Crispy, delicious bacon is a breakfast staple in many households. While frying bacon on the stovetop is a quick cooking method, the splattering grease can be messy and dangerous. Baking bacon in the oven is a popular alternative, but it still runs the risk of causing grease to splatter all over the inside of your oven.
In this article, I’ll share foolproof techniques for cooking bacon in the oven without the mess and hassle of grease splatters.
Why Grease Splatter Happens When Baking Bacon
When bacon is exposed directly to oven heat, the fat renders out rapidly, causing pops and splatters. The grease flies out of the bacon as it sizzles and crisps up. This leaves your oven interior coated in a layer of grease that is tedious to clean.
Unfortunately, typical aluminum foil lined baking sheets do little to contain the grease. The bacon still has open access to the hot air, resulting in messy splatters.
How to Stop Splattering When Baking Bacon
To solve this issue, we need to both contain the bacon and protect the oven interior. Here are three simple methods to keep bacon grease under control.
Use Parchment Paper
Parchment paper makes an amazing grease barrier when baking bacon. Simply line a baking sheet with parchment paper then arrange bacon slices in a single layer on top. Before putting it in the oven lightly fold over the parchment edges to create a tent over the bacon. This seals in grease drippings while allowing air flow.
Bake in Muffin Tins
For convenient single-serving portions, bake bacon slices in a muffin tin Place one slice in each muffin cup The bacon is contained in the cups, preventing splatters. The built-up grease pools in the bottom of the cups for easy cleanup.
Use a Cooling Rack
Elevate bacon off the baking sheet with a cooling rack. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the bottom oven rack. Set a cooling rack on the middle rack and arrange bacon on top. This allows air flow under and over the bacon while the pan below catches grease drips.
10 Tips for Splatter-Free Bacon
Follow these tips for keeping your oven and kitchen grease-free when cooking bacon:
- Line baking sheets with foil and parchment paper
- Use a baking dish with high sides to contain grease
- Place bacon between two wire racks
- Cook at 400°F – high heat = more splattering
- Bake thick cut bacon for less popping
- Cook fewer strips at once
- Blot bacon before baking to remove excess grease
- Drain on paper towels after cooking
- Keep oven door shut while bacon is cooking
- Clean oven immediately after baking bacon
How to Clean Bacon Grease Out of Your Oven
If splatters still manage to escape, tackle oven cleaning right away while the grease is fresh. Here’s how to remove baked-on bacon grease:
- First scrape off any chunks with a spatula or plastic scraper.
- Mix a solution of warm water and dish soap. Scrub with a coarse sponge or brush.
- For stubborn spots, sprinkle on baking soda and rub with a damp cloth.
- Wipe the oven interior down with vinegar to finish.
With a few preparation tips, you can enjoy perfectly crispy oven-baked bacon without spending hours scrubbing your oven after. Use these mess-preventing tricks to keep bacon grease safely contained.
What to do with the bacon after cooking it in the oven:
Make sure to transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towel. I will also add a piece of paper towel the to the top and dab up grease. The paper towel will soak up any excess grease.
Cleaning up after cooking bacon in the oven:
Let the grease cool for at least 30 minutes after taking the bacon out of the pan. The longer you wait, the better. I leave the pan alone while we eat breakfast, which gives the grease plenty of time to set. Then I gather the corners of the parchment together tightly and toss the whole thing out. If you don’t let the grease set it can spill out when you pick it up.
You can keep the bacon grease leftover on the baking pan. Let the grease cool for at least 15 minutes, then use the parchment paper as a funnel to pour it into the jar. This is the easiest way to get it in. I keep a jar of bacon grease in my fridge and use it to cook eggs and sometimes to give meats and vegetables more flavor. Use a glass jar with a lid to store it.
How do you keep bacon from splattering in the oven?
How do you keep Bacon from splattering?
I use a stock pot or a Dutch oven, which has high sides that minimizes oil splatters. I also use a splatter guard as well. If you can, make sure the food you put in the pan are to the touch, dry off meats, make sure breading / flour coating is intact. I also cook bacon on a lower heat for a longer time and this seems to produce less spatter.
How to cook bacon in the oven without the mess?
These are the steps I now use after figuring out how to cook bacon in the oven without the mess: #1 – Line a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil (for easy clean up at the end). #2 – Unroll enough parchment paper to cover the base of the baking sheet, and then double it — so you have enough to cover the bacon strips as well.
How do you clean oven baked Bacon?
Clean up for oven baked bacon is a breeze. Working your way around the edges of your baking sheet, peel the foil away and fold it toward the center of the baking sheet, trapping the bacon grease and the parchment paper inside. Folding the foil and parchment paper toward the center of the baking sheet, traps the grease inside.