Have you ever wondered How to Cook Crispy Bacon? I’ve got the secret for perfectly cooked bacon in the oven.. and it requires only ONE ingredient! We’ll also go over how to get crispy bacon in the microwave and in a pan.
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Let’s be real.. who DOESN’T love bacon?! Especially when it’s super crispy bacon that is whole30 / paleo friendly (and of course served up alongside some eggs and our favorite Crispy Sheet Pan Roasted Potatoes!)
Crispy bacon is one of everyone’s favorite breakfast foods and today I’m going to share how you can cook the crispiest bacon EVER.
I mean seriously… like how are you not drooling just looking at that?! While we don’t eat bacon all the time, it is something we usually enjoy once or twice a week with our meals.
Typically bacon is loaded with fat and has all kinds of funky ingredients, so you might be wondering what bacon to buy.
What is the best bacon?
Personally, we think Butcher Box has the best bacon. It has no added sugar (so it’s paleo and whole30 bacon!).
The bacon comes from pork that is raised humanely, vegetarian fed and has no antibiotics ever. If you’re curious about Butcher Box you can read my Butcher Box Review.
Want free ground beef? Right Now when you join ButcherBox you can get free ground beef for a year and $10 off! That’s up to 24 pounds of ground beef for free!
Ok, now let’s get into how to cook crispy bacon. This is going to blow your mind with how easy it is.
What you need to make crispy bacon:
- bacon (duh)Â
- parchment paper lined baking sheet!
I told you this was going to be easy, right?!
How to make Crispy Bacon in the Oven:
Cooking crispy bacon in the oven is the best way. There is no splattering and it gets crispy every time!
- Preheat the oven to  375 + prepare a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lay bacon on parchment paper. Make sure the pieces are not overlapping, but they can be very close together (they will shrink) You do not need to cook your bacon on a rack to get it crispy… it’s unnecessary and creates more dishes!
- Bake the bacon for 10 minutes, flip with tongs and bake for additional 10 mins. Ta da- crispy bacon!!
Doesn’t it look amazing?!! No floppy gross bacon here! If you like your bacon a little less greasy you can lay it on a paper towel after it’s come out of the oven to help absorb excess grease.
Best way to make Bacon – Bake or Fry?
If you’re looking for crispy bacon, it’s better to bake bacon than fry bacon. Baking the bacon gives you perfectly crisp bacon that doesn’t soak up more oil than necessary.
Why Crispy Bacon in Oven is better
When you bake your bacon, you get perfectly crispy bacon every single time. Here’s what we love about it:
No splattering:Â When you cook bacon in the oven you avoid it splattering all over your stove/kitchen
No watching: When you cook bacon in a pan, you have to watch to make sure it doesn’t get burnt.Â
Cooks perfectly:Â No half done mushy bacon on one end and crispy bacon on the other. All of the bacon gets perfectly crispy!
How to cook Bacon in the Microwave
I wouldn’t recommend cooking bacon in the microwave because it never gets as crispy or that yummy oven roasted flavor.
If you really don’t want to be bothered with your oven, you can just place your bacon in between two paper towels and microwave for about 3-4 minutes on a microwave safe dish.
Truthfully though, we recommend you take the extra time and turn that oven on!
Can I use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper?Â
Yes, you can use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper in this recipe, however, I think the bacon gets crispier on parchment paper, and it never sticks!Â
I’ve also tried this on silpat baking sheets and it works well there too, but you have to really scrub to get the bacon grease off!
How to make Crispy Oven Bacon Pieces
Who doesn’t love bacon bits?! In a blueberry salad.. on top of baked boneless chicken.. in a bacon and cheese quiche, they go well on just about anything. I cook my bacon per the directions in this post, allow it to cool completely, and then just chop roughly with a sharp knife on a cutting board!
The bacon is very crunchy so it will easily break!
There you have it! The crispiest bacon with minimal effort! So easy and delicious!
How to Serve Crispy Bacon
This bacon is absolutely delicious on it’s own, but even better with other breakfast foods! Here are some of our favorite things to serve with bacon:
- Egg White Oatmeal
- Egg Muffin Cups
- Sweet Potato Home Fries
- Protein Pancakes or Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Egg Casserole with Hash Browns
You can also cook this bacon and add it to:
Storing Crispy Bacon
Storing: This cooked bacon will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing pre-cooked bacon but I think it would work just fine! Store in a freezer bag and reheat when ready to enjoy.
Reheating: You can reheat this bacon in the microwave, toaster oven, oven or on the stove top. Reheat until sizzling and crispy!
FAQ for How to Cook Bacon in Oven
The healthiest way to cook bacon is in the oven. It allows the bacon to get nice and crispy while draining off the fat. An air fryer is also a good option for cooking bacon.
To make bacon extra crispy, bake it in the oven! This is the best way to get bacon super crispy. Make sure your bacon is not overlapping on the baking sheet!
It takes bacon about 20 minutes to get crispy in the oven. 10 minutes will give you crispy-ish bacon, but it will not be as crispy. as if you cook it longer!
Your bacon could not be crispy for a number of reasons. You could’ve undercooked it or it could’ve been too close together on the pan.
Yes, you should flip bacon in the oven to make sure that it cooks evenly.
Bacon doesn’t taste any better in the oven. The oven doesn’t affect the taste of the bacon.
The best temperature to bake bacon is at 375.
No, you don’t need any oil to cook bacon. Bacon is high in fat and will release it’s own grease as it cooks. You can add it directly to a hot pan!
Other healthy breakfast recipes:
Crispy Oven Bacon
Ingredients
- 10 oz bacon
- parchment paper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 + prepare a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lay bacon on parchment paper. Make sure the pieces are not overlapping, but they can be very close together (they will shrink)
- Bake the bacon for 10 minutes, flip with tongs and bake for additional 10 mins.
- Once bacon comes out of the oven, remove immediately from the pan and put on a paper towel lined piece of paper to absorb excess grease.
D. Coryell says
I’m trying to teach my Grandson how to cook. I just was wondering if I remembered.
Molly Kvam says
I always use thick bacon so perhaps that is the issue but mine is not crispy. Going to give it a few more minutes to see if that helps.
The Clean Eating Couple says
It might need a few more minutes but this method works with all bacon!
Meg says
Did anyone else have to cook the bacon longer than directed? After the 20 min. I cooked it 5 more minutes and just flipped them again and have the timer on for another 10 min.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Meg – That doesn’t sound right! Are you sure your oven was set to the right setting? You definitely don’t need to cook bacon for 35 mins..
Meg says
Yes, 375. It came out nice and crispy but I did have to cook longer than directed. I haven’t had problems with other baked goods. Maybe the bacon had more water than the bacon you use.
Stephanie says
I’ve always cooked bacon in a pan on the stove but i tried this method the other day for breakfast… OMG! so much easier and less messy!! Plus.. super crispy! Def will be making it again
The Clean Eating Couple says
Isn’t it so much easier this way?! Glad you liked it 🙂
Rachel Groskreutz says
There is nothing better than crispy bacon. It can be a challenge to get it crispy but not too crispy. I think cooking it in the oven is a great idea.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thanks Rachel!!