Restaurant Style Sheet Pan Bacon

Cooking great thick cut bacon could not be easier than this. It comes out perfect every time. Crispy, flat and so easy to clean up. You don't have to flip it or babysit it.

I learned about cooking bacon in the oven on a sheet pan while working in a steak house restaurant. All you have to do is lay out the bacon in a single layer across the sheet pan and bake it in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. If you decide to bake regularly sliced bacon, keep in mind it will take less time. You will want to check it at about 30 minutes. I'm using 1 pound of thick bacon per sheet pan. If you do two pans at the same time, rotate your pans halfway through to help the bacon cook evenly.

I like to add a layer of parchment paper under mine because it keeps the bacon bits from sticking completely. After removing the bacon to drain on paper towels I let it cool for about 10 minutes and pour it into a container to save for future recipes. If I don't want to save it, I let it cool completely until it congeals into a solid and then I scrape it easily off the pan with a spatula into the garbage.

This method is so convenient that I don't mind making a batch just to have on hand in the refrigerator for those recipes that call for just a few slices of crisped bacon or for an occasional quick BLT sandwich for lunch. Think about how easy that is when the bacon is already made. I think we feel the same way about making bacon cheeseburgers. Prepped bacon is the best!

Cooked bacon also freezes very well. Go ahead and make some up to store in an airtight container in the freezer so you can pop open the box and grab a few slices whenever you need them.

Click on the pictures below to get a better look.

Place the bacon on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Perfectly crispy every time!

Isn't this just gorgeous?

Go bake some bacon!

~Melisa