This guide is essential for making perfect bacon in the oven every time. I have two simple baking methods that you can use for either chewy or crispy strips.

Table of Contents
- Bacon selection
- Pan selection
- Cooking bacon on a sheet pan vs. a wire rack
- How to cook bacon on a baking sheet pan
- How to cook bacon on a wire rack
- How long to cook bacon in the oven
- Save the bacon grease
- How to store bacon
- How to reheat bacon
- Serve this with
- Ways to use bacon in recipes
- Frequently asked questions
- How to Cook Bacon in the Oven Recipe
This recipe is for all the bacon lovers of the world. Whether you enjoy a thick, chewy texture or more light and crispy pieces, this step-by-step guide for how to cook bacon in the oven will be your go-to resource. I’ve been using this oven-baked method for years, resulting in perfectly cooked bacon every time.
When baking bacon, there are two ways to cook it, straight on the baking sheet or on a wire rack. The differences are subtle, but connoisseurs will appreciate the changes in texture. Learn my tips for making golden and perfectly crispy bacon in batches so that you can feed a crowd or meal prep for the week.

Bacon selection
Many types of bacon and sizes are available, from uncured, cured, hickory-smoked, applewood, and thickness. The selections are endless. It comes down to taste preference and crispiness factor: the thinner the bacon, the more crispy but also more delicate.
The thickness will affect the time it takes to roast. This recipe uses a standard cut (classic, regular, or average). However, heartier thick-cut and extra-thick cuts can be used but will require additional time in the oven.
Pan selection
Using rimmed baking sheets is highly recommended. As the bacon fat renders, it will pool at the bottom of the pan. There will be a huge mess if not contained in a pan with raised edges. I use a foil-lined baking sheet, typically thicker and wider heavy-duty foil that covers the bottom and goes up the sides.
Foil makes cleanup easy and reduces the chances of it cracking after roasting, which could leak onto the pan. Parchment paper can also be used but will require more cleanup. I always cover the pan, whether I’m baking directly on the sheet pan or a wire rack.

Cooking bacon on a sheet pan vs. a wire rack
- Baking Sheet Pan: When the bacon is cooked straight on the pan, it tends to be slightly chewier, since it’s frying directly in the fat. It will only become shatteringly crisp with a longer cook time.
- Cooling Rack: Bacon made on the rack takes about 5 extra minutes of cook time because it’s not frying in the hot rendered fat. The result is more crispy along the edges, lighter in texture, and has a slightly more wavy appearance. The only downside? More to clean.
How to cook bacon on a baking sheet pan

Line the baking sheet pan with foil, ensuring it covers the sides. Place the bacon in a single layer directly on the foil-lined sheet pan. Evenly space the bacon apart, and be careful not to overlap so that the protein is consistently cooked and doesn’t stick together. Roast at 375°F (191ºC) for about 20 minutes, flipping over towards the last 5 minutes for even cooking.
Look for deep golden, reddish color with a glistening surface and a small amount of fat running through the protein if you like some chew. The more fat rendered, the crispier the texture. Keep a close eye on the last few minutes because the bacon can go from crisp to burnt! Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess bacon grease.

How to cook bacon on a wire rack
Line a baking sheet pan with foil to make cleanup easier. Use an oven-safe wire rack. Avoid ones with a nonstick coating; this type can break down in the hot oven. Arrange the bacon on top of the rack, so they’re evenly spaced apart and don’t overlap.
Bake at 375°F (191°C) for 25 minutes, carefully flipping over after 15 minutes. It will take about 8 to 10 minutes for the bacon to cook thoroughly, and become golden brown, wavy, and crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess bacon fat.


How long to cook bacon in the oven
Cook time depends on the bacon’s thickness, cooking method, and oven temperature. I roast at 375ºF (191ºC) because it gently renders the bacon fat for even color and texture development. The temperature is high enough to kickstart Maillard browning for a stunning brown color and better flavor. This occurs when the surface of the bacon reaches 300°F (149°C).
- Standard Cut Bacon: About 20 minutes (on pan), 25 minutes (wire rack)
- Thick-Cut Bacon: About 22 minutes (on pan), 29 minutes (wire rack)
- Extra Thick Cut Bacon: About 24 minutes (on pan), 31 minutes (wire rack)

Save the bacon grease
Instead of tossing out the rendered bacon grease, save it! The flavorful cooking fat adds incredible richness when sauteeing vegetables like green beans, braised kale, or frying up eggs in the morning. The smoke point is moderate, similar to lard, around 370ºF (188ºC).
Don’t use it at very high cooking temperatures. Let the tray cool down, don’t let the fat solidify. It will harden once it cools to room temperature. Strain the grease through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth to catch any bacon bits. Refrigerate for up to 3 months, or freeze indefinitely.

How to store bacon
Now that you have a plate full of tasty bacon, you can devour it right away, or it can be easily stored once cooled in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator.
Freeze in a single layer for up to 3 months, defrosting before using. Once you have some bacon available at all times, I’m sure you will be adding it to make the flavor pop in your dishes or as the star on the plate!
How to reheat bacon
Using the microwave is the quickest way to reheat a slice or two. Wrap in a paper towel, and reheat for 10 to 15 seconds, or until hot. Add to a pan on the stovetop over medium heat, and cook until hot on both sides. Warm slices on a foil-lined sheet pan in the oven at 350ºF (177ºC) for about 10 minutes.
Serve this with
Ways to use bacon in recipes
- Bacon Breakfast Sandwiches
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Creamy Pea and Bacon Risotto
- Cobb salad
- Quiche Lorraine
Frequently asked questions
Bacon does not have to be flipped when cooked in the oven. However, it will make both sides more evenly crispy and golden brown. Not flipping exposes one side to just hot air making it chewier.
The bacon should be cooked in the center of the oven. Too close to the heating elements at the top will make the rendered fat splatter. Use cool bacon so that it can slowly come to temperature and render the fat. Avoid overloading the tray, especially when using thick or extra-thick-cut bacon with more fat. Line the edges of the sheet pan with an extra one inch of foil to prevent splattering over the sides.

Recipe Science
Impact of roasting temperature
Higher oven-roasting temperatures of 400ºF (204ºC) will render the fat quicker, making the edges crunchier. This will make extra-crispy strips and reduce cook times. However, monitor carefully to prevent the bacon from burning and turning hard in texture. Roast directly on a foil-lined sheet pan for about 15 minutes, flipping over in the last 5 minutes. Increase roasting time by about 2 minutes for thick-cut, and 4 minutes for extra-thick-cut.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven – Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 375°F (191°C). Line a large sheet tray with foil.
- Roast Bacon – Place the bacon on the pan, ensuring the strips do not overlap—roast for 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and use tongs to flip the pieces. Rotate the pan and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.Alternatively, for extra crispy bacon. Place a wire rack on the sheet tray and the bacon on the top—roast for 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and flip the strips. Continue cooking for about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Absorb Grease – Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease.
Recipe Video

Equipment
Notes
- Storing: Bacon strips can be refrigerated in a resealable bag or air-tight container for up to 1 week.
- Reheat: Individual slices of cooked bacon can be wrapped in a paper towel and microwaved for 10 to 15-seconds, or until hot.
- Roasting at 400ºF (204ºC): Flip the bacon after 10 minutes of roasting, then cook until crispy. Directly on the sheet pan takes about 12 to 19 minutes. On a wire rack, about 19 to 27 minutes. Time is dependent on the thickness of the bacon.
- Saving the Grease: To use as a flavorful cooking fat. Once the sheet pan cools down, but the grease is still liquid, pour it into a bowl through a cheese-cloth-lined fine mesh sieve. Transfer to a jar, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 months, or freeze indefinitely.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Jackie Nash says
I’ve cooked bacon in my oven but it made a mess, so although it came out good I don’t want that extra clean up.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Jackie- I appreciate your feedback! Perhaps you can extend the foil up the sides a little bit if you are having grease splatter? What kind of pan are you using? Does it have a high enough rim?
Judy says
I can tell we all love bacon. Enjoyed reading all the sharing on the subject of cooking bacon. Love love Jessica’s recipes and all the tips. Appreciate what everyone shares here. Getting off to go make some more bacon.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you, Judy! I can’t wait to make my next batch of bacon too!
Cindy R says
I start my bacon in the same manner as Jessica but I learned to put it all in a COLD oven and then set the temp to 400. By the time the oven tells me it has reached 400 the bacon is usually done or close to it (depending on the thickness) and no spatters. Keeping an eye on it is a given.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for sharing your bacon-roasting method, Cindy! I’ll have to give the starting cold a try.
Robert H. says
For specific choices on chewy or crispy bacon, I’ve used Jessica’s 2-method suggestion and it works out great. However, I always seem to experience a large amount of grease spatters, even in a just-cleaned oven.
My tried and true method was learned from a butcher, years ago. His secret was to always cook the bacon from a “cold pan”, oven or stovetop. Reason being that if bacon fat rendering is gradual, spatters are reduced. I never choose the pan approach and use Jessica’s exact baking-rack prep, placing the foil-lined tray with bacon in the oven, on the lower rack. Close the door and turn the oven temp to 400 degrees F. I set my timer for 20 minutes, and leave the bacon alone. With this time for thick-cuts, my bacon is usually crispy enough for our desire. If not, I add another minute or two with baking. With thin strips, I do check for doneness at 15 minutes. My experience has been very little spatter and limited cleanup. I always place the cooked bacon on a paper towel-lined plate to remove grease, let the grease in the foil cool completely, wrap it up in the foil and dispose in the trash — and not “down the drain”, to avoid plumbing/environmental issues.
Jessica Gavin says
THank you for sharing your no-splatter bacon method, Robert!
Stanley R Leacock says
I have been baking my bacon for years! I like the thicker cut bacon and bake at 410 degrees F. Also, I bake bacon in a ridged bottom skillet so that the bacon doesn’t sit in the rendered grease whilst cooking.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for sharing your bacon tips, Stanley! They are very helpful.
Judy says
Wow are we all bacon lovers or what! Loved reading all the comments. About to do my first try of oven bacon right now.
Jessica Gavin says
I think you will like the oven method, Judy! You can cook so much more at one time with less mess.
Sheri says
Doesn’t the grease splatter on the oven?
My sister’s brother in law girlfriend did that in her oven and it did. She said it was a mess All over the top and sides of her oven. She had to clean the oven after they left.
KingMomma says
Works beautifully for the thinner sliced bacon. I use this recipe every time I cook bacon. I’ll never pan fry again!
Jessica Gavin says
Great job! I love using the oven roasting method for thin and thicker sliced bacon too.
Marge Nath says
I love the bacon in the oven. That is the only way to go.
I put a little brown sugar on the bacon and what a difference
it makes in the taste.
Good after to make BLT sandwiches. My husband just love it.
Anastasia says
Never expected bacon prep to be so easy and mess free ! Finally nothing is burning and splashing fat all around the kitchen. Thanks Jessica for another amazing recipe.
Diane M. says
I worked at a restaurant where we used a TON of bacon. We’d line sheet pans with parchment and par-cook the bacon to the halfway point. It would be cooled and separated with patty paper 4 strips to an order. Most of the bacon grease had been rendered out. When we got an order for BLT or eggs & bacon, we’d just grab a portion of bacon and finish to order. Best of both worlds. I do something similar at home, separating with squares of parchment and into the freezer it goes. Easy peasy.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your pro tips Diane, I’m definitely going to try your method!
Dennis says
Used sheet pan method with thick cut bacon. Took about 20 minutes to get a chewy texture.
My preferred is to use the gas grill with grill grates at medium temp (2 stage fire) to produce nice chewy bacon with no significant cleanup.
Ronald Seto Sr. says
I have been baking bacon in the oven for years. I use a thick cut of bacon. Conecuh brand is what I use. I put it on a rack in a 350° convection oven. I don’t flip it. To me the secret is to use bacon that is uniform in meat/fat pattern. The higher fat content makes for a more crispy texture. It is my Sunday morning breakfast along with eggs and hash browns.
Jessica Gavin says
I totally look for the most straight, uniform fat and meat pattern when I’m at the store selecting bacon! The people that work there probably think I’m strange, but it’s worth the hunt.
Riss says
Jessica, I just finished making 2 packages of Oscar Myer center cut bacon for a brunch I’m throwing. I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful, clear instructions. I did it exactly to your instructions and it all came out perfectly! For those asking questions, I lined a sheet pan with tinfoil AND parchment. Layed out the bacon, then placed my toaster oven rack over it and did another layer. It made crunchy and chewy at the same time. Amazing! I never had to flip it and never got any spatter, but I did have to take a few of the edge pieces off sooner as they cooked faster. You are right, you need to watch it closely toward the end! Best bacon ever. Thank you so much again!
Mark Orpen says
I cooked my thicker bacon in my convection oven at 400 F. I used a jelly pan with a rack on it. My cooking time was about 40 minutes. With clean-up, I’m not sure the effort. School is still out on this. My bacon WAS very uniform.
Marie says
Wish I had read the comments before I started. Lots of great tips. I would have lined my baking sheet with parchment paper if I had, then laid down the bacon. My sister had done it straight on the baking sheet while we were on vacation though so I didn’t think of it. After reading the comments while the oven was preheating with the bacon in it I decided to put parchment on top of the bacon, to help minimize potential for splatter, and another baking sheet on top of the parchment layer as I didn’t want to turn it. This was thicker cut apple wood smoked bacon, and I had the baking sheet completely full corner to corner, so once the preheating was done I ended up baking it for 20 min. It didn’t get much of a maillard reaction due to being covered, so after draining the grease off the baking sheet I put the bacon back in for a few more min to brown up. Perfect amount of chew & crisp for me!
Steve Ballard says
I bake my bacon in my BBQ grill get the grill to 350 degrees use a baking sheet sides lined with foil keeps the heat out of the house 15 minutes excellent bacon on the grill
Marie says
That is a great summer bacon cooking tip!
k says
We always make our bacon in the oven, and it comes out perfectly at 400 for about 15 minutes… without flipping it. I definitely recommend skipping this step (which also eliminates much of the potential for grease mess!)
Kim says
When I used the drying rack…the bacon stuck to it horribly. Did I cook it took long? Where did I go wrong? Any suggestions?
Jessica Gavin says
What material is the drying rack? Is it metal or nonstick? You could try greasing it next time. Also, how thick is your bacon and what brand do you use? I Don’t use thick cut, just regular sized. Some brands have a lot of sugar and are very thin, so it might stick.
Terry Ott says
Oven is the way to go, for sure. My technique is slightly different, though, and it’s more energy efficient too.
What I do: put the bacon on rack or pan arrayed in a single layer. Put bacon in the cold oven and THEN turn the oven on to 400, plus or minus. Go do something else and let the oven heat up and cook at the same time. When the oven reaches 400, if not before (depending on desired crispiness) take it out. You are done!
Diane M. says
Starting in a cold oven is best reader tip I’ve seen here. Thank you, Terry Ott!
Laura says
Yum! I’ve done this using a brushing of real maple syrup on each slice, or even a small sprinkling of brown sugar. If you like sweet and salty bacon, it’s wonderful.
Jessica Gavin says
I will have to try adding a maple glaze on my bacon next time!
Della says
Laura I use brown sugar on mine when I oven cook it too. Just sprinkle a little over top each strip, and you are correct, gives it a sweet/salty flavor … Yum!
Kimberly Rush says
That sounds amazing! I just baked bacon using this method tonight for the 2nd time & it came out great! No oven splatter. I put my bacon on wire racks that were on a cookie sheet lined with foil. I quit making bacon years ago, hated the stove mess, but I’m back in business. I find our butcher bacon to be leaner, meatier & less fatty, & less salty. U have to really watch it causes it’s so lean, done at 15 minutes:)
Niki says
I’m all over this. I used to live in Maine and you could find maple bacon so easily there. But now that I moved back to California I can’t find it nearly as much. This is a great tip! Thank you so much
Niki
Fion says
Do you need to turn on the oven fan?
Jessica Gavin says
I have not had to turn on the oven fan when cooking bacon in the oven.
Jackie says
In my experience, parchment will only get charred if it touches the oven’s walls.
Thank you for the tip Peggy! I can’t wait to try it out.
Peggy says
Try placing a sheet of parchment paper over your bacon. It definitely cuts down on a dirty oven.
Jessica Gavin says
Great tip Peggy! Does the parchment get a little charred?
Julie says
Oh, this was awesome to find. We just started a Keto diet plan! Thank you! It came out so yummy!
Rochelle says
Yes, please! Breakfast bacon taco recipe request. Please, please!
Shelley white says
Cooked bacon on lowest rack on foil lined sheet for 10 min, flipped, baked 5 min more and flipped once again for 5 min since we like it a little crispier. No splatter or mess, cleanup great and so much easier than cooking in a skillet. Chewy and crispy. Did not use thick bacon.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Shelley! Great to hear there was no splatter and I love the double flip for extra crispiness!
Samantha says
Hello, is the baking time different if i cook 16 oz of bacon instead of 8oz?
Jessica Gavin says
You may need a few more minutes. I recommend using the time provided in the directions as a guideline, but visually check for color and texture change towards the end of cooking to know if it’s ready.
Joy says
I love the bacon. One question: How do yall make the breakfast tacos? 🙂
Niki says
I dunno how she makes hers, but I do scrambled eggs, bacon, a little shredded cheddar, some chopped scallions and the homemade flour tortillas at Trader Joe’s. Which honestly are the best tortillas ever. Hope that helps. ; )
Pam says
This was extremely helpful and worked like a dream. Thanks for the help!
Jessica Gavin says
Yay! You’re welcome Pam.
Glenda nichols says
I also have the problem of Greece splatter in the oven
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Glenda- What kind of bacon are you using? Sometimes the thick cut bacon renders a lot more fat, creating more splatter. Or you could try baking a few less strips and cooking in smaller batches. If it’s cooked directly in the sheet pan, being lower in the pan could help with splattering.
Brad says
I made this for me and my kids tonight – it’s a delicious and convenient way to make bacon! I like that I don’t have to stand at the stove and babysit the skillet. Will be using this method again!
Madleyn Simms says
Oven baked Bacon is the only way to go.
I use a copper, Rachel Ray pan and do not line with foil…..It cleans up well….I just soak in soapy water with a pinch of bleach and voila
Jessica Gavin says
That’s great the pan allows for super easy cleanup!
Sandy says
I have tried cooking in the oven on a rack. Every time it smokes so bad and sets off our smoke detectors! What am I doing wrong?
Jessica Gavin says
How many strips are you cooking at one time? Have you checked the oven temperature to make sure it’s not running high? Where is the position of the rack set in the oven?
Khristal Monzelez says
Usually if our oven smokes its because grease or something else has fallen into our oven and is burning.
Hope that helps!
Gail Moody says
I made perfectly cooked bacon following your method on my first attempt. My baking pan and rack held 13 slices and all were evenly browned. As you pointed out, a watchful eye is needed the last few minutes and I cooked a bit longer. But unlike skillet cooking or broiling, there are no hot spots that require speedy rearranging to achieve evenly cooked slices. The clean-up was simple and convenient. And your additional information about kinds of bacon, thickness, nitrates and nitrites was quite helpful. Thank you, Jessica; this is now my favorite method.
Jessica Gavin says
Yay Gail, you’re a bacon rockstar! So happy to hear that the method worked for you. Keep it sizzlin’!
Charlie says
Jessica
I too cook bacon in the oven, then I freeze it. Keeps forever. Just zap in micro or heat in pan before you cook you eggs.
Jessica Gavin says
That sounds like a perfect way to meal prep! How long do you microwave the bacon from frozen?
Ty says
I tried the wrinkled foil method and it didn’t cook evenly for me as there is not consistent air circulation around the bacon as some areas were crispy and others limp and chewy. The crispy method with the rack worked great for me with definite changes to times and turning as I used “thick” sliced applewood smoked bacon, not extra thick, but not like the cheaper thin sliced either. 15 minutes, turn, 10 minutes, turn 5-10 more minutes based on preference and results. Much easier than using the griddle. Thank you!
Hope says
The last few times I tried cooking our bacon in the oven, using both methods mentioned, I had a terrible mess of bacon grease all inside the oven to clean up. Do you have the same problem or do you have a trick to minimize the mess? Thanks for sharing!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Hope- Great question! I have not experienced having bacon grease inside the oven walls to clean up, at least not excessive amounts. There is definitely a pool of bacon on the bottom of the tray, so I always do two overlapping layers of foil so it covers up the sides of the rimmed sheet pan. Perhaps you could extend the foil up higher around the sides to create a barrier/wall so the bacon grease does not splattering out as much? If the bacon grease is hitting the bottom of the oven, you can place a large piece of foil on the the rack below, or a large sheet pan lined foil below to help catch it. Let me know how it goes!
Genie Schaffer says
Try covering the bacon with parchment paper, pressed onto the tops of the bacon strips. I don’t even turn my bacon – been baking my bacon for many years. 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Love it! The flavor is wonderful compared to skillet cooked bacon!
Jessica Gavin says
I can’t wait to try your parchment paper method Genie!
Michael C Cass says
Genie is right. parchment paper is the way to go and you don’t have to debate about how to deal with foil in your trash or clean it and recycle. BTW, in commercial kitchens bacon arrives on parchment paper with the slices separated and then the paper is stacked. You can cook one on top of another to save time that way and I have done the same thing with parchment paper and it works quite well.
Jessica Gavin says
Interesting! I’ll definitely have to try the parchment paper methods, especially with them stacked on top! How long do you cook them for?
Valerie says
I used this method this morning and baked my bacon for the first time. It turned out great! I did add an additional 5 minutes to the baking time because I like my bacon really crispy. Thank you for sharing!
Sourabh says
Dont cook it on rack.. cook bacon using oven tray or oven small bayas
Attie says
If you wrinkle up your foil it works somewhat like a cooling rack if you don’t have one.
Jessica Gavin says
That is an incredible tip Attie, so helpful! I will try it next time I want to make wavy bacon.
Shawn Thompson says
I don’t think she meant to cook the bacon on the wrinkled foil. She meant after the bacon has cook and you take it out. If you don’t have a cooling rack, you could wrinkle up some foil and create a makeshift cooling rack.
Stacy says
No you cook in on a baking rack so she definitely meant use the tinfoil crumpled as a baking rack to cook it on.
Cynthia says
Well I’ll be dammed. That’s why my non stick cooling rack lost its coating. I blamed someone in the house of scrubbing it with the scrub side of the sponge. I’m going to keep this secret to myself and buy a non stick cooling rack. I would never here the end of it if I told them. Thanks for the heads up