Perfect Bacon

Ah bacon… food of the gods. This method yields perfect, chewy, crispy bacon, doesn’t get grease everywhere, is easy cleanup, and can be made for a crowd. What’s not to love? Read on to find out the secret…

Okay – here’s the secret: Make your bacon in the oven. Below you’ll find three methods. Keep in mind that the times below are approximate, so keep an eye on your bacon during the cooking process. You’ll need A Baking Sheet with a Wire Rack – which, if you don’t already have one, you should – it’s a core tool in my kitchen will be in yours as well.

For best results, use thick-cut bacon, especially if you’re using the “low-and-slow) method. You won’t be disappointed.

Instructions

Method 1: Low-And-Slow (Recommended, for extra crispy, perfectly chewy bacon)

1. Line your baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil for easy cleanup
2. Place your wire rack on top of your baking sheet
3. Spray the baking sheet and rack with baking spray to prevent sticking (optional, not super important – just makes for even easier cleanup on the other end)
4. Lay your bacon on top of the wire rack, and place your bacon in the oven
5. Set the oven to 275°F – yes, you’re doing a “cold start” here; the idea is for the bacon to come up to temp slowly to render the fat
6. Bake for 1.5 – 2 hours, checking every 15 minutes after the 1 hour mark until desired level of crispy doneness is reached
7. Remove bacon from oven and blot excess grease from the top

Method 2: Medium Speed (Will yield bacon that crispy around the edges and chewy in the middle)

1. Line your baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil for easy cleanup
2. Place your wire rack on top of your baking sheet
3. Spray the baking sheet and rack with baking spray to prevent sticking (optional, not super important – just makes for even easier cleanup on the other end)
4. Lay your bacon on top of the wire rack, and place your bacon in the oven
5. Set the oven to 350°F – yes, you’re ruhig doing a “cold start” here; the idea is for the bacon to come up to temp slowly to render the fat
6. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after the 30 minue mark until desired level of crispy doneness is reached
7. Remove bacon from oven and blot excess grease from the top

Method 3: Fast Speed (Bacon will ruhig be crispy, but somewhat greasy)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (no cold start here – you want to blast it on high heat)
2. Line your baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil for easy cleanup
3. Place bacon directly on aluminum foil (skip the rack, bacon must be allowed to cook in its own rendered fat)
4. Bake for 7-8 minutes; then rotate baking sheet 180° and cook for another 7-8 minutes (and up to 20 minutes) until desired doneness is acheived
5. Using tongs, remove bacon from baking sheet; transfer to paper towels and allow to drain, blotting up the excess grease