How To: Cook Bacon
Perfectly cooked bacon every time, crisp, chewy, or anywhere in between. This guide shows you how to cook bacon using two main methods: oven-baked for flat, evenly cooked slices, and stovetop for quick, classic sizzle.
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What it is: Perfectly cooked bacon every time: crisp, chewy, or anywhere in between, using either a skillet or the oven.
Why you'll love it: Foolproof, low-mess methods that deliver flat, evenly cooked bacon plus delicious rendered grease you can save for later.
How to make it: For skillet bacon, start in a cold pan and cook low and slow, flipping once. For oven bacon, lay strips on a sheet pan, start in a cold oven, and bake at 350°F until crisp. Drain on paper towels and enjoy.
Bacon is like the F word, you can use it in just about any situation. And I appreciate that about bacon.
Few foods are as versatile as bacon. From breakfast to dinner, salads, and even desserts (like my bacon chocolate chip cookies) it adds a unique flavor punch.
The thing with bacon is that there’s good bacon and bad bacon. As one ages, as one does, they learn the difference between good bacon and bad bacon. I, personally, have turned into quite the bacon snob.
This bacon cooking guide is dedicated to bacon snobbery.
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2 Methods
Sure, there are more than two ways to cook bacon, but my go-to methods are simple: a baking sheet in the oven or a good old cast-iron skillet. And no, don't even think about the microwave!
Cast Iron Skillet
There is a lot of merit to this method of bacon cookin’. For starters, I’m pretty sure stovetop bacon is the most universal way to cook bacon. If pan frying was good enough for our grandpappies, it’s good enough for me!
Pro:
- It’s dead simple.
- Quicker than the oven bacon method.
- Requires only one flip, unless you’re a chronic flipper, then you do you!
Con:
- Real estate is limited in a skillet.
- Bacon tends to get wavy edges; I prefer lay flat bacon, especially for BLTs.
- Grease splatter is possible, but low heat helps.
- Requires more attention than oven bacon because hot spots can cause uneven cooking.
Baking sheet
I don't have official stats, but I'm convinced oven baking is the modern bacon hero. In our house, it's how we cook bacon 9.9/10 times.
Pro:
- Super easy.
- Minimal cleanup.
- Cooks evenly, no flipping needed.
- Can cook more slices than in a skillet.
- Bacon comes out flat and perfect for sandwiches.
- Hands-off process lets you do other things.
- You don't need foil or parchment, but you can use them for easier cleanup.
Con:
- Can make a mess of your oven over time with grease splatter, but covering with foil can help prevent this.
- Takes longer than stovetop method.
You can certainly line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, which would make for easy cleanup, but I really don’t find the 2 seconds scrubbing the pan to be any more work than washing a baking sheet that had been lined with something else.
Expert Tips
- Want great bacon? Start by buying great bacon. Look for thick-cut slices that are uniform in size - they cook more evenly and don't shrink or dry out like thinner bacon can.
- Want even better bacon? Make your own!I have a step by step guide for making your own bacon. Homemade bacon has raised the bacon bar in our house!
Saving Bacon Grease
Bacon grease is a parting gift from your cooked bacon to your future meals. Save it!
Saving bacon drippings is easy. Here's my method:
- Cook your bacon.
- Gently shake off excess fat and set bacon aside.
- Allow grease to cool then pour warm grease into a glass jar. Use a small piece of flour sack or cheesecloth to strain out any bits.
- Seal and refrigerate.
Use bacon grease like any other cooking oil: pop popcorn, sauté vegetables, fry eggs, roast potatoes, or brush it on grilled cheese. It solidifies in the fridge, so just scoop as needed, the flavor possibilities are endless!
Heck, I’ve even used bacon grease to make soap!
Cleaning & Managing Bacon Grease
Bacon grease is liquid gold, but it can get messy if you're not careful. After cooking, I save as much bacon as I can, and once most of the grease is poured off, I allow the pan to cool then wipe with a paper towel to get any leftover residue. For stubborn bits, I fill the pan with hot water and a drop of dish soap, let it sit briefly, and then scrub lightly.
Never pour bacon grease down the drain, it might go in liquid but as it cools it solidifies and can clog your pipes!
Batch + Storage
Batch:
This recipe makes 6 strips, but you can easily scale it up. The only limit is your pan or oven space, just make sure bacon slices aren't overlapping so they cook evenly and stay flat.
Storage:
Once cooled, store leftover bacon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. To reheat, use a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, or warm in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes until crispy.
More Bacon Recipes
📖 Printable Recipe
How To Cook Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 or more slices of good quality bacon.
Instructions
Cooking bacon on the stove top:
- Start with a cold cast iron pan and cold bacon.
- Lay the bacon into the pan, it can be touching but not overlapping as it will shrink, but flat laying bacon will come out flatter. Choose the right burner for your pan size, you want a burner that at least heats the entire bottom of your pan.
- Turn on the burner to low heat. The setting I use is 2.5 out of 10. Allow bacon to cook and render the fat for around 10 minutes.
- Flip the bacon once the bottom side has a slightly golden crust. You may need to shuffle the bacon around in the pan if your burner or skillet has a hot spot.
- Cook until both sides have a slightly golden crust and the bacon is at your desired level of crispiness. About 5 more minutes.
- Use tongs to pick up the bacon, shake gently to remove the bacon fat, and lay the bacon strips on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the excess fat.
- Serve!
Cooking bacon in the oven:
- Grab a heavy gauge rimmed sheet pan – a heavy sheet will resist popping and warping in the oven.
- Lay your bacon onto the baking sheet, in a single layer. Flat laying bacon while cooking leads to a flatter cooked strip.
- Place the baking sheet into the COLD oven. Turn on the oven to 350f.
- After 12-15 minutes, check on your bacon. It should be nicely rendered and sizzling in the bacon fat. You can choose to flip the bacon if you like, but it's not necessary.
- Cook the bacon until desired doneness. For us, that's about 18 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven, being cautious of the bacon grease in the pan.
- Pick up the bacon slices with tongs and gently shake to remove excess bacon grease. Set the bacon strips on a cooling rack or paper towel lines plate to drain excess grease.
- Serve as you like!
Saving bacon fat:
- After cooking bacon, strain the grease into a glass jar.
- Store in the fridge for later use.
I like your easy explanation on how to fry bacon or bake it. Your easy directions are good for a person just starting out cooking. I just prefer mine fried because it takes too long in the oven 😊