Cooking bacon in the oven is a great way to cook large batches of bacon easily and evenly. The oven allows the bacon to cook gently and renders out the fat evenly. Oven-cooked bacon comes out crispy and delicious every time. Here are some tips for cooking bacon in the oven from celebritiy chef Rachael Ray.
What You Need
- Bacon – use regular sliced bacon, thick cut bacon, or bacon ends and pieces
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Aluminum foil or parchment paper
- Oven
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Follow these simple steps for perfectly cooked oven bacon every time:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Arrange sliced bacon evenly spaced in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until bacon reaches desired doneness. For regular sliced bacon, bake 15-17 minutes. For thick cut bacon, bake 17-18 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Enjoy your crispy oven-cooked bacon!
Tips
- Cooking times may vary based on oven calibration and bacon thickness. Keep an eye on it near the end of cooking time.
- For less greasy bacon, place bacon on a cooling rack set inside the baking sheet. This allows the grease to drip through.
- Add brown sugar or maple syrup to the bacon before baking for sweet and savory bacon.
- Cook bacon until it’s as crispy as you like it. More well-done bacon will be crunchier.
- Let baked bacon cool for a few minutes before eating, as it will be very hot right out of the oven.
- Refrigerate leftover baked bacon and reheat in the microwave or oven before serving again.
Flavor Variations
Try mixing up the flavor of your oven-baked bacon with these ideas:
- Maple bacon – Brush maple syrup onto bacon before baking.
- Brown sugar bacon – Coat bacon with brown sugar before baking.
- Peppered bacon – Coat bacon with cracked black pepper before baking.
- Spicy bacon – Sprinkle bacon with chili powder or cayenne pepper before baking.
- Herb bacon – Coat bacon with dried herbs like rosemary or thyme before baking.
Serving Suggestions
Baked bacon is delicious eaten on its own, but here are some ideas for serving it:
- Crispy bacon bits on a salad or baked potato
- Add baked bacon to scrambled eggs, omelets or quiche
- Use baked bacon on top of pizza, burgers or hot dogs
- Crumble baked bacon into soups, chilis or pasta dishes
- Wrap baked bacon around cooked asparagus spears or green beans
- Make BLT sandwiches with baked bacon, lettuce and tomato
Storage
To store leftover baked bacon:
- Allow bacon to cool completely after baking.
- Place in an airtight container or ziploc bag.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Reheat leftover bacon slices in the microwave on a paper towel-lined plate for about 30 seconds before serving.
Nutrition
Here is the nutrition information for 3 slices (42g) of pan-fried bacon from the USDA:
| Calories | Fat | Protein | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 9g | 6g | 0g |
Oven-baked bacon is slightly lower in fat and calories than pan fried. But all types of bacon are high in saturated fat and sodium, so enjoy in moderation.
Conclusion
Cooking bacon in the oven is an easy hands-off way to feed a crowd delicious crispy bacon. Preheat the oven, arrange bacon on a baking sheet, and bake until browned and sizzling. Play around with different flavor additions like brown sugar, maple syrup or spices. Baked bacon makes a tasty addition to all kinds of dishes. Store leftovers in the fridge to enjoy during the week.