What person doesn’t like bacon? This recipe for pre-cooked bacon is perfect for those of us who love how it makes food taste better but don’t like how it makes the house smell when you fry it.
In a Southern kitchen, bacon makes almost everything taste better. It adds crunch and a salty, savory punch to quiches, salads, soups, and more. A lot of us are used to buying bacon that’s already cooked at Costco or the store, but there’s a smart way to make our own at home for much less money!
Making pre-cooked bacon is SO simple, and it’s a smart way to spice up and add crunch to almost anything. Once you have it on hand you will be adding these “flavor bombs” to everything in your kitchen!.
4. Cook until done! The cook time will depend on how thick your bacon is cut. Watch it closely and take it out of the oven when the bacon is just the way you like it!
5. Let cool, and then place on parchment paper and store in a Ziplock bag in the fridge. This can keep for about a week!.
Pre cooked bacon can be a real time saver in the kitchen. No need to stand over a hot skillet watching raw bacon sizzle and pop. Pre cooked bacon allows you to skip that step and go straight to heating it up and enjoying the crispy, salty goodness of bacon without the hassle.
But how exactly do you cook pre cooked bacon in the oven for the best results? While the stovetop is typically used for frying up raw bacon, the oven can be a great option for reheating pre cooked bacon to perfection. With a few simple tips, you’ll have crispy, warm bacon ready to top anything from sandwiches to salads and more.
Benefits of Cooking Pre Cooked Bacon in the Oven
Using the oven to reheat pre cooked bacon offers some nice advantages:
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Even heating: Bacon cooked in a skillet often crisps up unevenly. The oven distributes heat evenly across the baking sheet for uniform crispiness.
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Less splattering: Bacon grease can really splatter on the stovetop, creating a mess. The contained oven environment contains grease splatters.
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Less tending: Stovetop cooking requires you to frequently flip and watch the bacon. The oven does the work for you with no monitoring needed.
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Big batch cooking: Large batches of bacon are easier to cook in the oven than crowding a skillet. The oven has room to spare.
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Low effort: Simply place the bacon in the oven, set a timer, and wait for hot crispy bacon. Easy peasy!
For these reasons, the oven is the perfect way to breathe new life into pre cooked bacon and make it taste freshly fried
How to Cook Pre Cooked Bacon in the Oven
Cooking pre cooked bacon in the oven is a super simple process, but there are some tips to follow for the best results:
1. Use a Baking Sheet
You’ll want to use a rimmed baking sheet so the bacon grease doesn’t drip all over the bottom of your oven. Cover the sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. The foil prevents sticking and also makes disposal of the grease easy.
2. Use a Wire Rack or Cooling Grid
Placing the bacon directly on the baking sheet will lead to sticking. A wire rack elevated above the sheet prevents this. Cooling grids also work great. The rack or grid allows air and heat to circulate under and around the bacon.
3. Preheat the Oven
Preheating is a must for crispy oven bacon. Preheat to 400°F before cooking. Some ovens run hot or cold, so keep watch the first couple times you make oven bacon and adjust the temp if needed.
4. Arrange Bacon in a Single Layer
Overcrowding will steam the bacon and make it limp. Give each slice some breathing room on the rack or grid so air can circulate for even cooking.
5. Cook 5-10 Minutes
The cooking time can vary based on how thick or thin your bacon is and your desired level of crispness. Check it frequently and remove pieces as they reach your desired crispness. Thinner bacon may take only 5 minutes while thicker bacon could need up to 10 minutes.
6. Blot Excess Grease
After cooking, use paper towels to blot excess grease from the bacon before serving. This prevents grease drips on your food.
7. Let Oven Cool Before Cleaning
Grease splatters are inevitable. But let the oven fully cool before wiping down the inside. Hot grease is hard to remove and can burn your hands. Once cooled, clean the oven right away so grease doesn’t bake on.
Follow these tips and your pre cooked bacon will come out perfectly crispy and ready to eat every time. The oven lets you conveniently reheat large batches to crispy perfection.
Easy Ways to Use Oven-Crisped Pre Cooked Bacon
Once you’ve mastered the oven bacon cooking method, here are some delicious ways to use up your crispy cooked bacon:
- Crumble on top of salads, baked potatoes, or chili.
- Make BLT sandwiches.
- Top baked potatoes with bacon bits, cheese, and sour cream.
- Fold into omelets or frittatas.
- Sprinkle on pizza, flatbreads, or bruschetta before baking.
- Swap out croutons for bacon bits on soups.
- Mix into mac and cheese or baked pasta dishes.
- Garnish bloody mary cocktails.
- Fill deviled eggs with bacon crumbles.
- Fold into biscuit or pancake batter before cooking.
- Mix with Brussels sprouts or green beans.
- Toss with cooked pasta along with Parmesan.
- Make bacon, lettuce, and tomato wraps.
- Sprinkle over loaded nachos or baked potatoes.
- Bake into quick breads and muffins.
- Top casseroles and baked beans.
The possibilities are endless! Crispy oven-baked bacon can add its signature crunch, saltiness, and savory flavor to just about any dish.
Oven Bacon Cooking Tips
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Cook thicker bacon longer – Thicker cut bacon needs more time to crisp up. An extra minute or two should do.
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Use tongs for flipping – Bacon is prone to shredding if you use a spatula or fork to flip it. Tongs gently grab.
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Make baked potato toppings – Mix crumbled bacon with sour cream, cheese, chives, etc. for loaded baked potatoes.
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Drain bacon on paper towels – Placing cooked bacon on paper towels absorbs excess grease.
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Cook bacon on its own – Cooking it alone results in crispier bacon than baking it in casseroles or on pizza.
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Freeze extra oven bacon – Let it cool completely before freezing in a Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
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Make bacon crumbs – Grind crispy cooked bacon in a food processor for bacon breadcrumb toppings.
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Keep an eye on doneness – Oven temps vary. Keep watch so the bacon doesn’t burn.
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Line the pan – Foil or parchment paper makes cleanup of bacon grease spatters effortless.
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Store grease – Pour grease into a heatproof container after cooking. Use for sautéing veggies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oven Bacon
How long does it take to cook bacon in the oven?
Cooking time can range from 8-15 minutes depending on thickness. Thinner bacon may take 8 minutes while thick cut bacon may need 12-15 minutes. Check frequently for your desired doneness.
What temperature do you cook bacon in the oven?
400°F is the ideal oven temperature for crispy bacon. At higher temps it can burn quickly. Lower oven temps will slow the cooking.
Should you flip bacon when cooking it in the oven?
It’s not necessary to flip bacon when oven cooking. The hot air circulates all around the bacon cooking it evenly on all sides.
Why is my oven bacon limp and not crispy?
Limp bacon is often caused by overcrowding the pan which steams it. Be sure to arrange in a single layer with space between each slice.
Can you cook raw bacon in the oven?
Yes, you can cook raw bacon slices directly in the oven. Simply arrange on a baking sheet and cook 8-15 minutes at 400°F until desired crispness.
Is oven bacon healthier than pan fried?
Oven bacon is slightly healthier since some fat drips off during cooking. But bacon is high in fat and sodium regardless of cooking method.
Enjoy the Convenience of Oven-Cooked Bacon
Pre cooked bacon is handy to have on hand for tossing into recipes or snacking on. With the simple oven cooking method outlined above, you can quickly reheat refrigerated pre cooked bacon to crispy hot perfection in just minutes. A rimmed baking sheet, wire rack, and 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven is all it takes.
Keep a stash of pre cooked bacon in the fridge to save time and energy in the kitchen. The oven allows you to conveniently cook up a big batch that stays hot and crispy until serving time. So next time a recipe calls for bacon, you’ll be ready to easily add crispy, salty, smoky flavor thanks to your oven-cooked pre cooked bacon.
How Can I Use Pre-cooked Bacon?
You can use pre-cooked bacon in a million different ways! It gives almost any dish a meaty, rich flavor! I use pre-cooked bacon in a lot of different recipes. This tip helps me make my Spinach and Bacon Buttermilk Quiche and my Broccoli, Raisin, and Bacon Salad even better!
What Is Pre-cooked Bacon And Why Is It A Savvy Hack?
Pre-cooked bacon is just bacon that is made ahead of time! By making your bacon ahead of time, you save your future self time, money, and effort! I personally love the flavor of bacon, but do not love the smell it leaves behind in my house. Now that I always have pre-cooked bacon in my refrigerator, I do not have to worry about the leftover smell when I am entertaining! Also, you can watch me create this fabulous tip in Youtube.