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    Published February 17, 2020. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Baking bacon is hands down the best way to make it delicious and crispy and you will never make it any other way again after this.

    crisp cooked bacon on a cutting board

    I’ve made more bacon then I care to remember stemming all the way back to my restaurant days.  I’ve pan-fried, grilled, even deep-fried it, but to this day I’ve never found a better way to prepare it than this.

    Baking in the oven is a very popular easy way to prepare food, just like in my Sheet Pan Chicken or my Oven Baked Spicy Salmon Fajitas.

    The Best Way to Cook Bacon

    The absolute best way to cook bacon is in the oven.  It perfectly browns it up while staying way longer in shape then when it shrivels up pan-frying it.  The two most important things you need are:

    Parchment Paper – this will not only help crisp up the bacon, but it will assist in the cooking time.

    ½ Baking Sheet Tray – no more small odd shaped cookie sheet trays, upgrade to ½ size.

    Temperature to Bake Bacon

    The two best temperatures to make oven-baked bacon are 375° and 400°.  These temperatures are not convection and make sure your sheet tray is in the middle rack of the oven when cooking it.

    How Long Does It Take

    While it does take up to 25 minutes to bake it in the oven, it’s well worth it and no going back to the old way.  Follow these easy temp and time guidelines:

    • 375° for 22 to 25 minutes
    • 400° for 18 to 22 minutes

    How to Make It

    Place the bacon about a ½” apart from one another on a ½ size sheet tray lined with parchment paper.

    raw bacon on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper

    Bake in the oven at 375° for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden browned and crispy.

    cooked crisp bacon on a sheet tray

    Place the cooked bacon onto paper towels to let it drain.

    cooked bacon draining on a paper towel

    How to Make It Crispy

    There are 3 keys to making oven baked bacon perfectly crispy so that you never make it any other way again.

    375° or 400° – make sure the bacon is at a high enough temperature where it has the opportunity to brown.

    Parchment Paper – this will assist in the browning of the bacon as well as with the amount of time it takes to brown.

    Paper Towels – don’t let the bacon sit in its own rendered fat as it will become soggy.  Immediately remove it from pan and place it on paper towels to drain.

    cooked bacon

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    How to Reheat: There are several ways to reheat bacon.  You can grill it, place it in a pan and cook over low heat until hot or place back in the oven at 350° for 2 to 3 minutes or until hot.

    Make-Ahead: You can make bacon up to 1 day ahead of time.  Reheat and drain before serving.

    How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    chef notes + tips

    • Pay close attention to it when reheating as it can burn very easily.
    • This recipe is done for regular cut bacon.  If you want to use thick-cut bacon add 3-5 minutes to your baking time.
    • Try adding some cracked pepper to the top of the bacon before baking or drizzling on a little maple syrup for baking to enhance the flavor.
    • Don’t you dare throw away the rendered back fat, strain it off into a container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or it will freeze for up to 2 months.
    draining rendered bacon fat into a container

    Amazing Recipes With Bacon

    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    How To Bake Bacon

    5 from 41 votes
    Baking bacon is hands down the best way to make it delicious and crispy and you will never make it any other way again after this.
    Servings: 10
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes

    Ingredients 

    • 1 pound regular cut bacon

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 375°.
    • Evenly place the bacon 1/2” apart on 2 sheet trays lined with parchment paper.
    • Place the trays in the oven as close to the middle rack as possible and bake at 375° for 22 to 25 minutes or until browned and crisp.
    • Immediately remove the bacon from the tray and place it on paper towels to drain any excess fat and serve.

    Notes

    Chef Notes:
    • How to Reheat: There are several ways to reheat bacon. You can grill it, place it in a pan and cook over low heat until hot or place back in the oven at 350° for 2 to 3 minutes or until hot.
    • Pay close attention to it when reheating as it can burn very easily.
    • Make-Ahead: You can make bacon up to 1 day ahead of time. Reheat and drain before serving.
    • How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
    • This recipe is done for regular cut bacon. If you want to use thick cut bacon add 3-5 minutes to your baking time.
    • Try adding some cracked pepper to the top of the bacon before baking or drizzling on a little maple syrup for baking to enhance the flavor.
    • Don’t you dare throw away the rendered back fat, strain it off into a container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 300mgPotassium: 90mgVitamin A: 17IUCalcium: 2mgIron: 1mg
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American

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