How to Bake Bacon

Of all the ways you can cook bacon — including a skillet, the microwave, a deep-fryer, or anyplace else — it turns out that the very best way is to bake it in the oven. Baking your bacon ensures that it comes out crispy and golden brown, but without all the messiness of cooking it on the stovetop in a skillet.

The reason your oven is so great is that you really want to cook your bacon slowly, and at a low temperature. Too fast or too hot will scorch it, and you’ll end up with bacon that’s crumbly rather than crispy.

So here are the steps. Let me just give you a heads-up here that the most important thing is putting the bacon into a cold oven. Don’t preheat! Starting with a cold oven ensures that the bacon will cook slowly, like it needs to.

Line a baking sheet with foil. This will make cleanup easier later.

Arrange the bacon slices on the foil and place the baking sheet on the center rack of a cold oven. (Try not to stretch the slices out. Just gently drape the bacon across the pan.) Close the oven door. Turn the oven on to 400°F. Walk away.

Come back 17 to 20 minutes later. As soon as the bacon is golden brown, but not excessively crisp, it’s done. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the bacon slices, and also on how quickly your oven reaches the target temperature.

Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the bacon to another sheet pan lined with paper towels to absorb any excess fat.

REMEMBER: Don’t pre-heat the oven! Make sure the oven is cold when you put the bacon in.

Also, keep your eye on the bacon during the final few minutes of cooking to make sure that it doesn’t burn.