This oven bacon recipe is so easy, and it's quickly become my favorite method for cooking bacon, especially when cooking for a crowd.
For perfectly crispy results, set the oven temperature to 400°F and bake the bacon for 20 minutes in the middle of the oven.
I haven't pan-fried bacon in years! Perhaps it makes sense to pan-fry it if you only need a few slices. But for anything more than that, the oven is the best and easiest method.
When prepared this way, the bacon cooks evenly and comes out perfect - not too chewy or crispy.
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Ingredients
You'll simply need 8 ounces of bacon to make this recipe. That's typically one package:
I like to use medium-thickness slices. Not too thick and not too thin. If you use any other thickness, you'll need to slightly adjust the cooking time.
Note that some bacon packages contain 12 ounces. If you use one of these packages, you'll need to use two sheet pans.
Variations
You can sprinkle the bacon slices with spices before baking them, but that's completely optional.
Tasty options include freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. You can also use a pinch of cayenne if you like spicy food.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup) and fit it with a wire rack.
Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on the wire rack.
Place the pan in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Pull the pan out of the oven. Use tongs to transfer the bacon slices to a plate, then serve.
If you use wire racks, there's no need to place the bacon on paper towels to drain it. If you don't use racks, place the bacon on paper towels for a couple of minutes.
Expert Tips
A wire rack is helpful
I like my bacon crispy, so I arrange it on stainless steel wire racks. The wire racks can be washed in the dishwasher, so cleanup is easy. But they're not mandatory. You can simply line your pan with foil or parchment paper and arrange the bacon slices directly on them, as shown in the photo below.
Use a rimmed baking sheet
When cooking bacon in the oven, you should always use a rimmed baking sheet to prevent grease from dripping onto the oven floor and potentially causing a grease fire.
Prevent grease splatters
In my experience, the bacon shouldn't splatter too badly. But if preventing splatters is important to you, a simple method is to loosely cover it while it cooks with a sheet of parchment paper.
Crispy vs. Chewy Bacon
I experimented with different cooking times for oven bacon, as shown in the photos below.
If you like your bacon chewy, I suggest you start checking it after 15 minutes in the oven:
For somewhat crispy bacon, start checking after 20 minutes:
And for very crispy bacon, start checking after 25 minutes:
Remember that oven temperatures vary, so the time it takes to achieve your desired results in your oven might differ from these guidelines.
How to Use Bacon Grease?
When you're done cooking, there will be lots of grease in the bottom of your pan. Please don't pour it down the drain; it will clog your sink!
What you do with the grease left in the pan is up to you. You can simply mop it with paper towels and throw them in the trash.
If you'd like to use the grease (it's delicious), strain it through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass jar. Then seal it and keep it in the fridge for later use. It can stay in the fridge for up to three months.
You can use it in any savory recipe that requires fat for cooking. It's especially good when cooking eggs, so I often use it when making soft-scrambled eggs or an egg white omelet.
Other recipes where you can successfully use bacon fat instead of oil or butter include fried hard-boiled eggs and spinach and eggs scramble.
Recipe FAQs
It's best to set the oven temperature to 400°F. At this temperature, the bacon should be crispy after about 20 minutes. A lower oven temperature (such as 350°F) will take longer; with a higher one (such as 450°F), you risk burning the bacon.
For crispy bacon, 20 minutes at 400°F is ideal. If your bacon slices are thick, they'll need 25 or even 30 minutes.
If you prefer chewy bacon, start with 15 minutes, then check to see if it needs more time.
Oven temperatures and personal preferences vary, so you'll need to experiment until you know what works best for you using your own oven.
There's no need to do that. The bacon will cook beautifully and evenly, especially if you use a wire rack.
One rimmed baking sheet fits an 8-ounce package or about eight slices.
If you need to cook more than one package, simply use two or three baking sheets. The bottom or upper pan will cook faster than the middle one, so you should monitor all pans and remove the ones that are ready from the oven.
Bacon Alternatives
- If you can find pork belly slices at the store, those are also wonderful when baked. They make a great alternative to bacon. They take longer since they are quite thick, and you need to season them well. But they are absolutely delicious!
- Pork jowl is another tasty alternative. I bake it in a slow oven, then broil it briefly to crisp up the fat.
- Another good option, if you can find it (or order online), is duck bacon. I bake it too, and while it's not as fatty or crispy as pork bacon, it's meaty and flavorful.
- And finally, beef bacon is so good. It comes from the belly of the cow, also used to make pastrami. This cut is well-marbled and has a great beefy flavor that the smoking process highlights.
Serving Suggestions
Most of us serve bacon for breakfast with eggs. It goes particularly well with fluffy scrambled eggs, and you can cook the bacon first, then use the rendered fat to cook the eggs.
One of my favorite breakfasts is a plate of crispy bacon, fried eggs, and berries:
Oven bacon can also be used in lunch and dinner recipes, such as:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about 4 days. Reheat them, covered in a paper towel, in the microwave at 50% power.
You can also eat the leftovers cold. Seriously, cold leftover bacon is delicious. Kind of like eating cold deli meat, but even better because it's bacon.
More Bacon Recipes
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Recipe Card
Easy Oven Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon - about 8 strips
- Spices to taste - optional; you can use freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and/or garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and fit it with a wire rack.
- Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on the wire rack. You can also arrange them directly on parchment paper instead of using a rack.
- Bake until the bacon is as crispy as you want it. I bake it for 20 minutes.
- If you didn't use a rack, place the cooked bacon briefly on paper towels to drain, then serve.
Video
Notes
- Whether you use a wire rack or not, you should use a rimmed baking sheet to prevent grease from dripping onto the oven floor and potentially causing a grease fire.
- You can sprinkle the bacon with spices, but this is optional. I typically don't. If you'd like to use spices, add a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
- The bacon shouldn't splatter too badly, in my experience. But if preventing splatters is important to you, a simple method is to loosely cover the bacon while it cooks with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Make sure to wear long oven mitts when removing the pan from the oven.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about 4 days. Reheat them, covered in a paper towel, in the microwave at 50% power.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Allison
Thank you for this foolproof recipe! I agree with you that the oven is perfect when you need to cook bacon for a crowd. We're a family of six, so pan frying would be too time consuming.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you find this recipe useful, Allison!