How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

Strips of bacon in the oven on a round speckled white plate

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

Learn how to make perfectly crisp, golden brown bacon every time with no grease splatter or mess! This is a quick and easy tutorial and video on how to cook bacon in the oven. Once you try it, you'll never go back to the splatter-y mess of the stovetop!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 16

Total Time 21

Servings slices

Calories 92kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet
Foil or parchment paper

Ingredients

12 slices bacon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F (205C) and line a baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil (preferred for easier cleanup). Use enough so the foil or parchment goes up the sides of the pan for easy cleanup later.
Arrange bacon in a single even layer on the prepared pan. Do not overlap the bacon.
12 slices bacon
Transfer pan to 400F (205C) preheated oven and bake on the center rack for 15-20 minutes (this is for classic-cut bacon, thick-cut bacon will likely take longer), flipping the bacon halfway through (see note).
Cool for several minutes and then carefully transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Flipping bacon

I recommend flipping the bacon halfway through, in my experience it makes a better looking and crispier bacon. However, if you are in a hurry or cooking a lot of things at once, you can skip flipping the bacon.

Keep an eye on your bacon

All ovens cook differently and many different brands of bacon are cut to different thickness. If flipping your bacon, gauge its doneness when flipping and when determining how long it needs to go back in the oven. If not flipping the bacon, take a peek at it at 10-12 minutes.

How to dispose of bacon grease

Allow the bacon grease to cool in the pan completely until solidified. If you lined the pan with parchment or foil, simply wrap the solidified grease up in that and toss it in the trash. If you don't want to wait for the grease to solidify, you can funnel it into a heatproof container and dispose of it in the trash later. Never pour bacon grease down your drain, it can clog your pipes.

Nutrition