Oven-baked bacon — truly a little piece of heaven. A few strips can elevate any dish, but stovetop cooking often leaves a greasy mess. This oven method keeps cleanup minimal and produces flat, evenly cooked slices every time. Read on and you might never cook bacon another way.
The secret to excellent oven-baked bacon is choosing thick-cut bacon and using a fairly high temperature. Some people worry about smoke when baking bacon, but with thick-cut slices and the method below I’ve had no issues. Spending a bit more on a quality thick-cut bacon really pays off.
Watch the short video to see how effortless this is, then add thick-cut bacon to your shopping list — your family will thank you.
https://youtu.be/F-nVs4EUK3k
Using the right sheet pan helps, too. A heavy-duty half-sheet pan with raised edges is ideal: the thicker metal distributes heat more evenly, and the higher sides contain the rendered bacon fat for easy cleanup.
One of our favorite ways to enjoy these crisp, golden strips is on a classic BLT with well-toasted bread. For an upgrade, add sliced avocado over the tomatoes — it transforms the sandwich. I’ll admit we each had two sandwiches the other night because they were that good. If your mom taught you bacon on the stovetop, it’s time to move up to oven-baked bacon. Welcome to adulthood.
I also use this same oven method when making my Chocolate Covered Bacon — another irresistible treat worth trying.
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Oven Baked Bacon
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Oven-baked bacon is the best way to cook bacon for consistent results and easy cleanup.
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 1 pound 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup. Arrange the bacon strips in a single layer across the pan. It’s fine if the slices touch — they will shrink as they cook.
- Bake until done to your liking: about 15–20 minutes for tender, slightly chewy bacon, or 20–25 minutes for crispier strips. Cooking time will vary with bacon thickness and your oven. Remove the pan and transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain before serving.
- Author: Carole Jones
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg