This oven-baked Spiced Rosemary Bacon is seasoned with a sweet-savory spice herb mixture. Delicious with pancakes and eggs or add to sandwiches, salads, and more.

Bacon is one of my favorite indulgences. I love eating it for breakfast alongside eggs or pancakes. I love adding it to salads, pasta, risotto, and sandwiches. And of course, I love practically anything that is wrapped in bacon!

I seasoned this rosemary bacon with a sweet and savory mixture that takes this bacon to the next level. Eat it as is... it's addicting! Or add it to other dishes, like a turkey club... it's life-changing! Additionally, I baked this rosemary bacon in the oven which is the easiest way to cook bacon.

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Ingredients

I prefer thick-cut bacon for its meaty bite, but you can also use regular-sliced bacon. I seasoned this spiced rosemary bacon with a sweet and savory rub made of:

fresh rosemary
brown sugar
ground cinnamon
ancho chili powder
ground allspice

Why I love making bacon in the oven

Making bacon in the oven is my favorite way to cook bacon... and for many reasons.

It's less messy. There's no greasy splatter on the stove. And lining the baking sheet with foil provides for easy clean-up.
The oven allows for even cooking. There's no need to stand over a hot pan constantly flipping bacon to ensure each slice is cooked to perfection. The bacon will cook evenly in the oven to your desired level of crispness.
It's convenient for large batches. Making bacon in the oven is an easy way to cook larger batches at one time.
You can multi-task to save time. White the bacon bakes, you can prep other parts of the meal or simply enjoy the downtime.

coating bacon with spice and herb mixture

How to make bacon in the oven

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. This temperature allows the bacon to cook evenly throughout.
Line a half-sheet pan with foil and a baking rack. The aluminum foil helps with easy clean-up. The baking rack allows the heat to circulate around the bacon and also allows for the excess fat to drip away. If you don't have a baking rack that fits the sheet pan, you can place the bacon directly on the aluminum foil. After baking, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess fat.
Arrange the bacon on the rack without overlapping. This helps the bacon to cook evenly. For this rosemary bacon, coat each side of the bacon with the seasoning mixture before arranging the bacon on the rack.
Bake until the bacon reaches the desired crispness. Bake time will depend on the thickness of the bacon and the desired level of crispness. Thin, regular-cut bacon may cook in as little as 8-12 minutes, while thick-cut bacon will likely take 20-30 minutes.
Allow the bacon to rest for approx. 5 minutes. The bacon will crisp up as it cools.

Ways to use bacon

Bacon is incredibly versatile and adds wonderful flavor to so many dishes. This spiced rosemary bacon will elevate salads, sandwiches, brunch spreads, and more.

Serve with breakfast or brunch. Rosemary bacon is delicious in a brunch bowl or on a toast bar.
Add to salads like this Halloumi BLT salad, Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad, or Warm Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad.
Layer on sandwiches such as this Triple Decker Turkey Club Sandwich.
Stir into pasta dishes like Creamy Corn Pasta with Bacon or BLT Pasta Salad with Creamy Dressing.
Top pizza like this Corn, Bacon, and Pine Nut Pizza or add to soups like Loaded Potato Gnocchi Soup.

Storing bacon

Uncooked bacon - Once opened, store in an airtight bag and use within 7-10 days. Unopened packages can be frozen for up to one month.

Cooked bacon - Store in an airtight bag for up to 4-5 days.

Equipment

Half sheet pan | Baking rack | Parchment paper

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