Don’t dig out your frying pan. You absolutely CAN (and should) cook bacon in an oven. Bacon pieces turn out perfectly crispy, the flavor is to die for and cleanup is a super easy. So that’s why, on International Bacon Day, we want to share the secret method for how to cook bacon in an oven, or as we like to call it, perfect baked bacon. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
What? Bake bacon? In an oven? But what about my skillet?
The premise to perfectly baked bacon is simple. Set the temperature to 400°F, and lay the bacon slices (we like thick cut here) flat on a baking sheet or your toaster oven pan. Bake, for about 12-15 minutes, or until the bacon is done to your liking. If you want to make cleanup as easy as possible, line your pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper prior to placing the bacon slices.
When your bacon is finished cooking, it will be crispy, but light, in a unique way. The texture is almost buttery, in a way you just can’t replicate with pan-frying or microwaving. It’s absolutely delicious in a BLT with an equally substantial layer of mayo, lettuce and ripe summer tomato slices. But be warned–once you try making bacon in an oven, you may never cook your bacon in a frying pan again.
True story! My wife and I switched to baking bacon in our oven a long time ago and have never looked back. The only thing I miss about skillet bacon is when that one strip shrinks up and gets all curly and you can pop the whole thing in your mouth at one time… But that’s a small price to pay for superior bacon from the oven.
Ah, yes… the curly one-bite bacon bit! Maybe try rolling up the bacon in a ball before cooking in the oven – that might work!
Only problem, is if you cook the whole batch at once, like I do, its all done and ready eat……so guess what happens next!!!
I don’t see the problem … 😉
Is the temperature in a toaster oven correct. i.e. if you set it at 350 F is it real at that temperature