Learn How to Oven Bake Bacon in just a few simple steps!
Cooking bacon in the oven is the easiest way to get crisp, evenly cooked strips. Plus, clean-up is way easier - no grease all over the place, or splatters to chase.
This will serve as a guide, instead of an exact process, because the thickness of your bacon will change up the cooking time. If your oven runs cool or hot, that can make a difference too. I'm going to assume that your oven holds the proper temperature, or that you'll adjust it if it doesn't.
Gluten-Free Bacon Brands:
My favorite gluten-free bacon brand is Pedersen Farms, which is also the company that makes my favorite breakfast sausages. Pedersen Farms doesn't add sugar to their bacon, which I love, so I'm getting actually meaty flavor rather than sweet. I also like the gluten-free, no sugar bacon from both Applegate and Jones Dairy Farm, and Wellshire Farms makes several Paleo-friendly products too. Those four brands make all of their bacon products gluten-free. Additional brands that offer gluten-free bacon are Hormel, Oscar Meyer, Farmer John and Wright. My husband has also gotten into making our own bacon, so I'll share that recipe when he's got it dialed in.
Tools for Making Bacon in the Oven:
I use a wire baking rack over a sheet pan to cook bacon in the oven. That allows the bacon fat to drip down, and the bacon to get evenly crisp. You could also use a broiler pan if you have one of those handy. Then I use the bacon fat to cook something else, like eggs or Brussels Sprouts.
Now follow the directions below to learn how to oven bake bacon and give it a try! Pair it with my Eggs Baked in Avocado recipe for a gorgeous breakfast platter that everyone will dive into.
What is the Best Temperature for Bacon in the Oven?
For perfectly cooked bacon, with no burnt spots and little mess, bake at 350F. Many recipes call for 400F, which is faster, of course, but can also scorch the bacon and usually causes the fat to burn on the pan, making for more difficult cleanup. Baking bacon at 350F allows you to keep a closer eye on it too, and pull it out at just the right doneness. Thick-cut bacon will take 15-20 minutes at 400F, and 25-30 minutes at 350F. Thin-cut bacon cooks for 12-14 minutes at 400F and 18-20 minutes at 350F
Here's how to oven bake bacon - let's do this!
How to Oven Bake Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 ounce package of bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place bacon slices in a single even layer across wire rack. Bake the bacon for 20-30 minutes, depending on how crisp you want the bacon (check it after 20 minutes).
- Remove the bacon from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Bacon photos by Alycia Moreno, Breakfast platter photo by Meg of This Mess Is Ours
More bacon goodness!
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This delicious BLT Salad (with added egg & avocado) is from my friend Teri Turner’s No Crumbs Left: Recipes for Everyday Food Made Marvelous cookbook, and it's a definite winner! It uses her famous Marinated Red Onions, which you should try too.
Brown Sugar Bacon: possibly the best bacon recipe ever.
Do you think it's possible to make bacon even more alluring? Well, it is. Try this delicious brown sugar bacon as soon with your next breakfast. For sobbing out loud, all you need to do is add a little brown sugar, and an (optional) pinch of chili powder. It's so easy!
Frequently Asked Questions about How to Oven Bake Bacon:
Thin cut bacon should take 12-14 minutes at 400F, and thick cut bacon will take 15-20 minutes, dependent upon thickness and how crisp you'd like the bacon to be. It's a good idea to turn the bacon at least once at 400F so none of it burns.
Thick-cut bacon will take 15-20 minutes at 400F, and 25-30 minutes at 350F. Thin-cut bacon cooks for 12-14 minutes at 400F and 18-20 minutes at 350F.
Yes, the easiest way to cook bacon evenly is in the oven. In fact, most restaurants cook bacon in the oven.
No, you do not need to flip bacon when cooking it in the oven. To get an even cook, use a wire baking rack over a sheet pan or a broiler pan so the heat can cook the bacon from both sides.
Cooking bacon in the oven at a lower heat, 350F instead of 400F, keeps the bacon fat from splattering and also prevents the ends from scorching.
Cooking bacon in the oven at 350F a wire baking rack over a sheet pan is the cleanest - and easiest - way to cook bacon. The oven temp keeps the bacon fat from splattering and also prevents the ends from scorching. Once the bacon is cooked, you can pour off the fat for another use and easily wash the rack in the dishwasher.
Yes, bacon and other cured meats can contain gluten in flavorings and spices. Gluten-free bacon is available from Pedersen Farms, Applegate, Jones Dairy Farm, and Wellshire Farms - these four brands make all of their bacon products without gluten. Additional brands that offer gluten-free bacon are Hormel, Oscar Meyer, Farmer John and Wright.
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