Cooking Bacon In The Oven At 350

Published: May 9, 2019 · by: · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

A step by step guide to oven frying crispy and perfect bacon without a rack, options without foil, and tips for keeping your oven clean.Baking bacon in the oven is so easy!

5 pieces of crispy bacon on paper towels

Related: I get all of my heritage breed pork from Butcher Box. Read my honest review here.

If there is one thing I am an expert at, its cooking bacon in the oven. I bake bacon in the oven at least 3 times a week so I thought "Why not share all of my tips and tricks forHow to Cook Bacon in the Oven with my readers!"

I could literally give the person who invented bacon a huge hug. This person has sustained me for the past 10 years. I really consider myself a bacon expert and I have a whole section on my blog dedicated to bacon recipes. Check it out here.

I have used bacon in many recipes on my blog:

Click here for my Crustless quiche recipe – This quiche is filled with bacon and it is so easy to make because of no crust.
Click here for my Bacon Wrapped asparagus recipe – all of my tips on how to make perfect bacon wrapped asparagus without having overcooked, mushy asparagus.
Click here for my green beans with crispy bacon – one if the easiest and most delicious side dished you can make.
Click here for my Bacon wrapped chicken thighs – The seasoning on these bone in chicken thighs is amazing!

Bacon has been my easy meal that I can just throw in the oven and call it breakfast…all while my coffee is brewing.

I oven fry my bacon in the oven without a rack, sometimes with parchment paper, and sometimes with foil. They all work.

My favorite kind of bacon is thick cut bacon. That has always been my preference because it is delicious and thicker. I really can't think of any other reasons, ha!

a package of thick cut bacon

You could definitely use any bacon you like though, it will just alter the cooking time depending on the thickness.

WHAT TO COOK BACON ON IN THE OVEN?

NO RACK – I use a rimmed sheet pan and I lay the raw bacon directly on the sheet pan. I can usually fit 8-9 pieces on my sheet pan. This is my favorite sheet pan because when I want to use foil or parchment paper, it fits perfectly in the pan without the bacon grease seeping under like on larger sheet pans.

You could use a rimmed sheet pan with a rack (like this one) if you want to avoid draining your bacon. I personally don't like to use this type of pan because the wire rack is a pain to clean and I cook bacon too much to be cleaning that wire rack 3 times a week.

I also do not like to use a rack to cook the bacon on because I like that the bacon lays in it's own grease and fries, just like when you cook it on the stove top. But I do love that wire rack when I make my Crispy Chicken Thighs.

PARCHMENT PAPER OR FOIL – You could also line your baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. I personally use foil sometimes when I don't feel like cleaning the pan.

8 pieces of raw bacon on a sheet pan

WHAT TEMPERATURE DO YOU USE?

I put my bacon in the oven at 400F and it takes about 15 minutes to cook to my liking. If you use thinner bacon, it will cook quicker so be sure to keep an eye on it. I would check it every 5 minutes just to be safe.

There is no need to pre-heat the oven. It is actually best to start the bacon in a cold oven. It helps render the fat better.

Sometimes for thicker bacon, I flip the pieces halfway through so I don't have any half cooked pieces.

Now you can lay it out on paper towels to drain off the grease.

crispy bacon draining on paper towels

HOW LONG TO BAKE BACON IN THE OVEN AT 400F?

Typically it will take about 15 minutes or so. There are many variables in how long you need to let your bacon bake in the oven. A good temperature to start with is 400F. The time it takes depends on the thickness of you bacon and how crispy you like your bacon.

HOW TO KEEP BACON FROM SPLATTERING IN THE OVEN?

You guys I have a massive trick to keeping the bacon from popping grease all over your oven! If you are a conservationist, i'm sorry. I bought a shiny new oven and I did not want to mess it up with bacon grease like my old oven. So this is what I do now.

I place the bacon on the baking sheet and then I cover it with parchment paper. I cook the bacon at 400F until it is crispy. This takes about 20-25 minutes at 400 for thick cut bacon. I've been doing this for over a month and my oven is still spotless!

For the leftover bacon grease that is in your pan, you can save it! Bacon grease is great to cook with because it has a high smoke point…and it's free!

BACON NUTRITION FACTS

Again, it varies on the brand you buy but in general, here are the nutrition facts:

1 slice cooked bacon has 43 calories / 3.3g fat / 1.1g sat fat / .1g carbs / 3g protein

crispy bacon on paper towels

8-9 Slices bacon

See Notes to find out a different technique to keep your oven completely clean while cooking bacon in the oven!
Lay the raw bacon out on a sheet pan without a rack. Place in the middle of the oven and turn the oven on to 400F. Cook the bacon until crisp, about 20 minutes (or until it is done to your liking) Remove from the oven and drain the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels.

PARCHMENT PAPER OR FOIL - You can line your baking sheet with a wire rack, parchment paper, or foil. The parchment paper and foil will aid with cleanup and the wire rack will help you avoid draining on paper towels.
STORE COOKED BACON - Store leftover bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
FREEZE COOKED BACON - Cook as much bacon as you like according to the above directions and let cool. Line a sheet pan with wax paper or parchment paper and place the bacon on the pan in a single layer. Continue with the paper and a layer of bacon up to 3 thick. Place in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours. Transfer the frozen bacon to a freezer bag or container and keep frozen for up to 3 months. TO SERVE: microwave for 30 seconds and serve.
NO MESSY OVEN -You guys I have a massive trick to keeping the bacon from popping grease all over your oven! If you are a conservationist, i'm sorry. I bought a shiny new oven and I did not want to mess it up with bacon grease like my old oven. So this is what I do now. I place the bacon on the baking sheet and then I cover the bacon with parchment paper. I cook the bacon at 350F until it is crispy. This takes about 30-40 minutes at 350. I've been doing this for over a month and my oven is still spotless!

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