How to Reheat Bacon in The Oven

How to heat bacon in the oven is a key kitchen skill to have, especially when you are reheating Canadian bacon for a big group. 

See an overview of all the different methods to reheat bacon in 2024 here.

Why – simply put, apart from a commercial bain-marie, the oven is the most efficient way to reheat bacon for a crowd. 

How to Reheat Large Amounts of Bacon

• 95% of all professional chefs questioned said this is the method they would use at home to reheat bacon for between 4-20 people

The oven is not the fastest method however, reheating bacon in a panini press is a relatively fast way, but for a smaller group.

How to Reheat  Bacon in The Oven

Reheating fried bacon in the oven starts by preheating the oven to 350°F. Next, place the cooked bacon pieces on a tray lined with parchment paper or a baking sheet.

I would typically heat the leftover bacon for 6 minutes and then check if it has reached the temperature or degree of crispiness I need. This is a little longer than reheating leftover bacon using an air fryer.

Typically I will put it back in for a further 2-3 minutes if I want the back to crack or crisp up some more.

How Long Does it Take to Reheat Bacon At 350°F?

For streaky or American bacon, it will take 6-7 minutes to be hot enough to consider it is ready to eat.

Canadian bacon will take 7-8 minutes to be fully reheated.

A full outline of the different types of bacon is covered here.

This method also works for bacon bits, boiled bacon, and baked bacon reheating.

Using a Griddle to reheat bacon for a crowd is an alternative to the oven.

What Oven Rack Position Do I Reheat Bacon On

If you’re not familiar with oven rack position, here’s a quick primer:

The Oven Rack position(turkey) choices are

• lower
• middle
• top

If you just have one tray of bacon, use the middle oven rack position; it has the evenest heat distribution, especially if you have a convection oven or forced air.

When reheating bacon, I prefer to use a large rack because it allows me to place multiple slices of bacon side-by-side in the same pan. This makes it easier to flip them over when needed.

Another benefit of using a large rack is that it helps prevent burning, especially if you rotate the tray of bacon halfway through the reheating process to ensure all bacon is reheated evenly.

You can also line a large baking sheet with foil to save on the clean-up afterwards. Place the bacon strips on the prepared baking sheet and bake until crispy.

Once cooked, remove the bacon from the oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry.

How Do I Make the Bacon More Healthy when Reheating in The Oven?

One of the things I like about my air fryer is the bacon grease or fat drips off during the reheating; if you want to achieve the same effect using the oven, then use a wire rack. This could also be a cake or cookie resting rack to raise the bacon off the tray.

This is also a reason why people like to cook crispy bacon in the oven, to begin with.

Place an elevated wire rack on an oven tray or over a cookie sheet and place the bacon on top, and follow the method below.

How to Reheat Bacon for A Crowd

Bacon is delicious and reheated crispy bacon can be just as tasty.   To reheat bacon for 4-20 people, do two batches using the oven method. 

You would have to do a number of batches if used a microwave to reheat bacon

You need to plan for about 20 minutes to reheat enough bacon for 20 people.

Each large oven tray contains enough bacon for 3-4 people, and you can fit 3 trays into the oven at once. Use our simple method below to keep the first batch warm while you reheat the second.

If you have a smaller group then use a toaster oven to warm the leftover bacon and keep the oven for other food.

How to Keep Reheated Bacon Warm for A Crowd

How To Keep Bacon Warm and Crispy, If You’re Serving a Crowd, Consider Reheating Multiple Batches of Bacon and Keeping Them Warm By

1. Placing Them on A Hot Plate Already Warmed in The Oven Prior
   1. Or by Putting Boiling Water Over the Place 30 Seconds Before Placing the Bacon on It
2. Cover the Bacon on The Plate Immediately with Aluminum Foil, Shiny Side Facing In.
3. When putting the bacon on a plate to keep warm, you do have to have it on a single layer – pile on the strips of bacon.

This will keep the bacon warm while you put another batch in the oven. This method works well when you have a lot of family members to feed for breakfast the next morning.

Top 5 Tips For Reheating Bacon in the Oven in 2024

1. A wire rack is ideal for crisping bacon; it allows the hot air to heat from all angles, giving a more evenly heated bacon.
2. If you’re using foil plus a baking sheet, scrunch the foil slightly to raise the bacon.
3. Making Bacon less greasy in the oven – Raising the Bacon off a tray will improve air circulation and prevent the bacon from sitting in its own fat.
4. A wire rack on the cookie tray helps keep the bacon from sticking to the pan.
5. Don’t waste the extra fat. Collect it and cook some eggs or hashbrowns in it.

My conclusion On Warming Bacon Up in the Oven
Because of how simple it is, this way is a top method and certainly the best for a party.

You can cook a lot of bacon all at once and get great results.

One word of caution: be careful not to overcook the bacon or dry it out.

How to reheat up bacon – Preparing bacon ahead of time and just reheating fried bacon strips in the morning is a simple option; just use this method.

Furthermore, understanding how to reheat leftover bacon will ensure that you never have to throw away leftover bacon.