Breakfast & Brunch · Free recipe
Crispy Oven Bacon
Perfectly even, shatter-crisp bacon cooked hands-free in the oven with no splatter and no flipping. It is the easiest way to make restaurant-quality bacon at home.
Step 1
Move an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400 F.
Step 2
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, letting it come up the sides. This catches the grease and makes cleanup easy.
Step 3
For extra-crisp bacon, set a wire rack on top of the foil-lined sheet, but this is optional; the bacon crisps well laid flat too.
Step 4
Lay the bacon slices in a single layer on the sheet or rack. It is fine if they touch slightly, but do not overlap them, or they will cook unevenly.
Step 5
If you like, grind a little black pepper over the strips.
Step 6
Place the sheet in the cold-to-warm oven and let the bacon cook. Starting it as the oven finishes heating helps it render slowly.
Step 7
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Thin bacon is usually done around 15 minutes; thick cut may take up to 22 minutes.
Step 8
Check it starting at 12 minutes and watch closely near the end, since bacon goes from perfect to burnt quickly.
Step 9
The bacon is ready when it is deep golden and the fatty parts look bubbly and set. Remember it crisps up more as it cools, so pull it while it is just slightly less crisp than you want.
Step 10
Remove the sheet using oven mitts and set it on a heatproof surface.
Step 11
Using tongs, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain for 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 12
Serve warm. Once the grease on the sheet cools and solidifies, fold up the foil and throw it away for an easy cleanup.
Tips from the test kitchen
- Never pour hot bacon grease down the drain; let it harden in the foil and discard, or save it in a jar for cooking.
- Bacon crisps as it cools, so take it out just before it looks fully done.
