Easy Oven Cooked Bacon

Make easy oven cooked bacon on a sheet pan. This is the best way to cook perfect, crispy bacon and contain the mess!

Why cook bacon in the oven?

This easy oven cooked bacon is the best way to cook bacon. This method is simple, low mess, and frees up the stove for other tasks. It does not require flipping and allows you to cook large or small amounts. 

The restaurants I have worked in always cooked bacon in the oven. It works equally well at a home scale. Once you try it, you will never look back! 

How to prepare the pan

A half sheet pan (about 18×13 inches) is the perfect size to make a 16 ounce pack of bacon into easy oven cooked bacon. I love the ones from Nordic Ware. They are sturdy, well-priced, and do not bend and warp like the cheaper ones.

First, you will line your sheet pan with enough parchment paper to cover all sides of the pan. Using a big enough piece will ensure the grease is contained and makes cleaning up a breeze.

Next, you need to lay the bacon strips in a single layer on the pan. Gently touching is okay, but if you overlap them, the pieces will stick together as they cook. 

How to cook bacon in the oven

Starting the bacon in a cold oven will help the fat render out and give a crispier result. After you rotate the pan, you’ll want to keep your eye on the bacon to get it to your desired level of crispiness. We all have our sweet spot for how we prefer our bacon! 

Cooking times will vary based on the thickness of your bacon and how crowded the pan is. You can use additional sheet pans to increase the amount you cook. Just make sure they will fit in your oven together! You can also decrease the amount to cook less than 1 pound on a single sheet.

Once the bacon is done to your preference, remove it from the oven and immediately transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. This will help drain off excess grease. After the pan cools, you can drain and save the bacon grease. Then throw away the parchment paper with the remaining drippings.

If you do not plan to keep the bacon grease, allow it to firm up at room temperature, then gently fold the grease-soaked parchment and throw it away. Easy peasy!

After you try this easy oven cooked bacon a couple of times, you will have no trouble getting bacon cooked perfectly to your preference.  

How to use oven cooked bacon

Serve it for breakfast, use it as a sandwich topping, or add it to recipes! I have some ideas for using it up!

• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Pimento Cheese Ball
• Pimento Cheese Crostini
• Strawberry & Spinach Salad
• Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

More easy breakfast accompaniments

• Strawberry Puree
• Strawberry Butter
• Blueberry Cream Cheese

Easy Oven Cooked Bacon

Print Recipe

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5 from 1 review

Crispy bacon cooked on a sheet pan.

• Author: Mandi
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

16-ounce package of sliced bacon

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Instructions

1. Line an 18×13-inch sheet pan with a big enough piece of parchment paper to cover all sides of the pan.
2. Lay raw bacon slices in a single layer on the sheet pan. 
3. Place in the cold oven, then turn the oven on to 400F.  
4. Bake for 20 minutes, allowing the cooking to start during preheating.  
5. Rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees and continue to bake for about 5-10 more minutes. 
6. Check frequently after the 5 minute mark and remove once brown and crispy.  
7. Immediately transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. 

Notes

• Wait for the baking sheet to cool slightly, then save grease if desired.  
• The remaining drippings and parchment paper can be tossed for easy cleanup.
• You can use multiple baking sheets to fit the amount of bacon you want to cook.
• Cooking times will vary based on the thickness of the bacon and how crowded the bacon sheet is.

 

Keywords: easy bacon recipe