Immediately, we’re mastering a life ability: Baked Bacon within the oven. On the finish of this publish, not solely will you know the way to make bacon that seems impeccably cooked and uniformly crisp each single time, however you’ll additionally proudly discuss with your self as a bacon perfectionist.
The key to excellent fried bacon is that it isn’t fried; it’s baked.
Cooking bacon within the oven is the tactic most eating places use, and it’s foolproof.
Ever marvel how your favourite brunch, burger or BLT spot achieves these flat, thick, and magically crisp bacon slices? I’d wager my final piece that the bacon is baked.
Oven baked bacon is simpler to make, more healthy, and produces higher outcomes than fried bacon (Air Fryer Bacon is one other nice technique).
Baked bacon is a type of uncommon culinary conditions the place the tactic that yields a superior outcome (baked bacon) is definitely simpler than the traditional technique (pan frying).
- An oven-safe rack permits the warmth to flow into evenly across the bacon, a key part of bacon excellence.
- Baked bacon is hands-free to make, fast to wash up, and received’t splatter you with scorching grease whilst you stand on the range to babysit it.
- One of the best ways to prepare dinner bacon really is within the oven!
Able to dive into easy methods to prepare dinner excellent baked bacon? Let’s do it!
Is It More healthy to Bake Bacon?
Listed here are a few the reason why it’s higher to prepare dinner bacon within the oven than on the range:
- One of many nice issues about baking bacon utilizing this particular technique is that the grease from the bacon drips off and is collected under the rack, which implies it stays off your bacon and out of your physique.
- One other step I take to make my oven baked bacon more healthy is patting off any remaining grease with a paper towel. This additional reduces the quantity of fats left on every slice. As a bonus, this additionally makes the bacon crispier too.
Whereas baked bacon is arguably more healthy than fried bacon, it’s nonetheless bacon.
Take pleasure in it moderately as one tasty part of a balanced weight loss program.
At any time when we now have bacon, I wish to serve it with different lean proteins, fruits, entire grains, or greens to make a whole meal.
Tips on how to Make Oven Baked Bacon
Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at easy methods to prepare dinner bacon within the oven.
Cooking bacon within the oven means that you can make giant batches of bacon directly, with each slice evenly cooked and crisp.
It’s additionally protected to place bacon within the oven. If you know the way to prepare dinner bacon on the range, then you recognize that it requires time spent over the skillet, a number of flying grease, and a large number to wash up afterward.
With this simple technique, you possibly can prepare dinner bacon within the oven with out the danger of splattering your self and with virtually no mess.
The ONLY Ingredient
- Excessive-High quality Bacon. This would possibly sound apparent, however I can’t overstate its significance: the higher high quality of bacon you purchase, the higher your last baked bacon will style. I promise it’s value it!
Suggestions for Shopping for Bacon
- Buy bacon from the butcher counter on the grocery retailer. It’s often solely a greenback or two greater than the pre-packaged stuff, however the style is remarkably higher.
- Go for the thick reduce bacon (no wimpy bacon right here!). It’s simpler to layer onto to sandwiches, makes extra of an influence when sprinkled on salads, and is further satisfying when munched by itself.
- For taste, give attention to the standard of the bacon first. Bacon that’s applewood smoked is all the time good, however any taste is scrumptious when it’s well-sourced.
Suggestions for Excellent Oven Baked Bacon
- Bake at 400 Levels F. Some recipes advocate baking bacon at different temperatures or beginning the bacon in a chilly oven, however I discovered {that a} preheated 400 levels F is the perfect temperature for baking bacon. It cooks the bacon evenly irrespective of its thickness and the bacon received’t splatter.
- Use a Rack. Not solely does the rack make the bacon more healthy, nevertheless it additionally helps make it crispy and evenly-cooked.
How Lengthy to Bake Bacon
How lengthy bacon needs to be cooked within the oven will fluctuate based mostly upon the thickness of your bacon and your required crispness.
- For Skinny-Minimize Bacon. Common, thin-cut bacon will usually bake in 12 minutes at 400 levels F. If you would like it further crispy, you possibly can let it bake somewhat longer, however hold an in depth eye on it.
- For Thick-Minimize Bacon. Thicker bacon will take 14 to twenty minutes, relying upon your thickness and the way crisp you want to it to be.
The time the bacon takes to prepare dinner can even fluctuate by what number of slices you’re making directly.
In case your sheet pan may be very crowded, chances are you’ll want to increase the baking time by a couple of minutes.
Baked Bacon Storage Suggestions
- To Retailer. Cooked bacon will final within the fridge for 3 to five days. If it begins to scent humorous or change look, throw it out.
- To Reheat. Recrisp your bacon slices on a baking sheet within the oven at 350 levels F.
- To Freeze. Retailer baked bacon slices in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Take away and thaw slices as desired.
Tips on how to Use Baked Bacon
Now that you just’ve mastered the life ability of easy methods to make oven baked bacon, it’s time to make use of it!
- Use It in Any Recipe That Requires Cooked/Crumbled Bacon. Along with the obvious finish (gobbling the slices straight from the plate), baking bacon within the oven is a perfect technique any time you have got a recipe that requires including cooked, crumbled bacon, or if you wish to make a regular recipe somewhat extra decadent. These Roasted Brussels Sprouts are scrumptious with somewhat bacon sprinkle, to call however one instance.
- Loaded Potatoes. A traditional Baked Potato, Air Fryer Baked Potato, or Crockpot Potato Soup are all higher with bacon.
- Salads. Crumbled bacon makes salads delicious and additional interesting. Attempt BLT Chopped Salad, 7 Layer Salad, Cobb Salad, or add it to Apple Walnut Salad.
- Prime Pizzas. Cube it and use it to high Naan Pizza, Ricotta Pizza, and Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza.
- Sandwiches and Burgers. A slice of crisp bacon is all the time a sensible choice on a BLT, Air Fryer Grilled Cheese, Turkey Burgers, and extra!
Favourite Recipes Utilizing Cooked Bacon
- 6 slices bacon or any variety of strips and thickness you want (see notes for suggestions)
- Nonstick cooking spray
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If making an quantity of bacon that may match on a single baking sheet with out overlapping (about 6 to eight slices, relying upon the bacon and sheet), place a rack within the heart of your oven. If making a bigger quantity, place the racks within the higher and decrease thirds. Preheat your oven to 400 levels F.
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Line a big, rimmed baking sheet with foil for straightforward clear up (in case you choose to bake the bacon with out foil, go away the foil off), then place an ovenproof baking rack on high. Spritz the baking rack calmly with nonstick spray. Organize the bacon in a single layer on the baking rack.
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Bake till you attain your required degree of crispness. This may very well be as early as 12 minutes in case you are utilizing thinner bacon and prefer it much less crisp or 20 minutes or extra in case you utilizing a thicker reduce and like your bacon actually crispy. If baking two racks directly, rotate their positions midway via.
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As soon as cooked, instantly switch the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and calmly pat dry (this retains it from getting soggy). Let cool simply sufficient so that you just don’t (fully) burn your tongue. Devour instantly or use to high salads, pastas, and sandwiches, or in any of these recipes.
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To wash up: Let the bacon grease cool and harden, then crumple it up contained in the foil and discard. In case you’d like to make use of the bacon grease for one more objective, let it cool for a couple of minutes, switch it to a lidded container or jar, and refrigerate.
- I like and advocate thick-cut applewood smoked bacon. The applewood smoke taste is traditional, and the thick reduce offers most bacon crunch and full taste. I additionally choose heart reduce bacon when attainable, as it’s extra lean and “meaty.” If you may get the bacon from the butcher straight or from a neighborhood provider, that’s even higher. With bacon, high quality actually counts, and it’s definitely worth the splurge. We’re making bacon, in any case.
- TO STORE: Cooked bacon will final within the fridge for 3 to five days. If it begins to scent humorous or change look, throw it out.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm gently within the microwave or use at room temperature.
- TO FREEZE: Retailer baked bacon slices in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Take away and thaw slices as desired.
Serving: 1bacon stripEnergy: 92kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 3gFats: 9gSaturated Fats: 3gLdl cholesterol: 15mgPotassium: 44mg
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Continuously Requested Questions
In case your bacon is in its authentic sealed package deal, you possibly can go by the expiration date listed on the package deal. In case you’ve already opened the package deal, be certain to prepare dinner up the bacon inside 1 week of opening to be protected. (Confession: I’ve used bacon greater than 1 week after it’s been opened, however the consolation degree is as much as you.)
If at any level your bacon begins to alter shade or smells off, it’s most secure to discard it.
In case you don’t personal an oven-safe rack, prepare dinner the bacon straight on the aluminum foil.
Raw bacon might be frozen in an hermetic package deal for as much as 6 months. Thaw it in a single day within the fridge. In case you don’t assume you’ll use an entire package deal inside 1 week of opening, freeze the unused portion straight away.
