This method of cooking bacon has transformed breakfast time – and I'm never going back to using the frying pan

Cooking bacon in the oven might seem like an unusual method if you're used to cooking it on the stovetop in a non-stick frying pan, which, admittedly, is very much the norm, unless you love to cook bacon in an air fryer, which is also a great mess-free method.

I certainly never gave much thought to it, and had always cooked mine on the stove, until a chance discussion with family taught me this hack. My grandparents imparted the wisdom: having spent most of their lives running boutique hotels, they know a thing or two about hosting guests, and my Nana swears that cooking bacon in the oven is a real saving grace if you've got multiple mouths to feed (or you want less to wash up).

And, chefs and butchers agree that there's a whole host of benefits to this technique, from reducing mess to saving valuable time, so it seems it's well worth learning how to cook bacon in the oven, particularly if you're hosting a crowd.

How to cook bacon in the oven

• Preheat your oven to 375°F
• Leave your bacon to rest for 10 minutes while the oven heats up (more on why, below)
• Bake for 15 - 20 minutes
• Finish by broiling

For bacon with a bit of bite

Like your bacon crispy, but still with a bit of bite to it? According to Michael Goodman, Executive Chef at Four Seasons Las Vegas, 375°F is the ideal temperature for cooking bacon in the oven. 'It renders fat slowly for the best balance of crisp and chew,' he explains.

For extra crispy bacon

If you want your bacon as crispy as possible (and who doesn't?), there's an essential step to take before actually cooking your bacon and that is to let it reach room temperature. 'For that perfect shatter-crisp texture, use thick-cut, center-cut bacon and let it rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before baking,' Michael says.

Transferring thicker cuts of meat straight from the refrigerator to the oven can cause the edges to burn while the inside takes longer to cook through. So, starting from room temperature can be a great way to ensure that your bacon cooks evenly and becomes extra crispy. 'This renders the fat slowly for the best balance of crisp and chew,' Michael confirms.

Another way to guarantee a crispy texture is by broiling your bacon for 1-2 minutes after it's been in the oven. 'Finish the bacon with a quick broil at the end to intensify the caramelization,' Michael suggests. 'A very light brush of maple syrup before broiling will also add a touch of sweetness and beautiful sheen.'

For an easier clean-up

My biggest concern with cooking bacon in the oven was whether it would make a mess, given that cooking on the stove leads to spitting fat all over my kitchen splash-back and surfaces. My instinct would have been to use foil to protect my grill and baking sheets, but Michael advises otherwise and explains that the oven method is naturally less messy.

'Baking reduces curling and splatter,' Michael explains. 'Cook bacon on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Line it with parchment, since it’s less reflective, distributes heat more evenly, and makes cleanup a breeze.'

The secret? 'It allows air to circulate and fat to drain, producing evenly crisped slices without needing to flip,' Michael reveals.

Leave the bacon fat on

When you're ready to cook your bacon, lay out each strip on your wire rack and cook for 15 - 20 minutes – thicker rashers will need longer, so keep checking until it's the right level of crispiness for you.

One thing that surprised me at this stage: there's no need to remove the fat before cooking, since roasting bacon is the perfect way to preserve its natural flavor without creating excess grease. 'The fat is where the flavor lives,' states Olivier Rousselle, Executive Chef at About Last Knife, the restaurant at The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood. .

The healthier way to cook bacon

Another question I was eager to answer is whether cooking bacon in the oven is truly a healthier option – and according to Liz Seru, owner of cast iron cookware company Borough Furnace, it's all down to the type of baking sheet you choose.

'Using a grill pan instead of a traditional skillet or sheet pan means that the bacon slices will render their fat into the grill's grooves and away from the meat,' she says. So, draining the grease into the pan will produce bacon that's crispy without being drenched in fat, making for a healthier cooking method.

FAQs

What to do with leftover bacon grease

If you're wondering what to do with leftover bacon grease, and worry about how to do that (in case of clogging up your pipes), you can actually keep it and re-use it instead. 'It’s liquid gold,' says Michael. 'Strain and reserve it – you can use it to enhance everything from roasted potatoes to vinaigrettes.' I'll definitely be trying this tip to add some umami bacon flavor to other dishes, such as summer salads from now on.

Which part of the pig does bacon come from?

Most bacon comes from the belly of a pig, though it can also come from the loin (a leaner cut from the back of the pig). Michael's advice is to choose center-cut pork belly bacon, which provides 'a better meat-to-fat ratio and less shrinkage in the oven'.

What pairs well with bacon?

Both omelets and French toast pair well with bacon, according to Michael, but I'm partial to another classic: bacon and eggs. In fact, I'm planning on trying my hand at Gordon Ramsay's fried eggs this weekend, and it seems criminal not to serve them with bacon. (Oven-cooked, of course).

Shop everything you need for cooking bacon in the oven

A time-saving hack like this one really does make hosting easier – though if you're looking for an even speedier way to cook bacon, it doesn't take long to learn how to cook bacon in a microwave.