Make Ahead Bacon in the Oven
To cook thick cut bacon in the oven, lay the slices flat on a foil lined sheet pan, put it in a cold oven set to 400°F, and bake about 18 to 25 minutes until browned and crisp at the edges. Cook a whole 24 oz pack on Sunday and reheat a few slices each morning in seconds.
Cook a 24 oz pack of our America's Best Applewood Smoked Dry Cured Bacon or Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon on Sunday, keep it in the fridge, and reheat a few slices each morning in seconds. Here is the method, the doneness cues, and how to reheat it.
What you need to cook bacon in the oven
- 1 pack (24 oz) thick cut bacon, thawed in the fridge
- 2 rimmed half sheet pans
- Foil or parchment to line them
- Optional: wire racks that fit in the pans
- Paper towels and a plate
Lay the slices in a single layer with no overlap. A 24 oz pack fills two pans; bake them on the middle and lower racks and swap halfway.
How to cook bacon in the oven, step by step
- Line the pans. Foil makes cleanup a fold and a toss. Set a rack on top for flatter slices, or skip it for slices that fry in their own fat.
- Lay out the bacon. Slices flat, edges touching but not overlapping.
- Cold oven, then 400°F. Put the pans in a cold oven and set it to 400°F. The slow heat renders the fat gently and keeps the slices flat.
- Bake. Thick cut takes about 18 to 25 minutes from a cold start. Swap the pans halfway, start checking at 15 minutes, and pull when browned all over with crisp edges.
- Drain. Move the slices to a paper towel lined plate. Pour the cooled fat into a jar for cooking.
Bacon in the oven: doneness cues
| What you see | Around | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Browned, bends without cracking | 18 minutes | Pull now for make ahead bacon; it firms when reheated |
| Deep brown, edges crisp, center still meaty | 20 to 22 minutes | Pull now to serve |
| Dark brown all over, stiff when lifted | 25 minutes | Fully crisp; pull at once |
Make ahead bacon for the week
Sunday: bake the whole pack to the chewy or crisp edge stage, since it cooks a little more when reheated. Cool it on paper towels, then stack it in a covered container in the fridge.
Weekday mornings: microwave two or three slices on a paper towel about 10 seconds per strip, or warm them in a dry skillet for a minute a side.
Five minute breakfasts: bacon in a scrambled egg tortilla, a bacon and cheese English muffin, bacon crumbled over oatmeal with maple syrup, a bacon and apple plate, or a BLT for lunch.
Questions people ask about bacon in the oven
Do you need a rack to cook bacon in the oven?
No. On a rack the slices come out flatter and drier; right on the foil they brown a little more in their own fat. Both work.
Should you preheat the oven for bacon?
A cold start renders the fat slowly and keeps the slices flat. If your oven is already hot, start checking a few minutes sooner.
How long does thick cut bacon take in the oven at 400?
About 18 to 25 minutes from a cold start, depending on how crisp you like it.
How do you reheat cooked bacon?
Microwave about 10 seconds a strip, or warm it in a dry skillet.
One pack on Sunday, bacon all week. Heritage Duroc pork, raised crate free with no antibiotics ever on family farms, fed a vegetarian diet, and Prop 12 certified.
Order the Heritage Duroc Cured & Uncured Bacon Box: three 24 oz packs of America's Best Applewood Smoked Dry Cured Bacon and three of Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon. It ships frozen with dry ice.