Name: Oven Baked Bacon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: bacon (traditional cut and about 12 ounces per pan)

Baking bacon in the ovenis the simplest way to make a large or small amount of crispy bacon with minimal cleanup! This easy bacon recipe comes out perfect every time.

Top view of two white plates each with three slices of bacon, a fried egg, and toast with jam on it.

My mom is a traditional stove-top bacon fryer, and that’s all that I really knew. But a few years ago my grandpa mentioned that he would bake large quantities of bacon in the oven to serve to his men’s group at church. That was honestly the first time I had ever heard about oven-baked bacon.

With oven-baked bacon, the house definitely smells delightful, and all of the babies come to see what I’m cooking, but it doesn’t linger forever or make your clothes stink because you were standing over the pan. And you will LOVE how easy it is to get evenly crispy pieces, and it literally takes out all of the work of cooking bacon. This bacon is the perfect addition to someover easy eggs, andbuttermilk pancakes.

Top view of lots of bacon on a paper towel.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Oven bacon requires little to no effort
Anyone can make perfect bacon every time with this easy-to-follow oven recipe!
You don’t get splattered with hot grease.
Easy to clean up, and the smell is not quite so in-your-face when you are done.

Recipe Ingredients

Bacon– Traditional cut

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities

How to Make Bacon in the Oven

Step 1.Set oven to 400°F.

Step 2.Line a baking sheet with foil and place bacon on it.

Step 3.Cook for 18-22 minutes until desired crispiness.

Step 4.Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and discard the foil once cool. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Is it better to bake or fry bacon?

If you ask me, baking! It’s so much easier than the conventional frying method, and makes for such a swifter cleanup.

What is the least messy way to cook bacon?

Baking is definitely the least messy bacon cooking method. There’s no grease splatter, greasy pans, or smelly clothes since everything’s contained inside the oven.

Is it better to cook bacon fast or slow?

Slower is actually better because it will keep it from seizing up totally. Instead of frying it over high heat, I prefer to bake it at 400 degrees F. for about 20 minutes.

What is the healthiest bacon?

If you want a healthier cut of bacon, look for bacon that’s thinly sliced with minimal fat. However, bacon is just a fatty meat, so there will always be some fat on it. For a lower fat option, try turkey bacon (which you can make in the oven using this same method). That being said, turkey bacon is more processed than normal bacon so take it for what it is… if you are going to eat bacon. Eat it, enjoy it, and live your live 🙂

Up close of a plate with three pieces of bacon, an egg sunny side up, and a piece of toast with jam on it.

Expert Tips

Line your baking sheet with foilor parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
Youdon’t have to wait for your oven to preheat all of the wayto start cooking your bacon.
Startchecking the bacon a few minutes before the endof the cooking time to avoid overcooking, as ovens can vary.
Pour therendered bacon greaseinto a heat-resistant container anduse it for cooking other dishesfor added flavor.
If using thick-cut bacon, you may need toadjust the cooking time.

A hand dipping a piece of bacon in the runny egg yolk next to toast with jam.

How to Serve and Store Oven Baked Bacon

The obvious way to pair bacon is with the breakfast classics such as withpoached eggs, inbreakfast tacos, in abreakfast burrito, or on abagel sandwich. You may also enjoy it in mychicken bacon ranch pasta salad,chicken wrap with bacon and ranch, or in myfall salad with maple candied pecans, bacon, apples, and shaved brussels sprouts.

Store any leftover bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through before serving, or enjoy it cold.