# Bacon in the oven **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [July 29, 2022, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752 "2022-07-29T05:11:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/41 "2022-07-30T08:12:42Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > However, I do make sure to ventilate properly, as I don’t particularly care for the entire place to smell like bacon for the next 2 days. Why not? Will you be cooking something that smells better? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/42 "2022-07-30T11:08:31Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I also use aluminum foil. That doesn’t seem to make it much neater. And then I get to deal with a big greasy sheet of aluminum foil. I’m not following how a barrier isn’t neater. I’m left with a clean sheet this way. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/43 "2022-07-30T11:46:29Z")
I know, right? Intuitively, it should be neater, but it always seems to leak past the aluminum for me. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/44 "2022-07-30T11:55:15Z")
I’ve got a roll of 18" heavy duty foil. I could see the shorter roll not reaching the edges. But it sounds like you’ve found something that works for small batches. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/45 "2022-07-30T12:01:31Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I know, right? Intuitively, it should be neater, but it always seems to leak past the aluminum for me.   I’ve found that, too. As I said, I’m a fan of pre-cooked bacon so I don’t do the oven thing, but I’ve found that grease does often tend to leak past the aluminum foil when oven-heating other items, so that the cookie sheet sometimes needs to be rinsed down with soap and water. I will also say (again, in general and not related to bacon) that parchment paper is God’s gift to cookery. I use it constantly, pressed into a cookie sheet. Its non-stick qualities are amazing, and even if/when some grease seeps through, it makes cleanup so very much easier. And I regularly use it (for things like oven fries and fish & chips) at temperatures as high as 450F with no issues whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/46 "2022-07-30T12:12:06Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Why not? If I smell bacon, I want bacon. Having bacon too often is not really healthy. Also, I normally make blueberry pancakes when I make bacon - I think that smell ages better than bacon. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/47 "2022-07-30T14:05:35Z")
I have no problem with regular foil, bake the bacon, onto paper towel to drain. Easily remove the foil without incident, cookie sheet left perfectly clean. Store in paper towels inside a ziplock bag, in the fridge. Microwave for 5 seconds whenever I want bacon with my eggs! Easy peasy! ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/48 "2022-07-30T15:23:44Z")
Exactly! I saw a recipe for bone in skin on chicken thighs that was supposedly done in 25 minutes at 425f. Maybe it reaches temp but I doubt the texture is pleasing. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/49 "2022-07-30T17:19:10Z")
I almost exclusively do bacon in the oven. I use a wire cooling rack in a cookie sheet. The grease drips down, and unlike the big broiling pan, the wire rack and cookie sheet fit in the dishwasher. Once things have cooled a bit, pour the grease off the cookie sheet into a jar. Either throw the jar away, or save it because bacon fat is an excellent first step in many recipes. For thicker bacon turn the heat _down_ and increase the cook time. I use thick bacon so I usually do 350 for 20 minutes, then flip, then 10-20 more minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/50 "2022-07-30T17:46:54Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Can I just put the bacon on a cast-iron skillet and bake it in the oven using that? Yes. That’s how I do it. I put four rashers in a 12-inch cast-iron frying pan, put it in the oven, and set the temperature to 375º. Cleanup: Put down a piece of foil with a couple of paper towels on it. Put the cooked bacon on, fold over and keep warm until the eggs are done. Once the bacon is on the plate (and in fact, usually after we’re done eating) pour the bacon grease into the now-empty foil/paper. Fold up and toss in the trash. Wipe the frying pan with paper towels and stick it back into the oven (where I store it). ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/51 "2022-07-30T17:47:29Z")
You know crimping the parchment paper accordion style sounds like a nifty hack. I’ll try it. But I’m kind of stingy with my pp, it’s hard to find on the shelves sometimes! ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/52 "2022-08-01T18:51:14Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Yeah, that’s the tricky part. I find bacon can go from just not quite crispy enough to way too crispy in a very short period of time. This is my problem with baking bacon. First, it can go from limp and pale to nearly burnt in a couple minutes between checking on it. But second, it doesn’t always cook at the same rate. So even when I do it “right”, I can have limp chewy parts and bacon scented embers on the same slice. So I don’t know why everyone says this is foolproof. It’s another way of cooking bacon, one which minimizes monitoring and cleanup (and allows you to cook larger batches), and so it’s a good option for many people. But it’s just as hit or miss as cooking it in the pan. It still takes experience and skill to reliably do it right. I grew up frying bacon in a griddle. I know how to get it evenly cooked to my ideal doneness. That took practice. I could learn to get pretty reliable results in the oven too, but that will require more practice and more experience. And I see no overwhelming reason to do that. I don’t mind watching bacon cook on the weekends (which is the only time I make it) and I don’t mind wiping up the stove afterwards. Your mileage may vary. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/53 "2022-08-01T19:15:13Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > This is my problem with baking bacon. First, it can go from limp and pale to nearly burnt in a couple minutes between checking on it. But second, it doesn’t always cook at the same rate. So even when I do it “right”, I can have limp chewy parts and bacon scented embers on the same slice. People tend to bake bacon at a high enough heat to get it done fast, and that makes it easy to go from limp to burnt in seconds. Thick cut bacon is less of a problem. You may want to try preheating the oven then turning off the heat when you put the tray of bacon in. The bacon will continue to cook for a while after removing it from the oven, and you can put it back in if it doesn’t get crisp enough for you. If you really want it to get done just right frying in a pan is the way to go. I think someone mentioned pre-cooked bacon. The small packages at the grocery store may go on sale for a decent price but you can do much better shopping at a restaurant supply. The bacon is usually cooked to a perfect medium that can be further crisped on reheating, and the price can be comparable to uncooked bacon. You might have to buy a several pounds at once but it can be frozen. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/54 "2022-08-01T19:25:12Z")
At 375ºF, I only get burnt bacon if I’m not paying attention. I prefer less-cooked bacon. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/55 "2022-08-01T20:07:27Z")
> [@chela](#): > > But I’m kind of stingy with my pp, it’s hard to find on the shelves sometimes! I wound up getting 150 precut sheets from Amazon which should last a while. That stuff is like magic. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/56 "2022-08-01T20:15:55Z")
Bacon is one of the meats I have no interest in eating raw. I love carpaccio, love mett (German raw pork dish), love steak tartare. But raw bacon? No way. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/57 "2022-08-01T23:15:48Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > 150 precut sheets from Amazon That’s what I did. Stores flat on the shelf and a perfect fit on a sheet pan. Fold and tear for a half sheet pan. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/58 "2022-08-03T01:43:21Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I’ve found that grease does often tend to leak past the aluminum foil when oven-heating other items Does this still happen if you fold up the edges of the foil sheet to make a little “tray” out of it? I find that this helps prevent grease leakage. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2022, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752/59 "2022-08-03T15:05:28Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > I use a wire cooling rack in a cookie sheet. The grease drips down, and unlike the big broiling pan, the wire rack and cookie sheet fit in the dishwasher. That’s what we do as well. Foil lined sheet pan & cooling rack over it. That way the grease separates from the bacon, and any schmutz from the bacon lands on the rack or on the foil. Cleanup then mostly consists of letting it cool, peeling the foil and grease out of the sheet pan, and then scraping/wiping grease from the cookie sheet. Put it and the cooling rack in the dishwasher, and everything comes out clean. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacon-in-the-oven/968752.md?page=2)