How Long to Bake Bacon?

Christine Albury

Wondering how long to bake bacon? We know the answers!

Making bacon in the oven is perfect when you’re trying to feed a crowd. You don’t have to worry about cooking a handful of strips at a time, watching to see when they should be flipped.

When you’re baking bacon, you can throw the strips on your sheet pan, set the oven and timer, and fuhgeddaboudit. Until the timer goes off, and you check to see if it’s done.

Bacon Photo

While it’s baking, you can be making pancakes, eggs or French Toast. It’s multitasking at its finest.

Plus, bacon cooked in the oven turns out perfectly crispy and makes for easy cleanup.

Keep in mind it’s best not to preheat the oven before adding raw bacon. Bacon needs to cook slow, so the fat renders out gradually and produces an even result.

Bacon Picture

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

  1. Line a baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup. Parchment paper also works well.
  2. Lay the bacon slices out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. For crispier bacon, you can place a cooking rack on your baking sheet and place the bacon on the rack, so the air will circulate around it.
  3. Place the bacon in a cold oven and then heat it to 400°F. Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like your bacon. Thicker bacon will take longer than thin.
  4. Lay the bacon on a paper towel-lined platter to drain and cool.

How Long to Cook Bacon with the Oven Preheated to 400°F:

If you prefer not to cook your bacon slowly, you can preheat your oven before adding the bacon. At 400°F, your bacon will take 15-20 minutes to cook.

Bacon Image

How Long to Cook Bacon at 350°F

If your oven is preheated to 350°F, cook the bacon for 20-25 minutes, or until done.

How Long to Cook Bacon at 425°F

If your oven is preheated to 425°F, cook the bacon for 10-15 minutes, or until your desired crispiness.

Bacon Pic

How to Save Bacon Drippings

Did you know you can save bacon grease for use again? You’ll need to discard any remaining bits of meat though, since they’ll burn if cooked again.

Once your bacon is cooked, strain out the solid bits by pouring the drippings through a sieve and into a metal container. If you want to use a glass jar, make sure the grease is no longer hot, so the glass doesn’t shatter.

Store bacon grease in the refrigerator for at least a month. You can use it in place of oil or butter when cooking.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Picture

How to Get Rid of Bacon Grease

Never pour bacon grease down your drain, or it will eventually clog your pipes. Let the grease solidify at room temperature or the refrigerator, then toss it in the trash.

Now that you know how long to bake bacon, you have to try this Brown Sugar Jalapeño Bacon or this Candied Bacon!

Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?

How about looking for a new slow cooker dinner idea?

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Christine Albury

About Christine

I'm a mom of 5 and love making healthy baby food with wholesome, natural ingredients. In 2005 I started the Homemade Baby Food Recipes website, sharing recipes for everything from simple fruit purees to gourmet curries for the baby food connoisseur! You'll also find plenty of tried and tested tips to help encourage even the most reluctant diner to enjoy a wide range of nutritious new foods. If you enjoy cooking, then you will LOVE learning to become head chef for a very special little customer!