There is only one way to make bacon, and it’s the BEST! I show you how to bake bacon in the oven so it’s extra crispy and perfect to your liking. Quick, easy and you’ll never go back to frying on the stovetop again.
Cooking bacon in the oven is one of the easiest ways to make perfect crispy bacon every time. By baking bacon in the oven, you can avoid the splattering mess of frying bacon on the stovetop. The oven allows the bacon to cook slowly and evenly, resulting in crispier, tastier bacon than the stovetop method. But how long should you bake bacon in the oven at 425°F?
The ideal baking time can vary based on a few factors:
Oven Temperature
Baking bacon at a higher temperature like 425°F allows the fat to render and the bacon to crisp up. Lower oven temperatures will slow down the cooking process. 425°F is a perfect temp for baking bacon.
Bacon Thickness
The thickness of the bacon makes a big difference in cook time. Thin sliced bacon will cook faster than thick cut bacon. Thick cut bacon may need up to 25-30 minutes in the oven.
Elevated vs. Direct Contact
Placing bacon directly on the baking sheet will cause it to cook faster than elevating it on a rack. The rack prevents the bacon from frying in its own grease.
Oven Differences
All ovens heat slightly differently, so cook times may vary. Get to know your oven’s hot and cool spots for the most accurate cook times.
Desired Texture
Do you like your bacon chewy or super crispy? Chewy bacon will need less time in the oven Crispy bacon will need to bake a bit longer
Taking all of these factors into account, here are some general guidelines for how long to bake bacon at 425°F:
- Thin sliced bacon on a rack: 15-18 minutes
- Thick cut bacon on a rack: 20-25 minutes
- Thin sliced bacon directly on sheet: 12-15 minutes
- Thick cut bacon directly on sheet: 15-20 minutes
No matter what type of bacon you are cooking, it’s important to watch it closely and pull it out of the oven when it reaches your desired level of doneness. Bacon can go from perfect to burnt very quickly.
Here are some tips for baking bacon in the oven at 425°F:
Step 1: Prepare the Baking Sheet
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. For best results, place a wire cooling rack on top of the foil. The rack will allow air to circulate under the bacon as it cooks. Lightly coat the rack with cooking spray so the bacon doesn’t stick.
Step 2: Arrange the Bacon
Lay bacon slices in a single layer on the prepared rack. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan, as this will cause uneven cooking.
Step 3: Bake at 425°F
Place the baking sheet in a COLD oven and set the temperature to 425°F. Allow the oven to preheat with the bacon inside. This helps render fat slowly.
Step 4: Flip Occasionally (If Needed)
I don’t find it necessary to flip the bacon when using a rack, but if cooking directly on the sheet pan, consider flipping halfway through for even cooking.
Step 5: Check Often
Start checking thin sliced bacon at 10-12 minutes. Thick cut bacon may need 15 minutes or more. Check every few minutes until the bacon reaches desired crispness.
Step 6: Drain and Serve
When bacon is done to your liking, remove from oven and let cool 1-2 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Be careful, as hot grease can burn!
The best way to get perfect bacon from the oven every time is to keep a close eye on it and get to know exactly how long your bacon takes. Begin checking early and continue checking every few minutes until the bacon is cooked to your liking.
Here are some delicious ways to use your oven-baked bacon:
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Salads with bacon crumbles
- Baked potatoes with bacon bits
- Bacon cheeseburgers
- Bacon wrapped shrimp
- Cobb salad
- Bacon and egg breakfast tacos
- Pasta carbonara
- Bacon jam or bourbon bacon jam
- Bacon wrapped smoked gouda
- Bacon onion jam
- BLT sandwich
Why Bake Bacon in the Oven
Seriously, why shouldn’t you bake bacon in the oven…. That should have been enough to convince you that you should always cook bacon in the oven, right?
- Mess free!!! Did you see that? MESS FREE!!!!
- One pound of bacon can be cooked at a time… no batch cooking…. no bacon vanishing into thin air while you cook more. One pound of bacon in minutes.
- No grease spatters all over every surface of the kitchen.
- No grease spatters on your face.
- No grease spatters on your clothes.
- No grease spatters on your dog.
- The bacon cooks up perfectly flat every time!
- As in, you can do something else while the bacon is baking… like make pancakes or this AHHHMAZING French Toast.
- Oh….and did I mention that it’s MESS FREE!!! Oh yeah.
How To Cook Bacon in the Oven
Cooking bacon in the oven is so easy to do…. here are a few easy steps to get you started:
- Put parchment paper or, my favorite, aluminum foil on a baking sheet (I used a rimmed half sheet pan). For easy cleanup, I like to cover the whole baking sheet with foil, sometimes in more than one layer. In other words, I remove the foil and throw it away… baking pan is totally clean. I told you…. lazy.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Put the bacon strips on the foil or parchment paper in a single layer, making sure they don’t touch. If you cook the bacon next to each other, it will be harder to separate when it’s done.
- Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the food is done the way you like it. For even cooking and to please people who don’t like bacon, I sometimes flip the bacon.
- Put some paper towels on a plate and put the bacon on it. As it cools, the bacon will get a little crispier.
- Transfer the bacon to a platter and serve.
HOW TO COOK BACON IN THE OVEN | easy, crispy and no mess!
How do you cook bacon in the oven at 425?
Baking bacon in the oven at 425° has never been more easy or delicious. This simple ‘cooking bacon in the oven’ technique gives you light, crispy, buttery slices of bacon without all the mess. Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a sided baking sheet with foil and place cooling rack into the pan. Lightly spray rack with nonstick cooking spray.
How long does it take to cook bacon in the oven?
Prepare your baking pan as above, but turn your oven on to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) first, while you’re prepping. When the oven is heated, put the pan in and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked the way you like it. Remove it from the oven and let the bacon drain on paper towels before serving.
How do you cook bacon in a convection oven?
Place in the cold oven and then heat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Cook bacon for 14 minutes and transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool for 5 minutes for bacon to crisp. For a third method, you can preheat your oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional oven.
What temperature should Bacon be cooked at?
Thicker bacon will always take longer to cook. You can cook bacon in the oven at 350˚F, 375˚F, 400˚F, or 425˚F. Each can produce bacon that is evenly cooked and delicious- however the time will vary. My personal favorite method is cooking bacon starting in a cold oven and setting the temperature to 400˚F.
How long do you cook thin cut bacon?
Regular thin cut bacon is all about the same thickness, so the cooking time should only vary slightly, based on your oven. Once your bacon is lined up and ready to go, pop into a 425° F oven and bake 15-18 minutes or until it’s to your desired texture.
Can You bake Bacon at the same temperature?
No two ovens bake at exactly the same temperature. You’ll probably need to test this method a couple of times to find the right time/temperature that works for you. Prevent oven splatters. This from Cindy Capps Lepp: Lay a layer of foil over the bacon; this will keep grease from spitting all over the oven.