How Long to Bake Bacon At 400

How Long to Bake Bacon At 400

by Posted on

If you’ve spent time standing at the stove flipping pieces of hot bacon while trying not to get bacon grease all over the place, you’ll love cooking bacon in the oven. Whether cooking bacon to include in your favourite recipe or making it with scrambled eggs for breakfast, it is quick and easy to do so in the oven.

Although you can use various temperatures when baking bacon in the oven, going for 400 degrees Fahrenheit is the most recommended. So, how long should you bake bacon at 400? Scroll down to learn this and more about baking bacon in the oven.

How Long to Bake Bacon at 400?

How long it takes to bake bacon at 400 depends on the thickness of the bacon and the desired level of crispiness. Baking thin sliced bacon at 400 degrees takes 10-15 minutes, while medium-sized slices take 15-20 minutes. Baking thick bacon slices at 400 degrees takes 20-25 minutes. 

If you love your bacon crispier, you’ll have to bake it for longer, but keep an eye on it to prevent it from burning.

Moreover, the time it takes to bake bacon also depends on how many slices you make at once. If your sheet pan is overcrowded, you’ll have to bake them for a couple of minutes longer than if they were in a single layer.

How Long to Bake Frozen Bacon At 400?

Baking frozen bacon at 400 takes 30-40 minutes, depending on the thickness. Here’s how you should bake frozen bacon:

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil and lay a wire rack on top. 
  • Unwrap your frozen bacon and place it on a platter. Microwave for 30 seconds, turn over and cook for another 30 seconds. You should now be able to separate the pieces easily.
  • Place the split bacon pieces on a wire rack and bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your slices and how thick they are.

How to Bake Bacon At 400

For this recipe, you’ll need 6-8 high-quality bacon slices – higher-quality bacon yields better-baked bacon. You can get these at the butcher or grocery store. If you can opt for thicker chopped bacon, it’s easier to stack atop sandwiches, adds more flavour, and is excellent on its own. 

Procedure

  1. Place a rack in the middle of your oven if preparing enough bacon to fit a single baking sheet without overlapping (around 6-8 slices, depending on your sheet). If cooking a larger quantity, place racks in the top and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. 
  2. Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup; omit it if you want to bake your bacon without foil. Place an ovenproof baking rack on top. Lightly coat the baking rack with nonstick spray and arrange the bacon slices on the baking rack in one layer.
  3. Bake until you achieve your desired crispiness. 
  4. Once cooked, place the bacon on a towel-lined platter and softly pat it dry, preventing it from becoming soggy. 
  5. Let the bacon cool, serve, and enjoy.
  6. To clean up, let the bacon fat cool and solidify, then crumble it up in the aluminium foil and discard. If you want to use it, let it cool, transfer it to a container, and refrigerate it until ready. 

Recipe Tips

  • Use any bacon – whether thick-cut, standard, or turkey, any bacon works. Just pop the bacon in the oven, and they’ll be great. Remember, cooking time varies depending on the meat source; turkey bacon cook quicker than pork bacon. 
  • Know when your bacon is bad – if it is in its original packaging, use the expiry date as a guide. If the box is opened, cook the bacon within one week to ensure safety.
  • Ensure your oven is hot – preheat your oven to 400. Note that ovens are different, and most built-in oven thermometers are inaccurate. So, use an external oven thermometer to ensure the temperature is actually 400.
  • Bake at 400 – although some recipes suggest baking bacon at different temperatures, baking bacon in a 400 degrees preheated oven is ideal. At 400, the bacon cooks uniformly, irrespective of the thickness and doesn’t splatter.
  • Line your baking sheet with foil – before laying your bacon, like the baking sheet with foil. This makes grease collection and cleanup much easier.
  • Lay bacon strips in a single layer – lay your bacon in a single and even layer, ensuring you end up with perfect and evenly crispy slices. Overlapping or sticking bacon slices prevents airflow, making them not cook evenly.
  • Use a cooling rack – for crispier bacon slices, place a cooling rack inside your foil-lined baking sheet and lay your bacon slices on it. Elevate the bacon above the baking sheet, letting the slices cook from all sides and making them more crispy. If you don’t have a cooling rack or like your bacon with a bit of chew, skip this. Your bacon will still be great.
  • Check early – ovens can be finicky, and if your oven temperature is off, you’d want to check your bacon early (after 10 minutes). Otherwise, you risk burning your bacon, and you don’t want that.
  • Save the fat – pour the bacon grease into a mason jar or glass container and store it in the fridge. You can later use this fat to fry eggs, wrap asparagus among other veggies, or pop popcorn. 

What to Serve With Baked Bacon

Baked bacon is delicious as it is. However, if you want to pair it with other dishes, here are great side dishes options: 

  • Roasted vegetables
  • Creamy fettuccine carbonara with poached egg
  • Macaroni salad
  • Bacon mac and cheese jaffles
  • Crock pot mac and cheese
  • Cheese and bacon quiche in a cob
  • Roasted sprouts
  • Chicken Caesar omelette waffles
  • Cowboy beans
  • Egg, bacon, and veggie pie
  • Green bean casserole with cream of chicken
  • Bacon, broccoli, and parmesan pasta
  • Zucchini and bacon slice
  • Herb, bacon, and pea macaroni cheese bake
  • Black bean salad

Conclusion

How long it takes to bake bacon at 400 depends on the bacon thickness and the desired crispiness. Thin bacon slices take 10-15 minutes to bake at 400 degrees, while medium and thick-sliced bacon strips take 15-20 and 20-25 minutes.