Baking bacon results in perfectly cooked bacon, every time! Everybody loves bacon, right? Let me show you how to make PERFECT bacon every time – you’ll never make it another way again! How to Bake Bacon for the most perfect bacon you’ve ever seen! Step by step instructions make this so easy – restaurant quality bacon is just an oven away 🙂
Baking Bacon: A How To Guide to Making Perfect Bacon Every Time!
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Baking Bacon
Making perfect bacon is easier than you might think. I used to forgo making bacon because the gigantic mess it made just wasn’t worth the amazing taste. A few years ago I learned about baking bacon and it has changed my life forever.
Why should you bake your bacon?
- Baked bacon does not curl – you get nice straight bacon pieces every time.
- Cooks evenly – no white fatty pieces on one end and burnt bacon on the other.
- No splattering of bacon grease all over the place.
- No need to babysit the bacon. You don’t even have to turn it over!
- Tastes delicious.
What you will need to bake bacon:
- Shallow baking sheet
- Foil (heavy-duty preferable)
- Metal Cooling Rack (optional)
- Non-stick cooking spray (optional)
- Paper towels
How To Cook Bacon In The Oven:
- Line the baking sheet with foil. (You will want to use a baking sheet that has enough of a rim that it contains the bacon drippings.)
- If using a metal cooling rack, spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray, and place the rack inside the baking sheet.
- Place the bacon slices in a single layer either directly on the foil or on a rack Make sure not to overlap slices.
- Turn the oven on and set to 400 degrees. Do not wait for the oven to preheat. Go ahead and place the pan in the oven.
- Cook the bacon for 12-17 minutes. Cooking time depends on the thickness of your bacon, and how long it takes for you oven to come to temperature. Start checking your bacon around 10 minutes to ensure your bacon doesn’t burn. (Nothing worse than burnt bacon!)
- When the bacon is golden brown, the bacon is done.
- Once the bacon has reached your desired level of crispiness, remove immediately and place on paper towels to soak up the bacon grease.
- Eat and enjoy!
Tips for Perfect Baked Bacon
- The oven should be cold when you put the bacon in – do not preheat.
- Make sure you are watching the bacon closely during the last few minutes of baking to ensure that the bacon doesn’t burn.
- Remove the bacon from the rack or baking sheet right after removing from oven. The bacon will continue cooking as long as it is left in the pan or bacon fat.
- It is easy to flavor up the bacon. Try black pepper or brown sugar sprinkled on the top before baking – it will give your bacon a whole new flavor.
- Want to freeze your bacon? Under-cook your bacon by a couple of minutes , let it cool and then place it in Ziploc bag. To reheat, pull out a couple of slices and cook in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds.
 How To Bake Bacon
Baking Bacon: A How-To Guide to Making Perfect Bacon Every Time
Ingredients
- 8 oz bacon
- Shallow baking sheet
- Foil heavy-duty preferable
- Metal Cooling Rack optional
- Non-stick cooking spray optional
- Paper towels
Instructions
- Line the baking sheet with foil. (You will want to use a baking sheet that has enough of a rim that it contains the bacon drippings.)
- If using a metal cooling rack, spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray, and place the rack inside the baking sheet.
- Place the bacon slices in a single layer either directly on the foil or on a rack Make sure not to overlap slices.
- Turn the oven on and set to 400 degrees. Do not wait for the oven to preheat. Go ahead and place the pan in the oven.
- Cook the bacon for 12-17 minutes. Cooking time depends on the thickness of your bacon, and how long it takes for you oven to come to temperature. Start checking your bacon around 10 minutes to ensure your bacon doesn’t burn. (Nothing worse than burnt bacon!)
- When the bacon is golden brown, the bacon is done.
- Once the bacon has reached your desired level of crispiness, remove immediately and place on paper towels to soak up the bacon grease.
- Eat and enjoy!
Nutrition
Some yummy bacon recipes:
Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Breakfast Burrito Bonanza – A Freezer Meal Idea
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
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Nicole of What Matters Most Now says
I love your idea for precooking bacon then freezing it! So often I have recipes that call for cooked bacon but only a bit, so this will be wonderful! Thank you! Also, have you ever drizzled with maple syrup before baking? It’s really delicious!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Yes I have and oh yes, it is delicious! My husband loves it that way 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by Nicole! Merry Christmas!
~*~Savannah~*~ says
Thank you so much for this post!! I’m scared of getting popped by grease, so I avoid making bacon at any cost…the problem is that I love bacon and so do my boys and my husband. This morning I will be making bacon for my boys for the first time in a while, so again Thank you!
Kim (TheMoney-Pit) says
I love baked bacon. Oh, who am I kidding.. I just love ANY bacon.
Kristin says
Genius! Definitely trying this this weekend =)
Visiting from Tip Junkie
Mashell says
I know you posted this recipe forever ago, but thanks! I’m a teacher prepping for the new school year and those first couple of weeks it’s impossible to cook for yourself. If I don’t have homemade food in the freezer, I end up eating out, or not eating.
I’m substituting turkey bacon and turkey kielbasa sausage for the bacon and breakfast sausage, and doing half whole eggs and half egg whites. Plus I’m adding sauteed veggies.
According to a website that analyzed the modified recipe, it should end up only 340 calories a burrito! And they sound so tasty–I think I’ll actually remember to eat breakfast that first week of school. 🙂
Trish says
You are welcome Mashell and thanks for sharing! Your versions sounds delicious!
Serendipity and Spice says
Why have I not heard of this?! I never make bacon because it’s such a mess- but I LOVE having BLT’s in the summer and eating it with breakfast on Saturday mornings. 🙂 Hope you’ll stop by and say Hi!
Anonymous says
I tried this. I does not begin to taste like bacon fried in the pan. It has a different slightly chewy texture and I like my bacon crisp.
Russ says
Yep…. agreed
Christine @ Angel Stitch Embroidery and Jezebel says
I have also been baking my bacon for years. My current favorite way to cook it (if I don’t have too large a group to cook for) is to cook it in my cast iron pan. It turns out crispier than in a foil lined dish for me…..Although I have been cooking it at 350. I will have to try it at 400. Thanks!
Alison @ Oopsey Daisy says
Wow. I should really try this. I hate all of the bacon splatters. I am curious to see if it really turns out crispy!! Thanks for sharing at oopsey daisy!
Ginny @ OrganizingHomelife.com says
I have wanted to try this since my friend told me she does it – but I haven’t tried it yet. I was so afraid the grease would splatter all over the oven. Thanks for the detailed instructions! I saw this over on Oopsey Daisy. I’d love for you to link it up to Simply Sensational Tuesday, too! 🙂
http://www.organizinghomelife.com/archives/2912
RikkiW says
Maybe I am doing something wrong but my bacon isn’t getting crispy. Well not MY definition of crispy anyway. I love not getting grease splattered all over me though.
LB says
Thanks for this past! DH has tried to bake bacon in the past using the directions on the package but it hasn’t really worked. Def. gonna try this!
Di-licious says
Thank you for reminding me about baking bacon! When I was an apprentice chef we would brush pancetta (italian bacon) with melted honey and then bake it. We lined the trays with baking paper which made clean up a breeze (I find stuff always seems to stick to foil).
I generally freeze bacon when I buy it but had never considered pre-cooking it first! Great tip!!!!
Found you through Thriving on Thursday over at Domesblissity!
Holly Lefevre says
I could have used this earlier! I hate making bacon on the stove (so messy!). This is great!
The Dandelion Girl says
yummers !
I love bacon and do not eat it nearly enough… something about cooking it on a stove top (or in the microwave) weirds me out… This seems so much better!