This Oven Bacon how-to recipe will explain why this is the BEST way to make bacon!
I know, I know, I know… Bacon in a cast-iron skillet, what’s the big deal? But baked bacon in a cast-iron skillet is arguably the best way to prepare these porky little strips of deliciousness and the reasons are plentiful. So it’s time to channel your inner Ron Swanson and enjoy some BACON!
List of reasons to bake bacon in a cast-iron skillet:
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It’s oh so tasty
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No splattering and burning yourself (this reason counts extra if you cook in the nude)
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Bacon is very fatty and your cast iron skillet loves fat (the polymerization of fat with the iron surface is what makes a well-seasoned skillet so slick)
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It saves time. Pop the bacon in oven and prep the rest of the meal, when the bacon reaches the perfect level of crispiness take it out and toss the rest of your meal in the skillet and cook it in the bacon grease.
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You can never have enough bacon.
On a relatively unrelated note: Lauren and I were going to a concert the other night about two hours away. We made the drive and spent the day exploring the city of Montreal. Around 5 o’clock I stopped in a local cafe and grabbed a large black coffee so I could stay awake for the drive home (because my usual bedtime is embarrassingly early). Anyway, the concert had been canceled due to “logistical reasons” and I had a really hard time falling asleep that night. Sometime between 1 and 2 a.m. I found Bacon – The Game {ios}, and it’s pretty much my new favorite app. The levels are both challenging and humorous, so if your bored while your bacon is in the oven, give it a try!
Oven Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon this is how much will fit in a 10.5″ cast iron skillet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F and layer your bacon into the skillet in a single layer.
- Transfer to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until you reach your desired level of crispiness.
- Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the excess oil. Reserve the oil in the skillet for another use.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only and do not include carbs from sugar alcohols.
I know bacon is allowed on the keto diet, but I have yet to see anyone specify if ANY bacon is okay. Most of the bacon I find has sugar in the ingredients. Do those need to be avoided or is that okay?
The amount of sugar in bacon is negligible most of the time, just be sure to account for it in your daily macros.
The photo shot of bacon in the two handled cast iron skillet makes it appear it is a cast iron Dutch oven. Is that what you use or a regular sized skillet that just happens to have two handles? Just wondering if using the deeper pot would make a difference or even help with splatters in the oven.
Nope, this is a skillet. Our Stargazer skillet has a small handle on the front for easy handling.
Can the bacon be cooked with the lid on the skillet? I would like to prevent splatter in the oven (less cleaning necessary).
Hi Cindy, the bacon doesn’t splatter as much in the oven as it does cooking on the stovetop. Covering it with a lid would prevent the bacon from becoming crispy as it would essentially steam.