Are you ready to make bacon like a pro without all the mess? Get ready for crispy, tasty bacon straight from the oven! Whether you love bacon or just want an easy way to cook, I’ll show you how to make perfect bacon every time!
I’ve been cooking bacon in the oven for several years now. Figuring out how to do it was almost a life-changing event for me! I hated “babysitting” the bacon pan on the stove so that it got just the right amount of crispy without burning it.
One of the best tricks for cooking perfectly crispy, evenly cooked bacon with minimal mess is to bake it in the oven But should you place the raw bacon directly on the baking sheet or line it with parchment paper first? Here’s why lining your sheet with parchment before adding the bacon makes cleanup so much easier.
Why Bake Bacon in the Oven?
Before getting into the parchment paper debate let’s go over why baking bacon in the oven is a great cooking method in the first place
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Hands-off cooking – No need to constantly watch and flip the bacon like when pan frying. Just pop it in the oven.
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Even cooking – The bacon cooks evenly on all sides without burning. No undercooked fatty spots.
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Perfect crispiness – The gentle oven heat crisps up the bacon nicely without toughening it.
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Big batches – Fit a lot more bacon on a sheet pan vs. a skillet. Great for meal prepping.
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Minimal splatter – Baking contains the grease spatter so your stovetop stays clean.
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Easy cleanup – The rimmed baking sheet contains all the grease in one place for quick cleaning.
Baking gives you crispy, evenly cooked bacon every time with less babysitting and splatter. But it can still make a mess on your pan. Here’s where parchment paper comes in.
Why Put Parchment Paper Under Bacon
Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil before adding the bacon makes cleanup so much easier. Here’s why it’s beneficial:
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Nonstick surface – Food doesn’t stick to parchment like it does a bare pan. Bacon comes right off.
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Absorbent – The paper soaks up all the bacon grease so your pan stays pristine.
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Disposable – After cooking, just ball up the paper and toss it out along with the grease.
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No scrubbing – The pan bottom stays totally clean after cooking. No tough scrubbing needed.
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Saves money – Using disposable parchment ultimately costs less than constantly using paper towels and scrubbers to clean greasy pans.
How to Bake Bacon on Parchment Paper
Baking bacon on parchment paper is super easy. Follow these simple steps:
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
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Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on the parchment/foil.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes for chewy bacon, up to 30 minutes for crispy.
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Remove pan from oven and transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
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Once cooled, simply ball up the parchment paper with the bacon grease and discard everything at once.
That’s it! The pan lifts right off the bacon and absorbs all the grease for no-fuss cleanup.
Parchment vs. Foil for Baking Bacon
You can use either parchment paper or aluminum foil to line your baking sheet before cooking bacon. Here’s how they compare:
Parchment
- More nonstick than foil
- Absorbs small amounts of grease
- Disposable and compostable
- Can withstand up to 450°F oven
- Not moisture/vapor proof
Aluminum Foil
- Can hold more grease without leaking
- Can mold up edges to catch grease
- Withstands up to 500°F oven
- Can tent food to retain moisture
- Reusable if cleaned properly
Both options work well. Parchment may take a small amount of scrubbing if loads of grease leaks through. Foil holds more grease but requires hot water and scrubbing to reuse.
Other Benefits of Parchment Paper
Beyond baking bacon, lining pans with parchment paper provides several advantages:
- Prevents food from sticking to pans
- Allows quick release of baked goods
- Easy cleanup from drips and spills
- Can fold into shapes to hold ingredients together
- Withstands high heats for roasting and baking
- Keeps bottoms from burning or cooking too fast
Parchment is inexpensive and widely available. Keeping a roll on hand makes cooking and cleanup much more convenient.
Frequently Asked Questions About Parchment Paper and Bacon
Here are answers to some common questions about baking bacon on parchment paper:
Should bacon touch when baking?
It’s best not to overlap bacon slices. Lay them in a single layer to ensure even cooking.
Do you put parchment paper on top of bacon?
No, lay bacon directly on the parchment-lined pan. No need for a sheet on top.
Does baking bacon splatter less?
Yes, containing it in the oven greatly reduces splatter vs. pan frying.
Is baking better than frying bacon?
Baking gives you hands-off, splatter-free, evenly cooked bacon. But pan frying can be faster. Try both to see which you prefer!
How long does bacon last after baking?
Cooked bacon lasts 3-4 days in the fridge. Freeze any longer term portions.
Get Crispy Oven Bacon Without the Mess
If you’re not already baking your bacon, give it try! Lining your sheet pan with parchment paper before adding the bacon allows for splatter-free cooking and absurdly easy cleanup. Simply ball up the greasy parchment and toss it when finished cooking. Combine baking with parchment paper for less mess, and you may never go back to pan frying again. With perfectly crispy and evenly cooked bacon every time, this method is sure to become a new favorite.
Save That Bacon Grease, Y’all!
Bacon grease adds SO MUCH FLAVOR to whatever you are serving. To save, you can use foil instead of parchment paper. Roll the edges up around the pan to keep the bacon grease inside. Once the bacon is done, pour the grease into a glass jar. Use it to fry eggs, in Southern Fried Corn, or Warm Bacon Dressing for spinach salad.
- To cook a lot of bacon at once, you can put two sheet trays together and cook one at a time. To cook these, add 5 to 10 minutes to the cooking time for each tray of bacon.
- Between cooking batches, throw away the parchment paper so the bacon doesn’t cook in its own fat.
Not at all. You can cook bacon in the oven without a wire rack as long as you use new parchment paper.
Nope, that’s what is so awesome about this method. You just let it cook while you prepare other things.
You sure can! Make Brown Sugar Pepper Candied Bacon or add a drizzle of maple syrup.
How To Cook Bacon In The Oven
- Warm up the oven and put parchment paper around the edges of a baking sheet with a rim.
- Place bacon slices on the parchment paper in a single layer, making sure that none of the slices touch.
- Cook for 10 minutes and then check them. Cook them for another 6-7 minutes, or until they’re just right.
- Using tongs, take the bacon strips out of the pan and put them on paper towels to soak up the extra grease.