How to Cook Perfectly Crispy Irish Bacon in the Oven

I don’t know about you, but I love me some tasty Irish bacon! That thick-cut, meaty goodness just can’t be beat. However, cooking bacon on the stovetop doesn’t always lead to consistent results. Some pieces come out crispy while others are chewy That’s why I prefer to cook Irish bacon in the oven.

The oven allows the bacon to cook low and slow, which renders out more fat This leads to bacon that’s crispy throughout, without any floppy undercooked bits. While the stovetop may be quicker, the oven wins for delivering delicious, uniform results every time.

In this article, I’ll explain my simple process for cooking foolproof Irish bacon in the oven. I’ve tested this method many times, so you can trust that it works. Let’s get cooking!

What You Need

• Irish bacon (also called Irish rashers). Get good quality, thick-cut bacon.
• Rimmed baking sheet
• Aluminum foil
• Cooling rack (optional)

Prep the Baking Sheet

Before we can start cooking, we need to prep the baking sheet:

1. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. The foil makes cleanup easy.

2. Place a cooling rack on top of the foil. The rack allows air to circulate under the bacon as it cooks, leading to crispy bacon without sticking. If you don’t have a cooling rack, don’t worry – the bacon will still turn out great.

3. Lightly coat the foil and rack with vegetable oil or cooking spray. This helps prevent sticking.

And we’re ready to cook!

Cook the Bacon Low and Slow

Now for the fun part – actually cooking the bacon:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. You want a hot oven to start rendering the fat.

2. Arrange the slices of Irish bacon on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer without overlapping. Overlapping causes steam which prevents crisping.

3. Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip each slice over.

4. Bake for another 8-12 minutes until crisped to your liking. I prefer very crispy bacon, so I bake mine for a full 12 minutes after flipping.

5. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

That’s it! By baking the bacon low and slow, it crisps up evenly without any underdone spots. The initial hot blast at 400°F renders the fat, then the lower heat crisps up the meat.

Troubleshooting

If your bacon didn’t turn out quite right, here are some tips:

• Bacon not crispy enough? Make sure you flip the bacon over halfway through cooking. Also extend the cooking time after flipping up to 15 minutes for maximum crispness.

• Bacon stuck to the pan? Use more oil or cooking spray next time to grease the baking sheet better. And make sure you’re arranging the bacon in a single layer without overlapping.

• Bacon overly shriveled? You may have cooked it too long. Stick to the recommended baking times, and check it frequently near the end.

• Uneven cooking? Be sure to rotate the pan halfway through for even heating. Using a rack also improves airflow.

With a little trial and error, you’ll nail the perfect crisp-to-chew ratio. The oven bacon method may take a few minutes longer than the stovetop, but it’s worth it!

Variations

Once you’ve mastered the basic oven method, there are lots of ways to mix things up:

• Flavor it: Rub the bacon with brown sugar, maple syrup, chili powder, black pepper, or other spices before cooking.

• Make bacon bundles: Wrap 2-3 pieces of bacon around stuffed dates, smoked oysters, cheese, or other goodies. Secure with a toothpick.

• Bake bacon on a wire rack: Skip the baking sheet and place the bacon right on an oven-safe wire rack. This allows maximum airflow for crispy bacon.

• Weave a bacon lattice: Weave the strips into a lattice pattern on a rack or baking sheet. Looks fancy but easy to do.

• Include thick bacon strips: Substitute extra thick pork belly slices to make “meat candy”.

The basic oven method works equally well for any variation. Get creative!

Serving Suggestions

Now that you’ve got beautifully crisped Irish bacon, how will you eat it? Here are some tasty ways to serve oven-baked bacon:

• Complement eggs – Bacon goes with any style of eggs for a filling breakfast.

• Make sandwiches better – Burgers, BLTs, croque madames…bacon makes it better!

• Enhance salads – Crumble crisp bacon over leafy greens for a smoky crunch.

• Sprinkle on baked potatoes – Bacon bits pair perfectly with loaded baked potatoes.

• Toss with roasted Brussels sprouts – The salty, smoky bacon highlights the Brussels sprouts’ sweetness.

• Wrap around steak – Up the indulgence factor by wrapping bacon around filet mignon.

• Crumble over mac and cheese – The ultimate comfort food combo!

• Garnish bloody marys – Bacon swizzle sticks give bloody marys extra flair.

However you serve it, oven-baked Irish bacon is sure to disappear fast! It makes everything tastier.

Storing and Reheating

So you’ve cooked up a big batch of bacon. How long does it keep, and how do you reheat it?

• Storage: Place cooled bacon slices in a zip top bag or airtight container. Bacon keeps 5-7 days refrigerated and up to 2 months frozen.

• Reheating: Bacon is best eaten straight out of the oven when it’s freshest. But leftovers can be briefly warmed up in the microwave or oven. Place single layer of strips on a plate, cover with paper towel, and microwave in 30 second bursts until hot and sizzling. Or place in a 300°F oven for 4-5 minutes. Crispiness won’t be the same as fresh, but it’ll still taste good!

Now you know my secrets for cooking picture-perfect Irish bacon in the oven every time. This method yields consistently crispy, meaty bacon that beats what you’ll get on the stovetop. It does take a little longer, but so worth it.

The process is simple – just line a baking sheet, arrange the bacon flat in a single layer, bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, flip and bake for 8-12 more minutes. Add flavorings or weave bacon into creative shapes if desired. Then serve the beautifully crisped Irish bacon in all sorts of tempting ways. From eggs to burgers to salads and more, bacon makes everything better.