How to Bake Bacon
The smell of cooking bacon is one of the best smells in the world and we have to say that the taste of bacon is up there too. Traditionally, bacon is fried or sautéed but there are lots of ways to cook bacon, including baking. Not only does baking bacon make it much crispier, it is also slightly healthier as it does not require extra fat to cook it in. Foodies will be dying to cook it this way.
Quick and Easy Baking
Baking bacon is great if you are cooking for a large family, as you can bake large quantities at once and get on with cooking the rest of breakfast. We love baking bacon because it cuts down on cleaning too, as there are no fat splatters to wipe away.
If you want to enjoy the best bacon cooked in the oven, take a look at our easy guide.
Utensils
When it comes to baking bacon in the oven there are two ways you can do so. You can either bake it straight on the oven rack or place the pieces on a tray. Baking bacon on a traditional tray will give it a more chewy texture, especially if you choose thick-cut bacon. Cooking your bacon right on the rack will leave it with a more crispy finish as the fat drips away. As the bacon is not cooking in the rendered fat, it will take a little longer to cook than when it is on a tray.
If you have a new oven or you cannot always rely on the temperature control it is worth using a thermometer to ensure your oven hits the right temperature to cook bacon. If your oven is not hot enough your bacon will cook slowly, becoming flabby rather than crispy and nobody wants pale bacon!
Choose Your Bacon
There are lots of different types of bacon to choose from, including cured, uncured, maple, smoked, not smoked, thick sliced and thin sliced. If you are a bacon addict and like to try lots of different types, you can use trial and error to decide which is your favorite bacon for baking. If you like really crispy bacon then you need to choose thinly sliced bacon. High quality bacon will have less water and make for a crispier finish too.
Baking Your Bacon on a Tray
- Line your baking tray with aluminum foil, making sure it reaches the sides.
- Place bacon evenly on the tray leaving a small gap between each slice.
- Bake at 375F (191C) for 12 to 15 minutes depending on how golden you like your bacon. If you are using thick cut bacon leave for 15 to 18 minutes. Be careful during the last couple of minutes because it can quickly burn.
- Use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain any excess fat.
- Eat as desired.
Baking Your Bacon on an Oven Rack
- Line a baking pan with foil and place an oven safe cooling rack (that does not have a non stick coating) on top. Your oven may come with a rack already so you can simply use this. Using the foil means it is easier to clean and the bacon will also cook more quickly.
- Place the bacon evenly on the tray leaving a small gap between each slice.
- Bake it at 375F (191C) for 15 to 18 minutes or longer if your bacon is thick or you want it to be extra crispy. If you like your bacon really crispy you can turn the oven up to 400F.
- Use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain any excess fat.
- Eat as desired.
If you eat bacon on a regular basis you can take advantage of being able to cook a large amount of bacon in the oven as part of your meal prepping. Bacon can be baked and split into individual portions to be reheated in the microwave when needed.
Save the Fat
We know that we have asked you to use a paper towel to drain excess fat so you are probably wondering why we have asked you to save the bacon drippings. Well, bacon fat is great for cooking roasted potatoes or to add a little flavor to roasted vegetables. While it is important to eat a low fat diet, a little treat now and again is welcome and bacon fat can be stored in a mason jar in your refrigerator for a week or so.
This method offers a quick and easy change from the way you usually cook bacon. Once you have baked bacon in the oven there is no going back, you will want to cook it this way all of the time.