Here’s how to cook bacon in the oven in less than 25 minutes. No fuss, no mess, just delicious perfectly done bacon.
Bacon! Is any food quite so delicious and versatile as bacon?
My family loves to have bacon for brunch a few times a week. It can also be chopped up and added to this healthy bacon and potato salad, or atop this amazing bacon cheeseburger, or even added to this easy and delicious slow cooker beef chili.
Best of all, bacon is keto and low-carb. And if you get sugar-free bacon, it’s whole 30 compliant too!
For the past few years, I’ve been cooking my bacon in the oven.
Read on to discover why and how I do it.
Is baking bacon healthier than frying?
Baking bacon on a raised rack lets the excess fat drip into the tin foil below. That definitely cuts down on the amount of fat.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I like fat as much as any keto person. However, excess fat isn’t necessary on a well-formulated keto diet. Especially if you already have excess fat you want to lose.
Is Bacon okay on keto?
At zero carbs, bacon is definitely okay on keto.
Fat is okay on keto.
However, if you’re on a keto diet to lose fat, consuming too much fat will go against your purpose which is to lose weight. Read more about our keto journey here.
So follow this method when you cook your bacon and cut down on unnecessary fat.
Benefits Of Cooking Bacon In The Oven
- I already mentioned that cooking bacon on a raised rack in the oven allows the fat to drip down away from the bacon, and it also allows the hot air to circulate around the bacon.
- Also, you don’t have to stand at your stove dodging splattering oil. You’ll be free to prepare the rest of your breakfast.
- And clean up is easier because your stove doesn’t get covered in grease.
- Finally, you can cook more bacon at one time. That’s batch cooking at its finest!
How To Cook Bacon In The Oven
*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.
Make sure your bacon is room temperature. I recommend uncured no nitrite bacon preferably with no sugar like this bacon from Niman Ranch. I also must say that I love the taste of Trader Joe’s uncured dry rubbed sliced bacon and Applegate Farms Sunday bacon. Any bacon you choose, however, will work with this method.
It’s best not to overcrowd the pan. If you’re making 12-14 strips of bacon at a time, divide the strips between two baking pans and place on separate oven racks.
Before you turn your oven on, position your oven racks so that one rack is in the bottom third of the oven and the other is in the top third of the oven. The bacon on the rack above may cook sooner than the one below it. That’s okay. Take that finished pan out and give the second pan a chance to finish cooking about 2-3 more minutes.
Total cooking time is usually 18-20 minutes at 400℉. But since ovens vary, start checking your bacon at 15 minutes to be sure it doesn’t burn.
Use tongs to transfer your bacon to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. I like to take another paper towel and blot the bacon on the top, as well.
Then you can strain the grease and save it in the fridge or freezer to use for cooking in other recipes in place of butter or oil. Just store it in the fridge or the freezer. Here’s a cool container designed for storing grease.
Pro Tips And Recipe Notes
A quick recap of several of the tips I mentioned above:
- Cook your room temperature bacon on a raised rack fitted into a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil so that the hot air circulates around the bacon and the fat drips down into the pan leaving you with perfectly crisp delicious bacon.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Your bacon needs room to crisp up evenly. Overcrowding can make your bacon turn out soggy.
- Ovens vary so please check your bacon after the first 15 minutes to be sure it doesn’t burn. Then cook it to your desired crispiness.
- You can store cooked bacon in an airtight container in the fridge.
- You can save the bacon fat to use in recipes for later. Carefully strain the grease and save it in the fridge or freezer.
Your family is sure to love crispy oven-baked bacon. It’s the perfect side for a satisfying breakfast. Make sure to get your slice of bacon before they’re devoured.
I can’t wait for you to try cooking bacon in the oven. And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP!
Happy cooking!
More Bacon Recipes You’ll Love
Seasoned Cauliflower Rice With Bacon
Beef Liver With Bacon And Caramelized Onions
Gluten Free Bacon And Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
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How To Cook Bacon In The Oven
Here's how to cook bacon in the oven in less than 25 minutes. No fuss, no mess, just delicious perfectly done bacon.
- 12 ounces of bacon
-
If you're making 12-14 strips of bacon at a time, it's best to divide the strips between two baking pans.
-
Position your oven racks so that one rack is in the bottom third of the oven and the other is in the top third of the oven.
-
Preheat your oven to 400℉ and place your pans of bacon on the racks of your oven one above the other. The bacon on the rack above may cook sooner than the one below it. That's o.k. Take that finished pan out and give the second pan a chance to finish cooking about 2-3 more minutes longer.
- Total cooking time is usually 18-20 minutes. But since ovens vary, start checking your bacon at 15 minutes to be sure it doesn’t burn.
-
Use tongs to transfer your bacon to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Blot the bacon on top with another paper towel.
- Serve and enjoy.
- Cook your room temperature bacon on a raised rack fitted into a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil so that the hot air circulates around the bacon and the fat drips down into the pan leaving you with perfectly crisp delicious bacon.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Your bacon needs room to crisp up evenly. Overcrowding can make your bacon turn out soggy.
- Ovens vary so please check your bacon after the first 15 minutes to be sure it doesn’t burn. Then cook it to your desired crispiness.
- You can store cooked bacon in an airtight container in the fridge.
- You can save the bacon fat to use in recipes for later. Carefully, strain the grease and save it in the fridge or freezer.
The post How To Cook Bacon In The Oven appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.
