Learn the best way to cook bacon in the oven with parchment paper and a sheet pan for easy cleanup. No flipping, no spattering grease everywhere. Just a big batch of perfectly crispy bacon, ready for your breakfast plate, salads, and sandwiches, or to crumble into bacon bits for later. Perfect for meal prep!
Bacon lovers, enjoy your crispy oven bacon on this Chicken Bacon Wrap, Broccoli Cauliflower Bacon Salad, or Slow Cooker Baked Beans.
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Cooking bacon on the stove top in a frying pan is a pain. You can only make a few pieces at a time, bacon grease is pretty much everywhere, and all of the cooking time is hands-on.
Cooking bacon in the oven is a total game-changer. When I made these BBQ Chicken Wraps, I whipped up a big batch of bacon in the oven using this simple method, and it is the only way I will make bacon from now on. I opened the oven to a pan full of perfectly crisp bacon that was evenly cooked and a pan that needed very little from me.
Oven-cooked bacon is perfect for a holiday brunch and recipes that call for several pieces of cooked bacon, like these simple breakfast sliders.
❤️You're Going to Love This
- Less mess. Parchment paper catches the grease for easy cleanup. No need to use (or clean!) a wire rack.
- No flipping. Evenly cooked, perfectly crisp bacon without having to turn it over.
- No splattering. No hot grease everywhere, unlike stovetop cooking.
- Hands-off cooking. No standing over the stove; just pop it in the oven and let it cook!
- Easy way to make a lot of bacon. Perfect bacon for meal prep or feeding a crowd.
🥣How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
Step 1: Line a rimmed baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper (or aluminum foil). For the easiest cleanup, use a sheet of parchment or foil large enough to overhang. Arrange bacon slices in an even layer. Cook for 15-20 minutes for regular bacon or 20-25 minutes for thick cut bacon.
Step 2: Place bacon on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra grease.
👉Helpful Hint: Baking time will vary. Depending on the thickness of your bacon and how crispy you like your bacon.
✅Top Tips
- Use a rimmed baking sheet. This keeps any grease from spilling over the edges.
- Don’t overlap the bacon. Lay the strips in a single layer so they cook evenly.
- Check early. Ovens vary, so start checking at 12-15 minutes to avoid overcooking.
- Save the bacon grease. Pour the bacon fat into a glass jar for cooking eggs, roasting veggies, or adding flavor to dishes.
🎁Storage
Leftover bacon is best crumbled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Use as a topping for salads, baked potatoes, and mac and cheese, or bake it into maple muffins or pancakes!
❓FAQ
No. With the parchment method, the bacon cooks evenly on the baking sheet, so there's no need to flip the bacon.
Yes! Let the bacon grease cool slightly, then strain and store it in a jar for cooking eggs, roasting veggies, or adding flavor to dishes.
Yes! Thick-cut bacon may take a few more minutes than regular bacon. Check for doneness at around 20-25 minutes.
😋Delicious Ways to Use Oven Bacon
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📖 Recipe
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven (with Parchment Paper)
Equipment
- rimmed baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 12 slices bacon, regular or thick-cut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper with an overhang.
- Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes for regular bacon or 20-25 minutes for thick-cut bacon, or to your desired crispiness.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Enjoy immediately or crumble and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days for salads, baked potato toppings, wrap sandwiches, dips, and other recipes.
Notes
- Baking time will vary. Depending on the thickness of your bacon and how crispy you like your bacon.
- Use a rimmed baking sheet. This keeps any grease from spilling over the edges.
- Don’t overlap the bacon. Lay the strips in a single layer so they cook evenly.
- Check early. Ovens vary, so start checking at 12-15 minutes to avoid overcooking.
- Save the bacon grease. Pour the bacon fat into a glass jar for cooking eggs, roasting veggies, or adding flavor to dishes.
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