Whether you're feeding a crowd for brunch, prepping breakfast ahead for a busy week, or trying to avoid standing at the stove frying bacon all morning, making bacon in the oven is the easiest solution.

This make ahead bacon method is perfect for holidays, graduation parties, church breakfasts, harvest meals, and weekend brunches because you can cook large batches at once, keep the bacon warm, or reheat it later.

And best of all? Less mess. Less grease splatter. Less stress. Oh, and BACON!

Today we're talking about how you can make bacon for a crowd. Even if that crowd is your family. Trust me, living with a family of six, this is a survival skill I 100 percent needed to master.

Early bird gets the bacon, you know???

I love making a batch on Sunday so breakfast and easy recipe add-ins are ready for the week.

And while it may seem odd that I'm excited about a bacon recipe, I can explain.

Why Oven Bacon Is Best for a Crowd

You can cook multiple pounds at once because let's be honest…people always eat more bacon than expected. Come on, it's BACON!
Hands-off cooking so you're not glued to the stovetop flipping bacon.
Less mess than frying - this is basically the home run for me!
Reheats beautifully while freeing up stovetop space
You can even cook multiple sheet pans at once when feeding a large crowd.

Why this is the best way to cook bacon

Cooking bacon on the stovetop is messy, smoky and greasy and sometimes leaves your house smelling like the local diner for days. And not in a good way.

I have been known to skip the bacon just because I didn't want grease to spatter on my clean stove. I think we can agree, that's no way to live our lives, is it??!?

And how about this scenario...have you ever had a recipe call for a slice or two of bacon and thought "ugh, that's just one more recipe step and/or I don't have time or want to do that?

With this recipe hack, you can just pull a strip out of your fridge or freezer whenever you need it! Tip: I like to sprinkle some on top of my tuna and egg salad.

This is one of my favorite breakfast-for-a-crowd tricks because you can prep several pounds of bacon ahead without babysitting the stove. Let's go!

Tools needed to cook bacon in the oven

Large baking sheet
aluminum foil
tongs
and our star, bacon

How to cook bacon in the oven

Line a rimmed pan with foil, or you can use parchment paper. This is going to help make an easy cleanup. More on that in a minute.

Lay bacon strips in a line. I have mine on a metal cooling rack in the photo above but you don't need to do that. In fact, it just makes for more dishes to wash. So ditch the baking rack if dishes are your arch nemesis.

Put your bacon in the oven and set the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake bacon for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through.

If you're cooking thick cut bacon in your oven, it will take closer to 20 minutes. I like to rotate my pan halfway through cooking because every oven seems to have one side that's hotter.

When the bacon is cooked just the way you like it (less time for soft; more time for crispy), remove from the oven and using tongs, transfer the slices to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

This crispy bacon is perfect for adding to simple sides like my roasted asparagus and green beans. It adds just the right amount of flavor and crunch.

How long to cook bacon in the oven

How long it takes will depend on a few factors....

The brand you buy can vary, as well as fat content. Also, thick cut, center cut and regular cut bacon can all vary.

Don't even get me started on the different ways people like their bacon cooked! My husband? He likes soft bacon. Me, I prefer crispy bacon! So the answer is really within you, friends.

Play around with the timing and stay close by the first time you make this, so you have a sense of how your individual oven bakes bacon.

How to Keep Bacon Warm for a Crowd

If you're serving bacon at a brunch, holiday breakfast, or potluck, there are a few easy ways to keep it warm without drying it out.

Best ways to keep bacon warm:

Place cooked bacon on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep it in a 200 degree oven.
Transfer bacon to a slow cooker set to warm or low.
Cover loosely with foil to help retain heat without trapping too much steam.
For longer serving times, cook bacon ahead and reheat smaller batches as needed.

I don't recommend stacking hot bacon tightly in a covered container because the steam can soften the bacon and make it less crispy.

Save This Recipe For Later

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How Much Bacon Do You Need for a Crowd?

Name: Make Ahead Oven Bacon
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound bacon

People	Bacon Needed
6	1 pound
12	2 pounds
25	4-5 pounds

FAQs

Will cooking bacon in the oven make a mess?

It does spatter a little bit, but because it's all self contained, it doesn't make a mess. I haven't noticed that my oven is any dirtier since I started cooking bacon in the oven.

Will bacon get crispy in the oven?

Yes, it sure will! It depends on the cooking time. If you prefer a softer bacon, simply lessen the cooking time.

How to cook bacon in the oven without a rack

A wire rack is optional, but I like using one when making bacon ahead because it helps the bacon cook evenly and stay crispier when reheated.

How to freeze cooked bacon for later

Luckily for you, you can make batches of bacon and save it for easy meal additions.

To freeze cooked bacon for later, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place bacon on the lined pan in strips, taking care to not cross over one another.

Place in the freezer until the bacon strips are semi frozen, about 20-30 minutes.

Remove from the pan and place in a ziplock bag. When you need slices, pull them from the bag and reheat in the microwave or a quick warm up in a skillet.

How to Reheat Bacon

In the Oven

Place bacon on a baking sheet and warm at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes.

In the Air Fryer

Air fry at 350 degrees for 2-3 minutes for crispy bacon.

In the Microwave

Place bacon between paper towels and microwave in short intervals until warm.

In a Skillet

Warm over low heat for a few minutes until heated through.

When you need a few bacon slices for an awesome Chicken Avocado BLT wrap, or to whip up a Crustless Quiche with Bacon and Broccoli or Instant Pot Egg Bites you're already one step ahead in the meal prep department!

Easy cleanup tip:

Allow your pan to cool and the bacon grease will harden.

Lift the foil or parchment paper off and discard and the grease will go with it. Or, save the bacon grease for another use.

Cooking bacon in the oven is 100% my favorite!

Ways to use cooked bacon

These recipes are perfect for your oven baked bacon.

Crustless Quiche Lorraine
Cool and Creamy BLT Dip
Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches
Chicken Avocado BLT Wrap
Crustless Bacon Quiche with Broccoli
Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Butternut Squash Casserole with Pecans and Bacon
Broccoli Salad with Cranberries
Bacon Quesadillas
Salad Toppings
BLT Sandwiches

More Breakfast Recipes for a Crowd

Recipe

Make Ahead Oven Bacon

4.45 from 50 votes

Deanne Frieders

This easy make ahead bacon recipe is the best way to cook bacon for a crowd. Bake bacon in the oven, keep it warm for brunch or parties, and reheat leftovers for easy breakfasts all week long.

Send me this recipe!

I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Course Breakfast Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings slices

Calories 103 kcal

Ingredients

1 pound bacon

Instructions

Line a rimmed pan with foil, or you can use parchment paper. This is going to help make an easy cleanup. More on that in a minute.
Lay bacon strips in a line. I have mine on a baking rack in the photo above but you don’t need to do that. A wire rack is optional, but I like using one when making bacon ahead because it helps the bacon stay crispier and allows grease to drain away while cooking.
Put your bacon in the oven and set the temperature to 400 degrees. Cook for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through.
When the bacon is cooked to your liking (less time for softer, more time for crispy), remove from oven and using tongs, transfer the slices to a paper towel covered plate to drain.

Notes