Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa revolutionized homemade bacon with her simple oven-roasted bacon recipe. Her technique delivers perfectly crispy flat bacon without the splattering grease mess of frying.

As an avid Ina fan and bacon lover, I was eager to try out her oven method after years of stovetop frying The results are amazing! The bacon comes out crispy with delicious concentrated flavor, minus the cleanup headache

In this article, I’ll share how to cook bacon in the oven using Ina’s technique. You’ll learn:

• Benefits of oven-roasted vs pan-fried bacon
• Step-by-step oven bacon instructions
• How to adapt method for thick or thin bacon
• Flavor tweaks and serving suggestions
• Cleanup and storage tips

With just 10 minutes of prep, you can kiss greasy bacon chaos goodbye and enjoy Bakery-style crispy oven bacon perfection at home. Let’s get started!

Why Oven-Roasted Bacon Beats Pan Frying

Here are some key benefits of cooking bacon in the oven

• Evenly cooked: No need to constantly flip. Bacon crisps up flat and evenly.

• Less greasy: Fat renders out on the baking sheet instead of spattering.

• Bakes up crispy: The hot dry oven air makes the bacon super crispy.

• Easy batch cooking: Fit pounds of bacon on sheets for meal prep.

• Fewer dishes: Just a baking sheet instead of cleaning a greasy skillet.

• Unattended: Bake while you prep other parts of the meal.

• Consistent results: Takes the guesswork out of frying.

For these reasons, the oven ends up being less hassle and makes better-tasting bacon than stovetop.

Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Cook Bacon in Oven

Follow these simple steps for perfect oven-baked bacon every time:

1. Preheat Oven to 400°F

Heating the oven first helps the bacon start crisping sooner.

2. Line Baking Sheet with Parchment Paper or Foil

This protects your pan from sticky grease buildup. The bacon will release most of its fat on the sheets.

3. Arrange Raw Bacon Slices in a Single Layer

Make sure slices aren’t overlapping. Evenly spaced out allows the bacon to crisp up evenly.

4. Bake for 15-20 Minutes

Thinner sliced bacon takes 15 minutes while thick cut needs 20 minutes.

5. Drain on Paper Towels

Blot excessive grease once it comes out of the oven. This helps it get extra crispy.

That’s all it takes! Now you’ve got a whole sheet of perfectly crisped up, flat bacon slices. Much easier than pan frying in batches.

Adapting for Thick or Thin Sliced Bacon

Here are some tips for different bacon cuts:

Thin sliced bacon: Go for 15 minutes at 400°F. Thinner bacon becomes crispy faster.

Thick cut bacon: Needs the full 20 minutes to crisp through the fat layers.

Extra thick sliced bacon: Increase oven temp to 425°F and bake for 23-25 minutes.

Halved bacon slices: Cut each slice in half and bake for 12-14 minutes only.

Just keep an eye on any extra thick bacon the first time to see how long yours takes. Thinner bacon risks burning if baked too long.

Flavor Tweaks and Serving Suggestions

Jazz up plain oven bacon with these easy ideas:

• Sprinkle brown sugar, maple syrup or honey over the raw bacon before baking for candied flavors.

• Coat bacon with cracked black pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika or cayenne before baking.

• Top baked bacon with fresh chopped parsley, green onion, or crumbled blue cheese.

• Bake jalapeños, cherry tomatoes or pineapple chunks with the bacon for sweet and spicy garnishes.

• Serve bacon bits on salads and soups, in breakfast sandwiches and burgers, or crumbled on baked potatoes.

• Chop baked bacon into lardons to use in carbonara, Paella, beans, cabbage or Brussels sprouts dishes.

Oven bacon also retains more of its smoky flavor compared to frying. I love using baked bacon in loaded baked potatoes, green bean casseroles and homemade soups for extra richness.

Cleanup and Storage Tips

One of the benefits of oven bacon is easier cleanup:

• Line pans for no-scrub cleanup. Once cool, scrape residue into trash.

• Pour grease into heat-safe jar for storage. You can use it for cooking later.

• Wash sheets in hot soapy water if needed. Grease residue comes off easily.

• Store cooked bacon in airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

• You can freeze baked bacon pieces in a freezer bag for 1-2 months.

With minimal effort, you’ll have delicious oven-baked bacon ready anytime. Serve it right away or save it for quick meals and snacks all week.

How to Cook Bacon in Oven Like Ina Garten – Step-By-Step

Here is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to make crispy bacon in the oven using Ina Garten’s easy method:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bacon, regular sliced or thick cut
• Parchment paper or aluminum foil

Equipment:

• Rimmed baking sheet
• Cooling rack (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. This gets the oven nice and hot to start crisping the bacon quickly.

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. The liner prevents the sheet from getting gunked up with grease residue.

3. Optional: Place cooling rack on sheet. The rack elevates the bacon so air circulates completely around each slice as it bakes. This allows the bacon to crisp up evenly. But you can bake directly on the foil-lined pan too.

4. Arrange raw bacon slices in a single layer on the rack or pan. Make sure the slices aren’t overlapping eac