Oven Fried Bacon
(7 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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America’s Test Kitchen
I was changed forever. Never again would I stand over a fry pan being assaulted by popping grease. Never again would I stand for an hour cooking bacon that would be stolen off the plate faster than I could cook it and then have little to show for all my efforts. Never again would I clean a grease splattered stove top, back splash, counter tops and utensil caddies. Never again would I feel like I needed to re-shower after cooking bacon. And because of all those ‘nevers’, my family and I could enjoy eating bacon as often as we wanted.
Since then, I’ve learned to cook three pound package of bacon once a month. I store it in a good freezer container in the freezer and we enjoy it anytime in any meal.
I taught my son, when he was seven years old, how to plate the frozen bacon and reheat it in the microwave. Now, he enjoys bacon with his toast.
Now just to mention this for those healthy minded folks, I don’t always keep bacon in the freezer. When it runs out, it’s out. Bacon is a treat for us and we enjoy it so long as it lasts. This helps my family appreciate the flavor without expecting it with every breakfast. As a family of four, we have learned to use it sparingly, so it will last us until Mom is ready to bake again.
HERE’S ALL IT TAKES
- 1 package thick sliced smoked bacon
Cover a cookie sheet with heavy duty foil and lay down bacon slices on ungreased foil. Slide cookie sheet on center rack in cold oven, set temperature to 400oF and bake for 17-20 minutes. There’s no flipping. Only rotate the sheet if your oven cooks unevenly. Watch bacon carefully in those last few minutes of baking, it can overcook within one minute.
GOOD TO KNOW: Bacon will appear lighter, but assuredly it will crisp up after it cools.
Rest the bacon on paper towels for a few minutes to absorb excess fat. Pour the bacon drippings into a clean heat resistant jar or container that can take the hot drippings and save for seasoning other recipes. And then reload the cookie sheet with the remaining uncooked bacon. The second batch of bacon will cook faster, so again, watch the bacon in those last few minutes.
GREATEST TIP EVER: Cook the bacon on the soft side of being fully cooked. Store cooled bacon in a freezer bag and throw in freezer for future meals. Reheat 2 slices of bacon in microwave on MED HIGH heat for 30 seconds or until warm. Cook longer when reheating more slices. You know how your microwave cooks, so adjust time as needed. Do not reheat with high power, it burns the bacon. Remember that the bacon is already fully cooked, you just want to warm it up, not cook it again.
Easy clean up is another advantage of this recipe. After storing away the bacon, toss the used paper towels onto the used foil, fold it up so it does not drip and throw away. Sometimes, I plan cooking bacon around good weather days or trash days. Why? So I can open up the windows to air out the grease smell and completely discard any greasy trash. Smelling fresh cooked bacon is good while it’s cooking, but it makes a lousy room freshener.
I dare anyone to try baking their bacon at least once.
Let me know what worked best for you. Did you sprinkle your bacon with brown sugar or cracked pepper before baking?
Comment by Daniel on 6 July 2007:
Great Tip! I used to work in a restaurant where the bacon was cooked in the oven and i find i’m less likely to overcook the bacon when its in the pan. But man oh man, the mess it makes. Maybe I’ll try switching back.
Comment by Jill on 9 July 2007:
THANK YOU, Charles & Daniel for being first to leave comments on the blog! What a thrill this is for me!
Charles, try reheating a slice of bacon (15-20sec in the Wave) and crumbling it over a quick breakfast burrito before heading off to work. Very tasty.
Daniel, how long did you work the restaurant biz? Do you have some time saving tips for me? What restaurants secrets can you share?
Comment by lindsay on 24 December 2007:
this is such a great idea! i’m 19 years old, and my grandparents take care of my great grandma. she’s nearly blind and has alzheimer’s, so she wakes up at random times, sometimes close to noon, even when everyone else in the house has been up all morning. my grandparents bake 3 to 5 pounds of bacon every few weeks, making it super easy to fix breakfast for my great grandma. all they do is put it in a big freezer baggie and stick it in the fridge. it makes their life so much simpler to have a fresh breakfast already made for my grandma!
Comment by Jill on 26 December 2007:
Hi Lindsay, it’s so nice to see you here.
Baking bacon in the oven changes lives. It’s no joke. I’ve had three Grandmoms express their gratitude to me for sharing this technique with them. “No more standing over the stove for a few strips of bacon!” “No more grease splattered stove top.”
One Grandmom was thrilled to learn that from now on, she could eat BLTs (Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato) sandwiches ANYTIME she wanted one. It was no longer a special chore to make them.
Comment by Nic on 17 January 2008:
I haven’t cooked bacon any other way in my life! It comes out SOOO much crispier than frying. It makes incredible bacon bits as well.
Comment by Jill on 17 January 2008:
I TOTALLY agree!
I, also, like that I can pour off the drippings into my favorite heat resistant container and all the crispy bits stay on the pan.
Yes, I save the drippings and actually use them for certain recipes.
(I feel like I’ve just admitted to a deadly sin.)
Oh well.
Comment by brad on 25 January 2008:
Great Tip!
We used to do that at a restaurant I worked at. A good gauge of doneness is once you smell bacon wafting from the oven and it makes you go “oh yeah, the bacon”, It’s done. You’ll know exactly what I mean the first time you try this. I also think parchment paper works a little better than the foil.
Don’t feel bad Jill.
i save them too…how else can you saute spinach properly without that bacony goodness?
Comment by Jill on 25 January 2008:
Thank you, Brad. I do feel better now that the truth is out. It’s best to be honest right away.Does the parchment paper fold over the sides and keep the pan completely free of drippings, like the foil does?
Comment by brad on 25 January 2008:
The parchment won’t keep your pan pristine. Some grease will get on it, so in that regard foil is certainly easier. I just find that the bacon seems to cook better on the parchment since the parchment seems to wick some of the grease away instead of pooling it. Don’t know if that’s the proper way to describe it, but the bacon is just less greasy after. I’ve also tried using a cooling rack on a sheet pan with the bacon on the rack to keep the grease down. It works well if you like crisp bacon, but it’s a little “leaner”, and more crisp than I prefer.
Comment by Jill on 28 January 2008:
I’ve seen Ina Garten bake bacon on a cooling rack and it definitely looked crispier. Like you, it’s not my bacon style.
Hmm, ‘bacon style’, you think we could categorize bacon styles like a zodiac chart? I was born in April: I prefer my bacon slightly crispy, dipped in real Maple syrup as I eat it.
Comment by Dave Mueller on 11 May 2008:
I like the idea of cooking all the bacon at once and freezing it for later use. I’ve started cooking bacon in my family size George Foreman grill. One advantage is that I get very clear bacon grease in the grease reservoir. I store it in a jar in the fridge and use it as flavoring for other foods.
Comment by Jill on 12 May 2008:
Good morning Dave!
If you decide to bake it, you will STILL have clear bacon drippings to use for later on. All the bacon bits sticks to the foil.
I like keep my drippings in a small Tupperware container. I don’t use it all that often but it’s nice to have it on hand for flavoring refried beans.
Comment by Lynn on 18 June 2008:
But then don’t you have a grease splattered oven? I’m dying to try it but my oven isn’t self-cleaning. LOL
Comment by Jill@SimpleDailyRecipes.com on 19 June 2008:
I don’t have a self cleaning oven, either.
The top and sides of my oven are reasonably clean.
The clean up is NOTHING, compared to frying bacon on the stove top. I wouldn’t worry about your oven.
Instead, Think of the crispy bacon stacked high on a plate, waiting to devoured.
Comment by Lynn on 19 June 2008:
Thanks, Jill. I’m going to try it today. I just found your site. It’s great!
Comment by Jill@SimpleDailyRecipes.com on 19 June 2008:
You’re welcome and THANK YOU for the compliment.
Come back & tell me how your first experience with
oven frying bacon went.
Comment by Lynn on 19 June 2008:
It went wonderfully and I didn’t even see any splatters! :o) Tender crisp bacon and the drippings totally clear. As an older “Mammaw” with Southern roots, I like to put a little bacon grease in my sausage gravy for added flavor. No straining to get out hard bacon bits needed here. Thanks again, Jill.
Comment by Jill@SimpleDailyRecipes.com on 20 June 2008:
YEAH, LYNN!!!
You’re a changed woman now. You can never go back.
I’m with you about the clear drippings; I like how the bits stick to the foil and not go into the container.
And as for that gravy, IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY TO EAT IT?
My Memaw started every pan with a tablespoon of bacon drippings. She kept hers right on top of the gas stove top in an old enamel coffee pot.
Comment by Gail on 5 August 2008 (3 days ago):
When my grandpa died several years ago, my grandma moved from the farm into town to be closer to the family. She had to get rid of a lot of kitchen tools to make room in her new kitchen. I got not only her glass loaf dish in which she ALWAYS made gelatin with fruit, but also the old scared enamel coffee pot she used for her bacon grease. Not sure if it is just seasoned really well, or the thought that it was grandma’s “grease pot”, but it contains the best bacon seasonings you could ever imagine! Biscuits and gravy served with home grown tomatoes is better than any 5-star restaurant meal in the world! Like you, Jill, every vegetable from the garden got a spoon full of bacon grease in the pot before it was cooked. Not exactly heart-healthy, but she’s 93 now, and still kicking strong! The tomatoes in my garden are finally ready, so I think BLT’s are in order tomorrow for dinner. I can’t wait! I like my bacon crisp, so I am going to try the cooling rack on my baking sheet. Thanks for posting this blog. Reminds me of the days spent cooking with grandma and eating some of the best food I’ve ever had.
Comment by Jill on 5 August 2008 (3 days ago):
Oh Gail, I know the SAME COFFEE POT! Memaw’s had a white enamel pot with a red spout and handle.
Way to score on the kitchen goods! They can bring more memories flooding back than the actual food cooked in them.
I have my Memaw’s last apron that she sewed herself. I wear it only when I’m preparing holiday meals (Thanksgiving, Christmas, & Easter). I feel like it helps me remember how she prepared those dishes. And it reminds me of how much she loved us to work so hard in that hot, little kitchen.
(I better stop. I’m getting all teary eyed and I can’t see what I’m typing.)