# Bacon in the Oven



## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

For years I've been cooking bacon in the oven. I don't do it often as I don't eat lots of bacon, but when I want bacon that's generally the way I cook it.

I lay the bacon (usually thick sliced from a slab) on a rack that's set in a sheet pan or perhaps over a sauté pan, depending on how much I'm making, and cook at a temp of about 350-degrees, maybe 375-degrees, until the bacon reaches the desired level of doneness. Sometimes - lately - I've been starting the bacon in a cold oven set to the above temp, and remove it when done to my liking. It seems that more fat is rendered out starting in a cold oven.

Does anyone else cook their bacon in the oven? What techniques and tips might you offer?

Any thoughts on adding other elements to the bacon? I've seen people sprinkle brown sugar on the strips, add some maple syrup, or perhaps add some pepper or other spices. The idea of adding fresh ground spices is appealing.


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

Bacon in the oven is a must for banquets.
Layed out on parchment, cooked for 12-15 minutes in a 350° convection oven.
I don't add anything to the bacon, just try to by a quality product.
But yes, sprinkling sugar is common, and we all know how good piggies taste with maple.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Lisa from Top Chef had a very interesting technique on cooking bacon in the oven, lined on parchment and basted with a miso glaze. The judges were thrilled by it.

I always think of bacon as the flavoring agent in dishes, not the other way around so I prefer mine as is without sugar etc. But anything is possible right?


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Ditto Just Jim's way.

Years ago we used to make maple bacon in a skillet....cook the bacon, reduce maple syrup and then cook coating the bacon.....would it fly off the buffet. Caveat was that the pan was the biggest mess to clean.

There is granulated maple syrup available that may make an easier variation.
Brown sugar works too.....alittle chipotle and life is good. Our sweet spicy pecans have the same concept.


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## blueicus (Mar 16, 2005)

Cooking bacon on a sheet pan in the oven is good for both banquets/buffets and smaller scale restaurants (I've not been to a single place where bacon hasn't been cooked this way). Although we generally serve plain bacon (although we do use a peppered version for other items) adding glazes and spices and other accompaniments during cooking is a great idea as others have demonstrated.


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## just jim (Oct 18, 2007)

True.
We used to par cook ours, then cross lay them out on a platter 4 across, stacking them high.
When we'd get an order we'd finish them on the flat top.
Fresh bacon in half the time, and without curling.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

>There is granulated maple syrup available <

Is that different from maple sugar? How so?


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## laurieh (Aug 3, 2008)

When I worked in a little sandwich shop, I would cook our bacon in the convection oven. I put a resting rack (like you would use to cool cookies at home) in a sheet pan and laid the bacon on the rack. It kept the bacon from sitting in the grease, and made it easier for me to pour off the fat.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

A few decades ago when I was working at The Winery here in Salt Lake, part of my morning routine was doing batches of bacon in the oven. When you're pushing out a dozen or two BLTs, Cobb and chefs salads during the lunch rush you don't have time to be fussing with bacon slices on the grill or in a skillet.

I sort of vaguely remember that we used the bacon grease from the sheet pans for something else, possibly coating potatoes with it before baking them for dinner. It has been a while, my memory, like my chin, is a bit fuzzy.

mjb.


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## capecodder (Aug 25, 2001)

On occassion I dredge the bacon slices in flour and then bake at 350. After ten minutes or so (when the underside has browned), turn the bacon and watch it like a hawk, it will go from brown to back in a flash.

It makes a very attractive, non-curled bacon slice that tastes great. 

I will not comment on the aspect of eating flour browned in bacon fat, except to say it is **** good!


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## katbalou (Nov 21, 2001)

kyheirloomer,
from kingarthurflour.com
this could be just what you're looking for:
maple Sugar 
Item 1293 
Pure maple sugar adds a sweet touch to hot cereal 

Pure maple sugar 
Made from 100% maple syrup 
Pours like granulated sugar 
Tastes like heaven (or Vermont; some think they're interchangeable) 
Wonderful on porridge, buttered toast, or in maple sugar shortbread 
In 8-ounce bag, about 1 1/3 cups 
i use it in baking and flavoring winter squash.
kathee


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Thanks, Kathee. But I think you misunderstood.

I wasn't looking for maple sugar---I know what that is and where to get it. 

I had never heard of granulated maple syrup before, and wanted to know if that was something different, or just a different name for the same thing.


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## mpeirson (Jan 10, 2008)

I just did my bacon in the oven on Monday for cheeseburgers. I put rosemary and black pepper on it, and it was great. I find it the easiest way to clean up too. I love the fact it stays flat. Bacon is goooood!!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

pretty sure they are the same KY

ordering 3 slabs of Nuetske bacon in the next few days....now lardons are the pinnacle of bacondom in my opinion.


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

Hi Shel,

I would agree with the others recommending parchment paper. On my electric oven I usually set the temperature to 375_f_ or 400_f_ and choose the middle rack.

For what we have available locally, I like Wright bacon. To date, I haven't tried to smoke & cure my own bacon...maybe someday. I also haven't used the internet to order a brand that isn't available to me locally. Maybe someday 

yum...yum

dan


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Why do you suggest parchment paper? Are you suggesting that the pan be lined with parchment paper and that the bacon be cooked directly on the paper? If so, the bacon would be cooking in its own fat, which is the reason I use a rack - I don't want to fry the stuff, but cook it so the fat renders out. There's still plenty of fat left in the cooked strips to suit me.

You're a braver man than I - I'd be nervous about ordering bacon and other foods over the internet. Not knowing what I'd end up with, and paying higher prices compared to what's locally available, just puts me off the idea.


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## gonefishin (Nov 6, 2004)

I've found that the parchment paper makes for easy cleanup of the pan. You should be fine as long as your rack fits inside the pan. This way it will keep the parchment paper in place. 

When I'm done cooking the bacon I carefully lift each corner of the paper to trap all the grease...and in the garbage it goes. 

:lips:I do like bacon...but I really hate the mess that it makes! 




I haven't ordered any meats or cheese over the internet for just the reasons you gave. Maybe someday I'll give it a try. 

The closest I've gotten to ordering meat over the internet was for some Spanish cooking chorizos from La Tienda. I was going to order the sausage and some bomba rice, but the same day shipping was just ridiculously high


! There's supposed to be a decent Spanish Deli in Chicago that I may try next time I make paella. Even with the cost of fuel these days, it still shouldn't be near as high as the same day shipping. 

dan


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Oh, OK ... I thought you meant to cook right on the paper

I haven't ordered any meats or cheese over the internet for just the reasons you gave. Maybe someday I'll give it a try.

In so many instances internet prices are much higher than what I pay for the same item locally. The other day I checked for a 500g package of a specific brand of imported Italian pasta: $3.90 here and $7.92 on line, _plus _shipping.

I remember a place called Cafe Iberico or Deli Iberico on LaSalle from when I was last in Chicago. I bet they've got a web site that you can check out - who doesn't these days :look:


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## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Most volume commercial food service places buy Hormel brand thick cut bacon, its packed 15 Lbs per case and is packed in stack layers on parchment. Just good plain bacon, nothing on it nothing difficult. We save the fat for onion soup etc. no sugar, no powdered maple? Seems as thougth everyone trying to make an easy thing hard


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

I bake bacon anytime I need a large quantity. My baked beans recipe uses 1 pound of bacon per 48oz jar of cooked great northern beans so a big BBQ party takes 3-5 pounds at once.


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## miraz (Jun 15, 2008)

No maple here either, but we do a simple cure to make our own bacon, some people find it a little strong for their taste but it's great for adding flavour to salads, sauces, etc...

Cure
1 part brown sugar
2 parts salt
juniper berries
black peppercorns
star anise

Grind the spices in a mortar, then mix with the salt and sugar. Apply a liberal coating to both sides of a bit of slab of pork belly or loin - the belly makes a pancetta style, whereas the loin can be sliced into rashers for eating.
Seal into a container and leave in the fridge, every 24 hours drain the container and refresh the dry rub...belly will be done in 4 days, loin in 5-6 depending on thickness.
Wash the remaining cure off and soak in brine for 4 hours to even the cure out a little, then dry the outside and chill until ready to use.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

I never have seasoned the bacon I've cooked. But the idea of rosemary-seasoned bacon sounds great for some things. I know how much I like prosciutto flavored with juniper berries, and I think rosemary would do a similar thing to bacon. At any rate, I gotta try it!


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

I buy the Hormel laid out bacon for the rectory gig.....6 staff can go through a ton for sandwiches, it freezes well and needs no tending as it bakes.

But for catering I use slab Nuetske.

Personal use, I have a buddy cure the jowls and bellies of pigs I butcher....he's got a killer Chinese bacon, the maple & honey are ok just not as great as the Chinese version.....finished off the last 2" in fried rice last night and trimmed up the maple for potato casserole today. 
Carbs R US weekend.


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## capecodder (Aug 25, 2001)

Didn't anyone try my post about lightly flouring bacon before baking?  Would love to hear comments.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

I’m just a plain ole’ home maker; I cook my bacon on a half sheet pan lined with tin foil (parchment paper is more expensive) in an electric home oven. 

I don’t put a rack in it, just lay the strips down.  The reason being is that I really don’t want to clean that rack. 

Once the meat is cooked, I transfer it to a paper towel lined plate and put it on the table. 

After the pan has cooked, I pour some of the grease into a jar that I keep in the ‘frig for later use (fried or scrambled eggs, home fries, yum!). 

Then I carefully fold up the foil with any remaining oil and put it in a coffee can that I save under the sink for any cooking oils that are used up; deposit the lot in the trash. 

Piggy heaven!


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Try using some scrunched up foil to raise the bacon up a bit over the foil lined pan.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Just about ervery food service outlet cooks bacon in oven. It comes sliced, either regular or heavy on stacked parchment paper  15 pounds per case. Just remove from case and place 2 parchments on a full sheet pan or 1 on a half sheet  and cook. Saves a lot of time and labor.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I always grill (broil) my bacon.  It has to Ayrshire smoked (or, at a push, Wiltshire) and sliced thinly.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

My maternal great grandfather who was from Denmark, would call thinly sliced bacon “shadow bacon”.  He liked to buy the slabs and cut it himself.  He would make us kids BLT sammies with  fresh-straight-out-of-his-garden tomatoes and lettuces.  Man, I have no clue where he got his slabs from but boy howdy that was one the best sandwiches I think I have ever had.


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## thetincook (Jun 14, 2002)

I used to buy bacon ends at the market, because I'm mad cheap. You could get some really nice meaty bits to gnaw on that way.


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## jim fields (Sep 19, 2014)

I love bacon in the oven .. I also love green beans cooked with bacon .. I have a convection air oven I take a pan with a rack . spray with Pam .. take a bag of frozen green beans ..during the summer I use fresh green beans out of the garden . . I shop at aldi . I love their season's choice extra fine green beans . frozen .. of course ..

preheat oven to 350

baking pan with rack 

cooking spray 

foil 

green beans 

bacon 

line the pan with the foil (I hate to clean up)

spray with cooking spray 

green beans in bottom of pan

rack in pan .

bacon on top of rack 

bake until bacon reaches your desired level of crispmess 

I do put a little pepper on the beans but no salt 

once done place bacon on paper towel to drain 

I sometimes toss the beans with balsamic vinegar (I do this if eating them as a snack) 

you can reheat in the oven or give them a warm up in a skilltet 

sometimes I serve them cold


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## mikelm (Dec 23, 2000)

Jim's bacon/beans dish reminds me of an ancient family recipe (my mother learned it growing up in Missouri) where she par-cooked a batch of spaghetti, drained and spread it on a sheet pan, put that in the oven under a pork roast on a rack above, and roasted until everything was done. Given the fatty pork of the day, the spaghetti was well-lubed with pork fat, and served with lots of pepper and some salt alongside the meat. Known and loved by her family, my family, and our kids' families as... Greasy Ol' Spaghetti.

Doesn't work today with The Other White Meat, though. We have to cheat with olive oil when we get nostalgic for that dish. Next time we need to have it, I'm going to layer the roast with bacon. Maybe that will take me back to my roots!

Mike /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


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## novicechef (Jan 10, 2016)

I find that baking bacon in the oven is the only way to go. I didn't know so many people had been doing it for so long! I just discovered it a couple years ago. It really saves time.

I use foil to bake my bacon. I like the idea of tenting it to let the grease drip down. I've not tried that yet, but it also takes more time to set up.


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## ticktocktunnel (Jan 13, 2016)

So tis is better than stove-top/microwave?


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## novicechef (Jan 10, 2016)

TickTockTunnel said:


> So tis is better than stove-top/microwave?


In my opinion, yes. I just don't like it from the microwave and on the stovetop it splatters quite a bit when cooking.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Mmmmm, baked in a sheet pan at 350F for up to 15 minutes with a pinch of either maple sugar or black pepper or both sprinkled onto the goodness.  No parchement as I reclaim the fat/grease for future cooking.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Pan fried only way to go for me.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

I like the oven because it doesn't curl up


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

Flat top grilled bacon.




  








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chefbuba


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Jan 21, 2016


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

_"12-15 minutes in a 350° convection oven. Hmm. "_

How much energy does it take to bake bacon vs frying it.

That is the question.


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## katbalou (Nov 21, 2001)

less greasy splatter when you bake it. works for me.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

jake t buds said:


> _"12-15 minutes in a 350° convection oven. Hmm. "_
> 
> How much energy does it take to bake bacon vs frying it.
> 
> That is the question.


Baked, bacon's flavor comes thru much better.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I'm of the opinion that baked bacon does not have that carmelized undertone that pan fried bacon exhibits. Sure, when working at a restaurant sheet trays in the oven was obviously the way to go, but for just a few slices at home, no question.

mjb.


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## millionsknives (Apr 25, 2014)

It is right in the name!

Baking -> bakin' -> bacon


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## jake t buds (May 27, 2013)

teamfat said:


> Sure, when working at a restaurant sheet trays in the oven was obviously the way to go, but for just a few slices at home, no question.
> 
> mjb.


This is why I question the use of an oven for 4-5 slices of bacon. Electric toaster ovens can also be used to the same effect, but uses far less energy than firing up a gas oven to 350.


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