Baked Bacon
There's something wrong with me and one of the symptoms of whatever it is is that I talk way too much about baking bacon in the oven.
Seriously, though, it's a great way to make bacon! Is it the best way? Probably.
Ingredients
Bacon
Equipment
As previously discussed, you should do yourself a favor and get some commercial aluminum baking sheets for your kitchen. For easy clean-up, line your pans with heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper.
For crispy bacon, line the pan with foil and lay the bacon directly onto the foil. As the bacon fat renders, it will fry in it's own fat and get deliciously crispy.
If you're more of the chewy bacon type, line your pan and place a cooling rack in it. The "feet" of the rack can cut through the foil lining, so a layer of parchment isn't a bad idea here. Lay your bacon strips on the rack and they will "air-bake" rather than fry and come out with a consistent, even, chewy, meaty texture. You're welcome.
Preparation
Crispy Bacon
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Lay out bacon strips side-by-side in the pan, spacing them as well as you can.
Place the tray into the oven on the middle rack.
Turn on the oven to 450°F and set a timer for 17 minutes.
Check the bacon when the timer goes off. Rotate the pan and continue cooking in 3-minute intervals until it reaches your personal optimal bacon state.
Chewy Bacon
Line a baking sheet with foil and/or parchment.
Place a metal cooling rack in the pan.
Lay out bacon strips side-by-side on the pan, spacing them as well as you can.
Place the tray into the oven on the middle rack.
Turn on the oven to 450°F and set a timer for 17 minutes.
Check the bacon when the timer goes off. Rotate the pan and continue cooking in 3-minute intervals until you reach your personal favorite bacon state.
And, bonus, you don't have to wear clothes to bake bacon.