In my 20’s, I was employed in a commercial kitchen. There I learned how to make crispy bacon in large batches with little effort. There was no standing on a hot skillet or splattering grease. It was one of those moments. Sometimes the simplest solutions are those that we don’t know. So I wanted to share this tutorial to let everyone know about the easiest method to cook bacon.
WHY DO YOU COOK BACON IN THE Oven?
One of the main reasons I recommend cooking bacon in an oven is because it’s hands-off. The bacon is cooked in the oven, and you can make your eggs, toast, or other breakfast items. It’s not necessary to watch over a pan of piping hot bacon or keep yourself safe from the hot projectile grease. All of it is safe and sound in the oven.
A second advantage of cooking bacon in the oven is that it can be cooked much more quickly than in a skillet. You can do it all at once if you have a large group to feed or want to cook a lot of bacon.
A third reason I love cooking bacon in the oven: is it self-drains. The bacon is suspended on a baking sheet and covered with a wire cooling rack. This allows the grease to drain as it cooks, rather than soaking in grease. I don’t mean to say that I hate bacon grease, but I do love it.
Do I need a wire rack?
Although a wire cooling rack may not be necessary, I recommend it. A wire rack allows the bacon to heat evenly from both sides. This results in a crispier piece. The bacon can be placed directly on the baking sheet. It will cook in its fat, giving it a chewier texture.
Do I have to use oil?
No. You can use parchment paper or aluminum foil if you don’t want to use it. However, the grease will soak through some of that. This makes cleanup much easier, but I know there are safety concerns when cooking with aluminum foil. Baking sheets can be cleaned with baked-on bacon grease by soaking them in hot soapy water for 10 minutes and using a little elbow grease. The Barkeeper’s Friend can also be used to clean off baked-on grease from cookware.
What kind of BACON can be cooked in the OVEN
You can cook any bacon in the oven. However, I prefer thick-cut bacon. Thin bacon can be fragile and stick to the wire rack. These cooking times are for thick-cut bacon.
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz. 12 oz.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400oF. To hold the bacon on the baking sheet, line it with aluminum foil.
- Place the bacon strips on the wire rack in a straight line.
- The bacon should be baked in a preheated oven for between 20-25 minutes or until it reaches your desired degree of crispiness. Start checking the bacon after 15 minutes. Ovens vary.
- To remove bacon strips from the wire rack, place them on a towel-lined plate. Serve immediately
- Let the bacon grease cool down for about ten more minutes. Then pour it into a bowl/jar and let it sit for a while before you use it again.
NOTES
*Cooking times can vary depending upon the temperature of your oven and the thickness of the bacon. These times are for thick-cut bacon. Regular bacon should be checked at 10 minutes. You can increase the time until you reach your desired degree of crispiness.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1slice Calories: 142kcal Carbohydrates: 1g Protein: 4g Fat: 14g Sodium: 225mg
