Bacon is delicious! It’s safe to say that a lot of us love bacon, and if you’re here today, there’s a really good chance that you like it too. But that’s not the only reason why you’re here, is it? You’re looking for the perfect way to bake your bacon. Why wouldn’t you? Who doesn’t appreciate the irresistible smell and the taste of good old bacon?
Today, we’re going to show you how to bake the PERFECT bacon. You heard us! Baking bacon instead of cooking it on the stovetop will give you the results you’re looking for every single time! Once you learn how to bake bacon in your oven, you’ll never do it the other way ever again.
Benefits of Baking Bacon in Oven
Let’s be honest; one of the biggest downsides of cooking bacon on the stove is that it creates lots and lots of splatters and greasy residue afterward. Another turn off is that it rarely cooks the bacon strips right each time. There are always certain pieces of bacon that may cook quicker than the rest. And you end up with some bacon strips fully burnt while other strips remain undercooked. This is where baking comes into play. The benefits of baking bacon include:
- Bacon does not fold. You get beautiful straight bacon slices every time.
- Cooks evenly every time. Every bacon strip is equal in the oven.
- Forget about splatters.
- No need to linger around the kitchen, babysitting the bacon. Once it’s in the oven, your only job is to set up the timer. Baking bacon opens up a lot of free time in the kitchen. You have about 15 minutes to do everything else.
- You can cook for a crowd. If you have a big cooling rack, just lay those babies in, and your party is in for a crispy feast.
The Quality of the Bacon Matters
While baking the cheapest bacon will still result in crispy delicious goodness, the higher quality of bacon that you purchase, the better your final product will taste. Trust us; you’ll know the difference!
Then there’s the issue of thickness. If you are a real bacon eater, you like it extra thick! If you’re at the other end of the spectrum and you’ve always used an average bacon brand, do yourself a favor and try the more expensive kinds. They’re usually only a couple of dollars more!
In terms of flavor, that is entirely up to you! No matter what flavor you might fancy, in the end, quality stands out more than any flavor.
Is Baked Bacon Healthier Than Cooked Bacon?
One of the best things about baking bacon is that the grease from the bacon drips off and is deposited below, resulting in less oily and fatty bacon. If you want to start eating healthier, you can pat off any leftover grease with a paper towel. This lessens the amount of fat left on each slice even more. The best part – this makes your bacon slices way crispier.
Baking Bacon in Oven
The Perfect Bacon Requires:
- Metal Cooling Rack
- Shallow baking sheet
- Non-stick cooking spray (optional)
- Foil (heavy-duty)
- Paper towels
Instructions
- Take a big, rimmed baking sheet and cover it with your heavy-duty foil. Then, rather than baking bacon on the foil directly, place your cooling rack on top of the foil.
- If you have some, cover the rack with non-stick cooking spray. That’ll keep the bacon from sticking. Next, arrange the slices in a single layer.
- Put the pan into a 400-degree F oven. There’s a good chance your kitchen will overflow with the delicious smell of the hot bacon baking.
- The baking time will fluctuate based on the variety of your bacon and, of course, your fancied crispness level. For regular, thin-cut bacon, set up your time for 12-15 minutes. For thicker, flavored bacon, set up that timer for 20 minutes. With the open free-time, you can finish off the rest of the meal while the bacon is getting ready.
- Cleaning up and saving up. Some people like to save the leftover bacon grease, if you are one of those people, let it cool, then pour it into another bowl and refrigerate. If you don’t fancy saved grease, let it thicken on the sheet, then discard the foil along with the leftover grease.
Additional Notes
Storage: The great thing about baked bacon is that you can refrigerate it for up to 1 week or even freeze it for up to two months. When you’re ready to eat it again, just cook it in the microwave, and you’re all set.
Baked Bacon in Recipes
Now that you have the tools and the knowledge needed to make great oven-baked bacon, it’s time to put it to good use!
Baked bacon is an excellent addition to any recipe that calls for a little extra something, or if you want to make a conventional dish a little more interesting. You can use it as a topping on pizza or pasta, or add a couple of slices on your homemade sandwich.
More Recipes Using Oven Baked Bacon
- Smokewood Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon
- Bacon Cesar Salad
- Bacon Avocado Fries
- Kato Bacon Sushi
