Bacon Recipe: How to Make Bacon in the Oven
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Follow my easy Bacon Recipe to learn how to cook bacon in the oven with aluminum foil! Whether you have a rack or not, cooking thick bacon in the oven is easier and less messy than pan frying! You’ll have delicious bacon in no time, without the mess!
Everyone knows that cooking bacon can create quite a mess and be quite a long process. Or at least that used to be the case. That was the old fashioned way.
The new way proves that a good idea sometimes takes time to develop – and it was totally worth the wait.
Forget about using the frying pan for your own bacon, and let the oven take over!
You can use these easy way to cook bacon slices for brown sugar bacon, maple syrup bacon, bacon with smoky flavor, thick-sliced bacon, or any type of bacon that you want.
If you use this recipe for thin bacon, you’ll have extra crispy bacon that is perfectly cooked.
Any home cook can follow this simple recipe to cook up their next batch of bacon! It’s the easiest way to cook individual slices with less mess.
Easy Bacon Recipe
Sure, cooking thick bacon in the oven is a great way to prepare large batches. But have you tried this kitchen hack?
There are 2 new methods that I’m excited to share with you, and one of them causes little to no cleanup. That’s my kind of kitchen tip!
We love bacon around here. I am sure you may have noticed all of the bacon recipe options on our site.
However, I don’t like the mess. Whether it’s a skillet on the stove or in the microwave, there are too many splatters and too much grease to clean up.
Sometimes, the texture isn’t even right.
Trust me — slow cooked bacon is the way to go! It’s a basic recipe that perfectly cooks a lot of bacon fast! (and it doesn’t take a long time to do!)
Benefits of Cooking Thick Bacon in the Oven
- Easy clean-up! No more cleaning splatters off the counter or scraping grease out of your skillets and microwave.
- Cook for a crowd. You can make an entire package of slow cooked bacon on a single oven rack. More racks = even more bacon!
- Lets you multitask. Not only will you free up the stove, but you can literally set the oven and forget it. Focus your attention on the rest of the meal instead.
How to Bake Bacon in the Oven with Aluminum Foil
You will actually need one more item: a wire rack.
Find one specifically for rimmed baking sheets or use the ones you would cool cookies on. As long as it’s oven safe, it works!
Wondering how to cook bacon in the oven without a rack? You’ll have to scroll down a bit more — but you’re going to need foil either way!
Line the entire pan with foil including up and over the rimmed sides. This way, all you have to do is fold it up and toss it once the grease cools and solidifies.
Press the foil gently into the corners to make sure it doesn’t tear. Otherwise, you’ll still need to wash the pan — which defeats the whole point of these bacon recipe tips!
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF. It needs to be nice and hot before the strips go in.
- After covering a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set an oven-safe cross-wire grid cooling rack inside the pan.
- Lay out the slices of bacon on rack in a single layer. Bake for 15-25 minutes.
The length of time will vary based on the thickness of your bacon (thick cut takes longer) and how crispy you like it.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven without a Rack
I used the rack method above for many years, but one day I had cookies cooling on the baking racks and wanted to make bacon.
So, I tried other options. I tried cooking thick bacon in the oven on parchment and foil — this was just too greasy, no matter how much I drained it or patted it with paper towels.
Then, I found my favorite method! I figured out how to cook bacon in the oven with aluminum foil that was crumpled for texture.
The best part? No need to scrub that cooling rack!
First, gently crumple a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil so it’s nice and wrinkled. DO NOT crumple into a little ball — just squish it together and pull it apart.
Lay it across your baking sheet and gently straighten it out. Do NOT smooth it down or you will lose your crumbles. Then, tuck the edges under the lip of the baking sheet.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F while you get the foil ready.
- Lay bacon strips on top of the crumpled foil. As you can see above, the bacon sits across the little ridges.
The bacon drippings will collect in the foil below the bacon (pretty smart, huh?). - Place pan in oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. Thin strips of chewy bacon will take less time than crispy, thick-cut strips.
Slow Cooked Bacon FAQ
You can cook 2 sheets at the same time, but it will increase your overall bake time significantly.
Switch the position of the baking sheets halfway through cooking time so all of the strips are evenly cooked.
First, never overlap bacon strips! Cook in a single layers and leave space between each for best results.
Slow cooked bacon is really easy to get crispy, especially with the tricks mentioned above. Because the strips don’t sit in the grease, the fat is able to render at the right pace.
Draining is the final step! Once cooked, transfer the strips of bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate so they can finish crisping to perfection.
You bet! In fact, it’s easier than ever when you use the methods in this easy bacon recipe.
Remove the strips and allow the grease to cool for about 15 minutes. Then, carefully pour the grease from the corner of the pan into a jar.
Leftover bacon grease will keep for 3 to 6 months in the refrigerator or in the freezer indefinitely. Just be sure to store it tightly sealed!
It has the best flavor, so you can use it in a lot of ways! Enjoy it as it is, or store some in an airtight container to eat later in the week. Break it into bacon bits to put on salads or break it to the right size to add to a sandwich. The finished product makes it easy to add to anything that you want!
You can also store leftovers in a plastic bag and use a vacuum sealer to keep it tight. Then, you can store it in the freezer for later! That’s the first thing I’ll do if I have a ton leftover!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Recipes Using Bacon
Bacon Recipe: How to Make Bacon in the Oven
Ingredients
- 12 strips bacon
Instructions
Cooking Bacon in the Oven without a Rack
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Gently crumple a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil causing wrinkles. DO NOT crumple into a little ball. Just squish it together and pull it apart. Lay it across your baking sheet and gently straighten it out. Do NOT smooth it down or you will lose your crumbles.
- Tuck the edges under the lip of the baking sheet. Lay bacon strips on top of foil. As you can see above the bacon lays across the little ridges. The bacon drippings will collect in the foil below the bacon (pretty smart, huh?). Do not lay strips on top of one another or they will not cook.
- Place pan in oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. The length of time will vary based on the thickness of your bacon (thick cut takes longer) and the doneness you prefer. (I like mine crispy).
- You can cook 2 sheets at the same time, but it will increase your bake time significantly. Switch baking sheets half way though cook time.
Method 2 – Oven Bacon on a Rack
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and place an oven safe cross-wire grid cooling rack in the pan.
- Lay slices of bacon on the rack. Do not overlap the slices or they will not cook properly.
- Place pan in oven and bake for 15-25 minutes. The length of time will vary based on the thickness of your bacon (thick cut takes longer) and the doneness you prefer. (I like mine crispy).
- You can cook 2 sheets at the same time, but it will increase your bake time significantly. Switch baking sheets half way though cook time.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2015, updated and republished September 2024
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I always bake my bacon in a foil-lined pan, but never on a rack because I'd hate to have to scrub it afterwards. I'm going to try your crumpled foil method next time though! Thanks for all of your great recipes and ideas!
I have used the first method but hadn't thought about the second method. Good one!
I have used the first method but hadn't thought about the second method. Good one!
I've been doing this for a couple of years. What I do is just bake it in a foil lined sheet pan. I let it cook in its fat then in the last 5 min or so I tilt the pan with a steel condiment cup and let the bacon crisp.. I don't like to waste the taste the fat gives.
I don't understand how the bacon wouldn't be burnt to a crisp using the temp of 400. I have tried bacon in the oven numerous times and it has burnt even at 325. What am I doing wrong?
It could be your oven. I know most recipes say you don't have
to turn the bacon, but I have to or it will burn on the ends in my oven. I also don't preheat the oven. I put the bacon in a cold oven and then set it to 400°F (got that from the first baked bacon recipe I had come across years ago). I do about 12 mins before turning and then another 3-7 minutes depending on thickness and it's a perfect chewy-kinda crisp for us. I've cooked it this way for years.
This is the method I use and it is successful every time.
When I buy Organic Bacon, uncured it cooks much faster and tends to burn
I don't preheat the oven and mine just right after 15 minutes.
I dust mine with flour, no shrinking.
Do you have to dust it on both side when you turn it? Thankyou
Love cooking bacon in the oven….I use parchment paper instead of foil and it works great as well…
I use the mircrowave
I've used the foil lined pan method for years but crumpling is a great idea as well as dusting with flour.
If you want to try a slice of heaven heat a 1/2 cup maple syrup in the microwave for 15-30 seconds and stir in a 1/4 cup brown sugar until disolved.
The last 5-10 minutes as the bacon is almost done drizzle or baste a little of this on each slice and finish baking.
As you take it out of the pans place pieces on a platter don't put any paper towels under it and avoid overlapping any slices as they will stick to each other.
WARNING; avoid sampling because if your like me it will ALL be gone before anyone else gets any of it!
I cook my bacon on my Weber charcoal grill. Indirect heat and i place a pan underneath that I line with foil. I usually don't separate the slices.
I cook my bacon on my Weber charcoal grill. Indirect heat and i place a pan underneath that I line with foil. I usually don't separate the slices.
I had originally been introduced to this method using the 400 degree oven but found it very easy to overshoot and overcook the bacon. Then I came across directions that indicated 350 degrees. I've been using that lower temperature ever since with better results.
I love it this way but it does make a mess on the oven walls. So your clean up is now cleaning the oven instead of a pan.
was wondering about that. Ovens are big
I used to oven bake our bacon…great for cooking tons of bacon for a crowd. But the "splatters" baked onto the walls of my oven and made it a huge mess. I don't bake it in the oven anymore.
I wondered about all the grease popping out making a mess in the oven.
I love cooking bacon in the oven…I use a rack..foil on bottom of pan…and I have NEVER EVER had a mess in my oven to clean up….roll up the foil and TOSS…. cook about 8 pieces, 350 (preheated) for about 20 minutes…. NEVER HAVE I BURNED IT….sometimes a little undercooked…but never a problem….throw in MICRO for a few seconds and BAM…done….I wrap them in foil, because I never need all I cook….then I have them ready for WHATEVER I need….
TY, TY for posting this! I had tried making my bacon in the oven but REALLY hated trying to get the rack clean afterwards, so I stopped doing it this way. Now, I can go back to baking it using the crumpled foil method. This will just make my cooking time so much easier!
I have been baking my bacon this way for several years…..but I use the rack and have no problems cleaning it with a brush…..i also put the foil up the side of the pan so easy to pour into a container when done…no mess on pan.
I used this bacon baking method with the rack on top of the foil-lined cookie sheet, and it was perfect! Thank you for a no-mess recipe for making bacon. One suggestion — I could not find a search entry on your site in order to comment on this recipe. While your index of recipes is impressive, it took a long time to scroll through all of them to find this one so I could comment. Other than that 5 stars for this method!
We are happy you enjoyed it!! There is a search bar on the top right, it says Recipe Search. Let's Eat! Hope this helps!
I have been cooking bacon in the oven for more than 43 years I didn't realize it was not a commen practice.
Have never had a problem with bacon spattering – But, for my oven (gas) I use 375 temp and opt for about 20-25 min thick cut bacon. Will have to try the crinkled aluminum foil – usually just put it on a rack in the half sheet pan. Doesn't require any big deal to clean it. But oven cooking is the way to go. And much less shrinkage and the bacon doesn't curl.
I've done it with the rack plenty of times. No scrubbing necessary, I just throw it in the dishwasher.
These methods work great, and you’re right it is WAY less messy than in a pan! Thank you!
I try 400 and get smoke so my detector near the kitchen goes off. Then I try 350 and it takes longer but still smokes. I use the crumpled foil method. Why does this happen when not to so many others?
I have baked in the oven for years. Quick, easy way to do lots at once. I’ve never had a problem with it burning or making a mess in my oven. I’ve preheated and started cold and used temps from 350 to 400 adjusting time as needed. All work fine.
I use the rack method and spray with it Pam prior. Makes clean-up simple.
I have done bacon in the oven for several years. I like the crumpled foil method. We like thick cut bacon and usually bake it 24-25 minutes. If you don’t bake it enough, the under-side will be very pale and soft.
I used the pan and no foil. I a. going to try the foil so I don’t have that mess to clean! Wonderful idea!