How to Bake Bacon

This crispy and crackly baked bacon is a superstar side to start the day off on the right foot. Served with your favorite breakfast foods, it’s an easy way to add smokey crunch to your meal.

There’s nothing quite like the satisfying crunch of perfectly baked bacon to kick off your morning. With its smokey flavor and perfect crispiness, this oven-baked version is a game-changer for breakfast lovers like me. It’s quick, mess-free, and ideal for feeding a crowd for brunch or treating yourself to a cozy breakfast-for-one at home.

Why Bake Bacon in the Oven?

Baked bacon makes cooking breakfast way simpler. It frees up time and creates less of a mess.

• Hands-off. There’s no need to spend a long time in the kitchen because you can pop it into the oven and forget about it for a bit.
• Great for brunch. This recipe helps you prepare plenty of bacon at the same time for all your guests.
• Easy clean-up. You won’t have to clean up a bunch of bacon grease. Just throw the parchment paper away and rinse the baking sheet!

What You’ll Need

Bacon is the one-and-only superstar ingredient here, but feel free to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Bacon – You can use thick-cut or regular bacon.

How to Bake Bacon

A 2-step baked bacon recipe is just what you need to get you through breakfast and brunch gatherings. You can scroll to the bottom of the post if you want to read or print the full recipe card.

• Prep the oven. Preheat it to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Bake it. Spread out the bacon in the prepared baking sheet. Don’t overlap the pieces. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy to taste. Remove it from the oven and set it aside.

Tips for Success

Nailing crispy baked bacon is easy if you bake on the right rack and use the right temperature.

• Glaze it. Lightly brush your favorite BBQ sauce, my Smoky BBQ Sauce, or Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce on both sides of the bacon strips and cook as usual.
• Stay in the center. Never bake on the bottom oven rack because the heat is too direct and the bacon’s likely to burn. The top oven rack is usually too cool, so stick to the center one for best results. That’s where heat distribution is most even.
• Use a wire rack. Place a wire rack over the prepared baking sheet and arrange the bacon on top. The grease will render and melt, falling through the rack and allowing the bacon to crisp up more.
• Make it spicy. Brush both sides of the bacon with your favorite hot sauce or buffalo sauce for a spicy variation.
• Watch the temperature. Set an oven thermometer on the oven rack you’re baking on to confirm that you’re baking at the right temperature. If it’s not calibrated, adjust the dials as needed until you’re actually at 350F.

Ways to Use Baked Bacon

This baked bacon goes perfectly with your favorite breakfast recipes like my Breakfast Enchiladas and Avocado Toast. If you prefer eggs, try my Egg in a Hole with Pesto, Shakshuka, or Mushroom Frittata. For something sweet, go for my Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes or Whole Wheat Pancakes with Cinnamon Apple Compote.

How to Store and Reheat

Bacon is always best when it’s freshly made but any leftovers can certainly be stored and reheated for later.

• Fridge: Place it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• To reheat it: Microwave it in 15-second increments until warm. You can also use the air fryer at 350F for 5-6 minutes for ultra crispy results.

More Bacon Recipes

• Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin Bites
• Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeños
• Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Bacon Green Bean Bundles

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