When it comes to breakfast foods, bacon is hard to beat. While it can be messy to cook bacon on the stove, cooking it in the oven is a cleaner alternative. Oven-cooked bacon gets just as crispy, if not crispier, and requires very little cleanup. Additionally, cooking bacon in the oven allows you to multitask while it cooks, as opposed to being tied to the stovetop for pan-fried bacon. You can cook larger quantities of bacon in the oven, giving you more flexibility to prepare other items for your breakfast.
To cook perfect bacon in the oven, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking tray with aluminum foil or use a nonstick sheet pan. Arrange the bacon on the tray without overlapping the strips and cook for eight to ten minutes, depending on your desired crispiness. After cooking, drain the bacon on paper towels and enjoy it with eggs, in a BLT, or crumbled to enhance other dishes. One of the best parts of cooking bacon in the oven is the minimal cleanup – just dispose of the foil and you’re done.
While a large oven works well for cooking bacon, smaller countertop convection models like the Ninja Double Oven or Breville’s Smart Oven Air are also great options. These ovens preheat quickly and can cook bacon to a crisp in under 10 minutes. If you prefer to use an air fryer, you can also make bacon in a similar manner to oven-cooked bacon. Air fryers are a cleaner tool for cooking bacon, providing a convenient alternative to traditional oven cooking. By using an air fryer, you can achieve the same crispy bacon without the mess.
Overall, cooking bacon in the oven or an air fryer offers a cleaner and more efficient way to enjoy this breakfast favorite. With just a few simple steps and minimal cleanup, you can cook perfect bacon every time. Whether you prefer crispy bacon with less grease or a traditional strip, oven cooking provides a versatile and convenient method. So next time you’re craving bacon for breakfast, consider giving the oven or air fryer a try for a mess-free and delicious cooking experience.
