using a thick-cut bacon.

Rack or no rack?

If you have an ovenproof rack (like a metal cooling rack), I recommend using it. Cooking the bacon on a wire rack allows the heat to circulate around the bacon, meaning you don’t have to worry about turning it halfway through cooking. The grate also allows all of the fat to drip off, meaning your bacon comes out even crispier!

However, if you don’t have a grate and don’t want to buy a new appliance, you can cook the bacon directly on a sheet pan. Just remember to flip it halfway!

The right temperature for baking bacon

I like to bake my bacon at 375°F, and I recommend starting it in a cold oven. This will slowly melt the fat out of the bacon, resulting in a crispier finished bacon. (Unless you’re making candied bacon, in which case you’ll want the oven preheated so the sugar caramelizes quickly!)

While 375°F is my ideal temperature, if you’re cooking something else in your oven, you can throw in a sheet of bacon at almost any temperature and it will be fine. If you cook it hotter, just keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Store and reheat bacon

Storing bacon is easy. Once chilled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Heat the bacon in short 15-second bursts in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave.

You can also freeze the bacon if you made a large batch. Just make sure you freeze the strips individually or between pieces of parchment paper so they don’t stick together.

love bacon? Try these recipes!

• Guacamole with charred sweetcorn, bacon and tomato
• Cauliflower pasta with bacon and parmesan
• Deviled Eggs with Sour Cream and Bacon
• Pasta with butternut squash, bacon and brown butter
• ham jam