1. The Right Stuff

Knowing which kind is best will take your oven-baked bacon from ordinary to awesome. There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing the right cut.

The standard cut of bacon measures just 1/16 of an inch in thickness; the center cut is the same width but a less fatty choice. These cuts make for some crispy bacon offerings.

Technically, all bacon is cured, but if it's marked "uncured," it gets its salty goodness from natural celery salts, which contain natural nitrates.

When exposed to heat, nitrates combine with the bacon's amino acids to form nitrosamines — the same carcinogens in cigarettes. Look for quality bacon without nitrates and nitrites.

Crisp bacon starts in a cold oven that has been gradually warmed up to between 400 F and 425 F to melt the fat out of the strips, then cooked for 20 minutes.

You can also cook the bacon at a lower temperature, like 350 F, and it'll end up less crispy. Laying the bacon on a wire rack on a baking sheet will help them crisp more.

Stacking the bacon so that pieces overlap one another makes some parts of the strips cook unevenly. Lay the slices in parallel, single layers instead.

To ensure even cooking, rotate the pan when cooking. You may also have to move the rack higher or lower to avoid being too close or far from the heating source.