How to Cook Perfectly Crisp Bacon in the Oven (Without All That Greasy Splatter)

Is bacon one of your favorite breakfast foods? Same. But maybe you're not so keen on cleaning up the grease splatters that come with cooking bacon on the stovetop. (Also, same.) Luckily, we have a go-to method that will produce perfectly crisp bacon and keep your stovetop clean.

This splatter-free technique puts the "bake" back in bacon by cooking it in the oven. It's also perfect for feeding a crowd because you can cook multiple batches at the same time. Just remember that the timing will vary depending on whether you're using thick-cut bacon or regular sliced bacon, like our pick, Pure Farmland Uncured Bacon.

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F degrees.
2. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, then lay the bacon strips flat, making sure pieces do not overlap. For extra-crisp bacon, place a wire rack on top of each baking sheet and lay the bacon strips on top of the rack.
3. Bake until crisp and browned, 15 to 18 minutes, or desired doneness, rotating the sheets once.
4. Transfer strips to a paper towel to drain.

Martha's Tip

Martha is a fan of cooking bacon in the oven. She loves the hands-off technique (no flipping required!) and always uses a wire rack so the bacon is crisper, and she can drain the bacon fat from the baking sheet. She collects the bacon fat in a jar, which she stores in the fridge—it's wonderful for cooking eggs or roast potatoes.

Using Bacon

While we'll always love a side of bacon with a stack of fluffy pancakes or scrambled eggs, there are plenty of unexpected ways to enjoy this cured meat at breakfast or brunch. One of our favorites? A Savory French-Toast BLT: This open-faced sandwich is made with one slice of French toast, plenty of lettuce and tomato, and a good serving of bacon, it's the perfect way to start the day.

Although we agree bacon is the ultimate breakfast side, we believe this salty bite shouldn't be relegated to mornings only. And now that you have our less-mess, oven-baked bacon technique, you'll want to enjoy bacon at other meals too. Try it as an appetizer with the crowd-pleasing Baked Camembert with Bacon, Rosemary, and Pine Nuts. You can't go wrong with our Bacon Macaroni and Cheese for dinner or make a big pot of Fresh Angel-Hair Pasta with Bacon and Peas. Also try adding bacon to vegetable sides like our Grilled Corn with Bacon.