Bacon is perhaps the most craveable food I can think of. In fact, many vegetarians say that if they were going to eat meat, they would start with bacon. You might even call bacon the “gateway meat”. Long time carnivores already know this. What you might not know is why oven baked bacon is your best choice. We all love bacon, so let’s learn why oven baking is the best way to show bacon the love it deserves.
Why Do We Love Bacon So Much?
Duh… Bacon Is Delicious
Bacon is a food that is loaded with umami, the fifth taste. Salt, fat, smoke, and 150 volatile organic compounds create the kind of umami that is hard to resist. Pile on the effect of the Maillard reaction, a beautiful thing that happens when the right amount of heat creates a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars. It’s really a killer combination made in food heaven.
Bacon Smells Really Good
There are few things better than waking up to the smell of bacon in the morning. (OK, maybe coffee but that is a whole other subject). The Maillard reaction not only creates a heavenly taste but also an intoxicating smell. Hydrocarbons, aldehydes, and a nitrogen compound called pyridines are released when bacon is cooked and Maillard kicks into full gear.
If you really want to geek out on bacon chemical knowledge check out this post by Compound Interest. Or this cool bacon science video.
Bacon is a Guilty Pleasure
Bacon’s calories come from fat. In fact, 68% of the calories in bacon are fat, and half of that is saturated fat. I think we can all agree bacon is not health food. Oven baked bacon helps out by reducing the fat content relative to frying by as much as 40%. Why? Because the fat drains away as it cooks, unlike the pan fry method where the bacon is swimming in a pool of grease.
That said, the good news… protein is involved as well. One baked slice (about 8 grams) contains roughly 3 grams of protein (and 2 grams of fat).
Advantages of Oven Baked Bacon
Oven Baking… Far Less Messy
Let’s face it, no one likes cleaning up the stove (or the floor or walls) after frying bacon in a pan. Cooking up a big batch of bacon in your oven is far less messy. Oven baking renders out the fat but the mess doesn’t end up all over your kitchen.
And in case you were wondering, the bacon DOES NOT spatter all over your oven. The fat just gathers nicely in the bottom of your sheet pan, ready for you to gather up and use in a future recipe.
Make a Large Quantity at Once
Got a crowd coming for breakfast? Want to have bacon on hand for the occasional salad or sandwich?
Most of us do not have a frying pan that can cook up a whole pound at once, but you can cook an entire pound of bacon in one go using the oven baked method. You will find a sheet pan that most of us already own will fit about a pound of bacon. So cook up a pile of bacon all at once. You don’t have to make bacon in quantity, but why wouldn’t you?
Make Bacon Ahead of Time
Since oven baked bacon is less messy and can be made in larger quantities, you can make it ahead of time and store it for multiple uses. Cook up a large batch, package it and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. Use it on demand in a smaller quantity or as a garnish, without all the work and mess of dragging out the frying pan. Reheating is simply a matter of 30 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a 350F (or 175C) oven.
A little bacon can go a long way toward fulfilling your bacon obsession. We love it sprinkled in a salad, or in a recipe like Elegant Deviled Eggs with Chili Lime, Blue Cheese and Bacon.
No Standing Over the Pan
A huge bonus to oven baked bacon is that it doesn’t require your constant attention. Frying means you need to be paying attention throughout the whole process, flipping, re-arranging, trying not to undercook and/or overcook. Pan too small? Repeat for the next batch? Whew!
Baking? Put rack on sheet pan… bacon on rack… bacon in the oven… turn on oven (you don’t even need to preheat)… set a timer… good to go. Just check in on it every once in a while and pull it out when done to your liking.
Bacon Fat, Yes, Bacon Fat!
Reducing the fat each slice of bacon you eat is a good thing, from a health perspective, but rendered bacon fat is not to be wasted. The bonus of oven baked bacon is the leftover fat from the bottom of your sheet. Strain it, cool it down, store it in your refrigerator.
Bacon fat has a multitude of uses. Saute some Brussel Sprouts, make a Bacon Vinaigrette, cook up some decadent Pop Corn. The Pioneer Woman has 20 Ways to Use Bacon Grease. I bet you will find even more.
Spice Up Your Bacon
DIY Peppered Bacon
Peppered bacon is my favorite and so easy to make. If you happen to have some coarsely ground fresh black pepper available, just sprinkle it on before popping the bacon in the oven. Even better, try some Three Pepper Spice Blend for an even more spiced up taste.
Other Awesome Ways to Kick Up Bacon
The Kitchn: 5 Fun Ways To Flavor Bacon
Around My Family Table: DIY Gourmet Bacon
Fox and Briar: 4 Bacon Flavors
Have some new ways that you have created to make inspired bacon? Share them with us in the comments section below!
Makin’ Oven Baked Bacon
Difficulty: EasyHow to make oven baked bacon. Once you learn this technique you’ll never fry bacon again.
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed
Sheet Pan
Sheet Pan Rack(s)
Glass Bowl
Small Strainer
Storage Container with Lid
- Making Basic Baked Bacon
Bacon (Thin or Thick Cut. See notes below)
- For Peppered Bacon
Three Pepper Blend (or fresh ground pepper)
Process
- Basic Bacon Baking Instructions
- Place rack(s) onto a sheet pan. I use a half sheet pan with 2 quarter sheet racks. Using a rack allows the fat to drain away while the bacon cooks.
- Layout bacon on rack(s). Do not overlap slices. Bacon will not brown where slices overlap. Now is the time to add any spices or other added flavors. Three Pepper Spice Blend bacon is shown here.
- Put sheet pan into a COLD oven and turn the oven on to 400F Deg or 204 Deg C. (Starting with a cold oven allows the bacon fat to render slowly)
Conversion Formula:
(400°F − 32) × 5/9 = 204.444°C
- Check bacon after 15 minutes and every 5 minutes after that until the desired doneness. (See Notes 1 and 2)
- Remove sheet pan from oven. Serve bacon right away or let cool and package for later.
- Saving the Bacon Fat
- After sheet pan is cool enough to handle (and bacon is served or stored) carefully strain fat into a glass bowl. This step ensures that any burnt bacon pieces are removed. Straining first into a glass bowl allows for additional cooling in a heat safe container. (Don’t pour hot fat into Tupperware or other plastic container, trust me I learned this the hard way.)
- Once cooled, but not solid, pour bacon fat into a storage container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to six months or you can freeze it for up to a year.
Notes
- 1. Bacon always seems to crisp up a little bit while it sits. Depending on your particular taste try to remove the pan from the oven just a little before completely finished. If using the bacon later, or if using it in another recipe, you may want to slightly undercook so the next cooking step does not overcook the bacon in the finished product.
- 2. Cooking time is a guideline. Timing is really dependent on the type of bacon (thin cut… thick cut… really thick cut). Cook time will also depend on the performance of your oven. Thicker bacon will obviously take more time. Slower ovens will also take more time. Watch the bacon more closely the first time. Make a note of the time used. Adjust to your particular cut of bacon (and your oven’s heating time) and you will get the best results over the long haul.
Only way we do bacon in the Robertson home! Bacon grease in the side container to use later when making English Muffins on Sunday mornings, and oodles of other uses.
Agreed. Bacon grease is the unsung hero of cooking. Had not thought of using it to make English muffins but you can be sure that I will now. Thanks for contributing!