Bacon That’s Extra Crispy Every Time

Step 2: Prepare the Baking Sheet

Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. This makes cleanup easier by catching the bacon grease.

Next, place a wire rack on top of the lined baking sheet. Laying the bacon on a wire rack allows the heat to circulate underneath, ensuring that both sides cook evenly and stay crispy.

Without a rack: You can lay the bacon directly on the foil, but it will cook in its own grease, which makes it slightly less crispy.

Step 3: Arrange the Bacon

Lay the bacon slices in a single layer on the wire rack. Avoid overlapping slices, as this will prevent them from crisping properly.

Pro tip: For extra flavor, sprinkle a pinch of black pepper, brown sugar, or smoked paprika over the slices before baking.

Step 4: Bake the Bacon

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for 15–20 minutes for regular-cut bacon, and 20–25 minutes for thick-cut bacon.

Check the bacon at the 12–15 minute mark to ensure it’s not burning. Baking times vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the bacon.

Pro tip: The bacon will continue to crisp slightly after you remove it from the oven, so don’t worry if it looks a bit softer than you’d like.

Step 5: Drain and Cool

Once the bacon reaches your desired level of crispiness, remove it from the oven. Using tongs, transfer the slices to a plate lined with paper towels. This step removes excess grease and prevents soggy bacon.

Optional: Save the bacon grease in a jar for cooking—it’s perfect for frying eggs, sautéing vegetables, or flavoring roasted potatoes.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy

Your bacon should now be golden, crispy, and perfectly cooked. Serve it alongside eggs, on sandwiches, crumbled over salads, or even on top of avocado toast.

Extra Tips for Perfect Crispy Bacon Every Time

1. Room Temperature Bacon: Letting the bacon sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before baking can help it cook more evenly.
2. Consistency is Key: Using the same thickness and brand of bacon ensures uniform crispiness each time.
3. Avoid Flipping: Unlike frying, there’s no need to flip the bacon when using a wire rack in the oven.
4. Flavor Variations: For a sweet-savory twist, drizzle a little maple syrup over the slices before baking.

Crispy bacon doesn’t have to be unpredictable. With this method, you get evenly cooked, crunchy slices every time, and your mornings will never be the same.

If you want, I can also make a quick visual guide with pictures for each step, so it’s like a mini recipe infographic. It makes following this method super easy.

Do you want me to make that?