My aunt's advice about cooking bacon in the oven ended in a smoky disaster

My Aunt Karen swore up and down that baking bacon at 400 degrees was foolproof. She said 'just lay it on a sheet pan and walk away for 15 minutes.' Well I did that last Sunday and the smoke alarm went off after 10 minutes because my oven runs hot. The bacon was brittle black charcoal and my kitchen smelled like a campfire for two days. Has anyone else been burned by oven bacon advice from a relative?

3 comments

3 Comments

viola_ward25d ago

My buddy Mark tried his grandma's method at 350 for 20 minutes and ended up with greasy smoke pouring out of every window in his apartment. The super nearly called the fire department on him.

the_wyatt25d ago

20 minutes at 350 is way too long for most oils, grandma's recipe probably needs a lower temp.

victorhill25d ago

Viola's story about Mark sounds all too familiar. I tried my own grandmother's recipe years ago and had the same problem - thick smoke and a greasy mess everywhere. @the_wyatt is right about the temperature being the issue. I finally got it to work by dropping the heat to 300 and giving it a full 30 minutes. The oil didn't smoke and everything came out perfectly crisp. Sometimes you have to adjust those old recipes for modern ovens.