Simple Tip: Cook Bacon in the Oven

March 29, 2012

Photo: Lauren Hendrickson

A couple of years ago I watched the Barefoot Contessa roast bacon in the oven. She was making a BLT and didn't need the bacon fat. I had never thought to bake bacon, and the idea has changed my life! Now, I roast bacon all the time. It's an easy, convenient, and splatter-free way to cook it. Here's what you do:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Place the raw bacon in a row on the parchment paper.
Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until bacon is crisp and cooked.
Remove bacon to paper towel lined plates, pat dry, and use however you want.

Do you ever cook bacon in the oven?

21 Comments

lauren 41 weeks 19 h

@Josephine Joyce Not sure if you ever found it but I think it is this recipe: http://www.yumsugar.com/French-Toast-Strata-Chicken-Sausage-Recipe-21750068!

Josephine Joyce 51 weeks 2 days

Second request....Has anyone come across the recipe for Overnight French Toast. You make a mixture of wet ingredients and pour it over Challah of French Bread, cover it with tin foil and leave overnight in the refrigerator. Next day, bake in oven. I need the specific ingredients an baking details. Saw it last week on a website, but have since lost it. Thanks to all.

Susannah Chen 1 year 3 weeks

@maurened that's brilliant. Thanks for sharing!

maurened 1 year 3 weeks

I always cook my bacon on a rack in the oven and then freeze so when I make a salad or burger anything and want a little bacon its allready cooked and ready to go. If I haven't used and the date is getting close to use up I throw together a quiche to use it up.

betty kraker 1 year 7 weeks

that is how i cook large amounts or when i dont have the time to fuss with it i will also put sasage links or pattys

HoneyBrown1976 1 year 7 weeks

That's how I cook my bacon!!

2 years 50 weeks

This is the only way to cook bacon!!!! I use the broiling pan. Just let the drippings drip to the bottom. Perfect bacon everytime. Pop it in the Oven and let it cook while you get dressed. Better then a fast food breakfast any day.

POPSUGAR Fitness 3 years 10 weeks

I just started cooking my bacon this way, but I don't use the parchment paper and it comes out just fine.

3 years 10 weeks

I put bacon on a broiler pan on high and turn over when bacon looks done on one side. Best bacon ever and the fat drips through the pan... yummy!

bchicgrl 3 years 10 weeks

Great tip, I would never thought about baking it. I rarely cook it because no matter what I do I always splatter and make a mess.

CoconutPie 3 years 10 weeks

I always cook bacon in the even when I need it for sandwiches or breakfast.

CandaceW 3 years 10 weeks

This is brilliant

CandaceW 3 years 10 weeks

This is brilliant

3 years 10 weeks

I do large amounts of bacon on the broiler pan - I don't actually broil it - I just bake it at 400 for a while. It comes out all flat and perfect and great.

Spectra 3 years 10 weeks

I do it in the oven when I'm going to use it for sandwiches because it comes out so even and flat. But when I'm cooking it and need the fat (like when I make bacon and eggs or I'm rendering it for a recipe), I just cook it in a skillet.

wackdoodle 3 years 10 weeks

I started cooking bacon in the oven like 4 years ago. I only did it because I was at my sister's house and her stove was broken and I knew that she would bitch and moan and continue not to eat because it wasn't a full breakfast. I was cooking breakfast for her to try to get her to eat after spinal fusion surgery and she's very particular eater. She likes her bacon crisp but not even remotely burnt, I personally cannot tolerate bacon that's soaked in grease as it cooks. I couldn't get it crisp on the plug-in griddle so I thought about it a second and took out a cookie sheet, cranked the oven up and lay the raw slices of bacon on top of a cooling rack on the cookie sheet and popped the entire package of bacon in the oven for a little less than 10 minutes. My sister woke for her drug-induced slumber finally ready to eat again. The bacon came out perfectly cooked. Crisp, flat (a pet peeve of both of my nephews) and not greasy. Since then I only cook bacon in the oven as do my nephews. Now my sister complains that all her cookie sheets are tainted with the delicious remnants of bacon. She says bacon flavored chocolate chip cookies don't taste as good as you would think.

wackdoodle 3 years 10 weeks

I started cooking bacon in the oven like 4 years ago. I only did it because I was at my sister's house and her stove was broken and I knew that she would bitch and moan and continue not to eat because it wasn't a full breakfast. I was cooking breakfast for her to try to get her to eat after spinal fusion surgery and she's very particular eater. She likes her bacon crisp but not even remotely burnt, I personally cannot tolerate bacon that's soaked in grease as it cooks. I couldn't get it crisp on the plug-in griddle so I thought about it a second and took out a cookie sheet, cranked the oven up and lay the raw slices of bacon on top of a cooling rack on the cookie sheet and popped the entire package of bacon in the oven for a little less than 10 minutes. My sister woke for her drug-induced slumber finally ready to eat again.The bacon came out perfectly cooked. Crisp, flat (a pet peeve of both of my nephews) and not greasy. Since then I only cook bacon in the oven as do my nephews. Now my sister complains that all her cookie sheets are tainted with the delicious remnants of bacon. She says bacon flavored chocolate chip cookies don't taste as good as you would think.

rinerlt 3 years 10 weeks

my mom has been cooking bacon like this since i was little. in fact, i didnt even know you could do it in a frying pan until my college roommate showed me. i still love broiling it though...comes out in a crispy perfection! :)

chiefdishwasher 3 years 10 weeks

Especially great way when cooking a couple of pounds of bacon....in case I have to share a couple of pieces!

HoneyBrown1976 3 years 10 weeks

I always cook it in the oven. It's so good.

3 years 10 weeks

This is my faaavorite way to cook bacon - it comes out so nice and crispy! I even go as far as to cook them on cooling racks on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. That way all the fat drips off! :)

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21 Comments

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