Bacon consistently delivers a delicious meal, but cooking it can be rather messy. If you choose a frying pan, you’ll probably end up with bacon grease splattered all over your hob and worktop.
Most of us believe frying bacon produces the crispiest and fastest results; however, there’s another technique preferred by chefs. It’s the best way to make plenty of bacon and offers a hands-free approach. The straightforward technique is to use an oven instead.
It’s a perfect way to cook bacon all in one go without repeatedly adding to a frying pan, and you don’t need to turn it over. Chefs at The Kitchn said: “This is our favourite way to make a big batch of bacon: easy, hands-off, and completely splatter-free.”
Lifestyle expert Martha Stewart also uses this technique. She favours the oven method over pan-frying because it’s a hands-free approach that doesn’t require turning.
She also ensures to drain the bacon fat from the baking sheet afterwards and preserves it in a jar to use for cooking eggs or roast potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper or tin foil so it overhangs on all four sides. Lay the bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer. The rashers can sit close together or touch, but ensure they don’t overlap.
Put the tray in the oven for approximately 14 minutes for streaky bacon and 18 minutes for thick-cut bacon. Monitor the bacon as it cooks, since the precise timing will vary depending on thickness and personal preference.
When cooked, take it out of the oven and transfer the bacon onto kitchen paper to drain and complete crisping. Serve immediately.
How to make extra crispy bacon
If you prefer crispy bacon, a straightforward addition will deliver crunchy results. Position a metal rack over the lined baking sheet and arrange the bacon on the rack before baking.
This enables the bacon to cook from every angle. The Kitchn said: “Lifting the bacon up lets it cook from all sides and get even crispier. Just make sure to use an oven-safe cooling rack for baking bacon.”
How to add flavour
Martha Stewart recommends enhancing oven bacon further by sprinkling freshly ground black pepper or cayenne before cooking. She said it can introduce a subtle kick and “enhance the savoury profile of the bacon.”
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