Baked bacon is the easiest way to get crispy slices without stovetop splatter. Skip the skillet and bake it on a foil-lined sheet pan at 400°F. Start checking at 12 minutes and pull it when it’s golden brown and crisp.
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Baking bacon in the oven is the easiest way to get crisp slices without standing over a grease-popping skillet. This is my favorite method for cooking bacon because it uses a rimmed sheet pan to catch the grease. I can cook a whole batch at once (or just a couple of pieces). If you want bacon that browns evenly, stays mostly flat, and doesn’t cover your stove with grease, this is the way I do it.
And while the bacon bakes I like to make these easy scrambled eggs, or I make these buttermilk pancakes for breakfast.
Recipe Highlights: Perfect Bacon in the Oven
- Cook method: Sheet pan bacon
- Oven temperature and time: 400°F. Start checking at 12 minutes; regular bacon cooks around 14 minutes, thick-cut bacon closer to 18 minutes.
- Batch size: 12 ounces of bacon to feed 4-6
- Best tool: Rimmed baking sheet lined with foil (overhang on all sides for easy cleanup)
- Texture control: Bake longer for crisp, or pull earlier for chewier bacon.
- Cleanup win: Let the pan cool, roll the foil so the grease pools in the center, and toss.
Recipe Ingredients
Grab your favorite 12-ounce package of bacon, and that’s all you need for this recipe.
How To Make Baked Bacon
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F and put the rack in the middle so the heat hits the pan evenly.
Step 2: Make cleanup easy. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil, leaving overhang so cleanup is easy.
Step 3: Add the bacon – lay the strips flat in one layer. They can touch each other but not overlap.
Step 4: Let your oven do all the work. Cook the bacon, checking it at 12 minutes. Keep going until the bacon looks golden-brown, usually around 14 minutes for regular bacon and closer to 18 minutes for thick-cut bacon.
Flip the bacon halfway through for more even browning. I usually do.
Tip: If your oven has hot spots, rotate the pan halfway through.
Step 5: Finish the bacon – Move the bacon to paper towels for a minute or two to let it drain and crisp up. You can put this bacon to work right. Crumble a few slices for this Wedge Salad, or save it for Ranch Pasta Salad later.
Step 6: The grease – Let the baking pan cool, roll the foil inwards so the grease stays contained. Toss it and wipe the pan if needed.
Bacon Tip
I still cook old-school, and I like to pour the bacon grease into a jar and then use spoonfuls of it to start other recipes like my BBQ Green Beans, or fry potatoes.
I like to cook the whole package of bacon, then I stash a handful of cooked slices for breakfast for other days and just reheat them in a skillet for 30 seconds. This makes a quick breakfast with some boiled eggs.
You Don’t Have To Bake The Whole Package
Oven bacon is easy to scale, so you can bake a small batch when you only want a few slices. Bake them on a small rimmed sheet pan (or even a toaster-oven pan) at 400°F. Lay the strips in a single layer, start checking around 10 to 12 minutes, and pull them when they’re deep golden-brown. The pan is smaller, so keep an eye on it near the end because those last couple of minutes go fast.
FAQ’s
400°F is my go-to because the bacon cooks evenly and browns nicely. If your oven runs hot, reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake a little longer.
Flip the bacon halfway through for more even browning. I usually do.
You can, and many people use this method. A rack can help grease drip away, but it also means you have a greasy rack to scrub. Baking in the foil-lined pan is simpler.
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Recipe
Perfect Bacon In The Oven (Crispy, No Splatter, Easy Cleanup)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bacon
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, lettingit hang over the edges, and press it into the corners so it forms a shallow "tray" to catch the grease.
- Lay the bacon in a single layer. Slices can touch, but do not overlap or they will stick together.
- Bake 12 to 18 minutes, depending on thickness and how crisp you like it. At about the halfway mark, use tongs to flip the bacon over for more even browning. Start checking at 12 minutes and keep a close eye near the end.Regular bacon is usually done around 12 to 15 minutes.Thick-cut bacon is usually done around 15 to 18 minutes.
- Quick Note: I like to flip my bacon halfway through baking to get both sides evenly crisp.
- Use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Let it sit 1 to 2 minutes to drain and crisp up, then serve.
Clean up
- Let the pan and grease cool completely. Carefully fold the foil edges inward to contain the grease and discard, or pour the cooled grease into a heat-safe container before tossing the foil.
Servings Sizes
- For 12 ounces of bacon, a good rule is:4 servings if people want 3 slices each6 servings if people want 2 slices eachMost 12-ounce packs are around 10 to 14 slices, so "Serves 4 to 6" is the right call. If it's the main event (big breakfast), call it 4: if it's alongside eggs, pancakes or in a sandwich, call it 6.
Notes
Notes for Perfect Oven Bacon
- Flip halfway for even bacon. I always flip the slices halfway through baking. It helps both sides brown the same and keeps the edges from curling as much.
- Foil is the easiest cleanup. I prefer lining the pan with foil because you can fold it up and toss it once the grease cools. Less scrubbing, more bacon.
- Parchment works, but cleanup is not as easy. You can use parchment paper if you want, but it does not contain the grease as neatly as foil, so cleanup can be messier.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet. Bacon grease is not easy to contain. A rimmed pan is necessary and keeps it where it belongs.
- Check early, finish strong. Start checking around 12 minutes. Bacon goes from “almost” to “too far” fast.
- It crisps as it rests. Pull it when it looks deep golden and still just a tiny bit flexible. After a minute or two on paper towels, it firms up and gets crisp.
- Thickness changes everything. Regular bacon usually takes around 12 to 15 minutes. Thick-cut is more like 15 to 18.
- Save the grease if you cook the old-fashioned way. Let it cool, then strain into a jar and refrigerate. Great for frying eggs or seasoning veggies.
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Nutrition
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Hello there, I’m Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven® sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Great recipe!!!! Worked very well!
Thanks for letting me know this worked for you.