Cook bacon with half the stress by trying oven-baked bacon. All the flavor, less of a mess.

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Mmm…bacon. One of the tastiest additions to just about anything. Bacon is one of the best comfort foods out there and it adds a powerful flavor to any dish it is added to. Not to mention,  it is simply delicious all on it’s own. Bacon is good at any time of day, have it for breakfast, add it to lunch, or combine it with dinner. I love sprucing up my meals and recipes with bacon sometimes but I do not care for the hot, popping grease that comes along with pan-frying it. The grease burns and mess are enough to keep me from cooking it too often. However, lucky for me and you there is another option: oven-baked bacon!

Oven-baked bacon is just as tasty and just as crisp as pan-fried bacon but without all the mess and burnt skin. It is super simple to do and only requires a handful of equipment. This is a wonderful option for multi-tasking breakfast or dinner. Plus an easier, less messy way to add the comfort of bacon to any meal. By using the baking method you can also take some of the early work out of making homemade bacon bits. Skip the mess and the smoked-out kitchen and give oven-baked bacon a try. Fair warning, you may experience hunger if you continue reading.

To cook easy, oven-baked bacon all you need is 1 package of bacon, a baking sheet, and some parchment paper. Just spread bacon over parchment-lined sheets and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.

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Bacon-Baking Equipment 

Thinking about adding some bacon delight to your meal tonight? This super easy baking method only requires a few items and, of course, only one ingredient. Start by gathering what you need to cook bacon in the oven.

Ingredient and equipment:

• 1 package of bacon (or 15 strips)
• Parchment paper sheets – I prefer and recommend using pre-cut parchment sheets because they are cut to fit baking sheets.
• 2 baking sheets

Cooking Bacon in the Oven

I start looking forward to the warm comfort of bacon as soon as I start getting everything prepared. I get it if you too start to get the bacon munchies while reading this so let’s get right to the bacon-baking process. 

• First, preheat the oven to 400°F.
  
• Next, line 2 baking sheets with the pre-cut parchment paper sheets.
  • Using parchment paper helps soak up a lot of the grease as the bacon cooks.
  • Silicone mats are not a good replacement in this situation because they do not absorb the grease, instead it just rolls around and soaks the bacon. 
    
• Then, spread the bacon strips on the parchment-lined baking sheets, making sure not to overlap the strips.
  
• Bake the bacon strips for 15-20 minutes, depending on desired doneness.
  • For thinner-sliced bacon, use a smaller amount of cooking time.
    
• Next, carefully remove the sheets from the oven.
  
• Finally, using a pair of tongs, transfer the cooked slices to a paper towel-lined plate.

Storing Cooked Bacon 

If you are cooking ahead to have prepared bacon for later use, or you somehow happen to have some left over, you can safely store it for later enjoyment. There are 2 ways to safely store cooked bacon.

1. Seal up the cooked bacon in a ziploc bag and store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
   
2. Or to freeze the bacon, just transfer strips to either a ziploc bag or an airtight container and freeze up to 1 month.
   1. Mark the date on the outside of the bag to keep up with freshness.
   2. To reheat saved bacon, cook for a few minutes in the oven or toaster oven.
      1. Alternatively, you can reheat bacon in the microwave. Just wrap some in a paper towel and cook for 30-60 seconds depending on how big of a batch is being heated up.

Perfect Addition to Any Meal, Any Time

Can you smell the bacon yet?! I can! I understand if after reading this you are ready to pop some in the oven. You may already have some bacon ideas brewing for your next meal but if you need some suggestions I have a few for you.

• The perfect pairing to eggs or pancakes for a satisfying breakfast.
• Add to breakfast biscuits.
• Delicious served in brunch omelettes or quiche.
• Adds a scrumptious impact to burgers or sandwiches like the classic BLT.

To make homemade bacon bits all you have to do is carefully chop the cooked bacon strips into small bits. Now add those bacon bits to:

• Yummy Salads
• Comforting baked potatoes
• Homemade pizza
• Add flavor to pastas or pasta salads.
• Upgrade your chicken salad
• Stuffed mushrooms or peppers

So many bacon possibilities, it’s endless! Now you can cook bacon the easy and way less messy way. Make multi-tasking breakfast or brunch a breeze by letting the oven take care of the work for you. Add your delicious oven-baked bacon to any meal to spruce up the flavors and make your tastebuds happy.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.