The bacon needs time to crisp, but the steak shouldn’t overcook. That tension between crispy and juicy is exactly why timing matters. For most bacon wrapped steaks, you’re looking at 5 to 10 minutes in a 450°F oven after a quick stovetop sear. But the thickness of your cut, your target doneness, and even how you wrap the bacon all shift that number.
The Short Answer: Timing by Steak Thickness
Here’s what you need to know based on your steak’s thickness, assuming a 450°F oven and a proper sear first:
| Steak Thickness | Oven Time | Internal Temp | Total Time (with sear) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 5-6 minutes | 135°F (medium-rare) | 9-10 minutes |
| 1.5 inches | 6-8 minutes | 135°F (medium-rare) | 10-12 minutes |
| 2 inches | 8-10 minutes | 135°F (medium-rare) | 12-14 minutes |
Add 2-3 minutes for medium (145°F) or 4-5 minutes for medium-well (155°F). These times assume you’ve seared the steak for about 2 minutes per side before transferring to the oven.
Why Most Bacon Wrapped Steaks Use Two Cooking Methods
You can’t just toss a bacon wrapped steak in the oven and walk away. Well, you can, but you’ll end up with either pale, chewy bacon or an overcooked piece of meat.
The stovetop sear gives you that gorgeous caramelized crust on the bacon and locks in the steak’s juices. Two minutes per side in a screaming hot pan, that’s it. But if you kept it on the stovetop much longer, the outside would char while the center stayed cold.
The oven finish brings the steak to your target temperature gently and evenly. The bacon continues crisping in the dry heat while the meat cooks through without burning. It’s the combination that works.
One exception: steak bites. Those little cubes cook fast enough that the oven alone does the job. More on that later.
Step by Step: The Foolproof Technique
Prepare Your Steak
Pull your steak from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Cold steak hits a hot pan and tenses up, cooking unevenly. Room temperature steak relaxes into the heat.
Pat it completely dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
Season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Then wrap your bacon strip around the steak’s edge, stretching it slightly as you go. The bacon should wrap snugly with minimal overlap. Secure with a toothpick just to hold everything together while you prep.
Sear First
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Get it hot before you start cooking.
Heat an oven-safe skillet (cast iron is perfect) over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil or butter. When the oil shimmers and just starts to smoke, you’re ready.
Remove the toothpick from your steak. Yes, really. That little piece of wood acts like an insulator, preventing the bacon underneath from crisping properly. Place the steak in the pan with the bacon overlap side down first. This seals the bacon ends without needing the toothpick.
Sear for 2 minutes without moving it. Flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes. You want deep golden color on the bacon and a nice crust forming.
Finish in the Oven
Transfer the entire skillet directly to your preheated oven. No need to switch pans.
For a 1-inch thick steak, set a timer for 5 minutes. For thicker cuts, start checking at 6 minutes. The bacon should be sizzling and darkening at the edges.
Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak (not touching bacon). Pull it when it reads 130°F for medium-rare. Remember, the temperature will climb another 3-5 degrees as it rests. Carryover cooking is real.
Let the steak rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before serving. This lets the juices redistribute instead of running all over your plate.
Oven Temperature: 450°F vs 350°F
Most recipes call for 450°F because it cooks the steak quickly while keeping the interior juicy. High heat also helps the bacon fat render and crisp up properly. For thick cuts like filet mignon, this temperature is ideal.
But if you’re working with thinner steaks (under 1 inch) or want more control over doneness, drop to 350-400°F. You’ll add a few minutes to your cooking time, maybe 10-12 minutes total in the oven, but you reduce the risk of overcooking.
Lower temperature also works better if your bacon is particularly thick. It gives the fat more time to render without the meat hitting well-done territory.
The trade-off? Less dramatic crust, slightly less crispy bacon. For most home cooks making a special dinner, stick with 450°F.
Getting the Bacon Actually Crispy
This is where most people struggle. You want bacon with actual texture, not a flabby ribbon of pork clinging to your steak.
Use thin-cut bacon. Thick-cut looks impressive but takes too long to crisp. By the time it’s done, your steak is gray all the way through. If thick-cut is all you have, slice each piece lengthwise to create two thinner strips.
Minimize overlap. When you wrap the bacon, it should go around once with just a tiny bit of overlap, maybe half an inch. More than that and you’ve created a thick patch that won’t render properly.
Remove the toothpick before cooking. I mentioned this earlier, but it matters enough to repeat. Testing proved it: steaks cooked with the toothpick in had noticeably less crispy bacon where the wood blocked heat.
Try the broiler finish. If you pull your steak from the oven and the bacon isn’t quite there yet, switch to broil for 1-2 minutes. Watch it like a hawk. This blasts the bacon with direct heat while barely affecting the steak’s internal temperature.
Should You Precook the Bacon?
No. The whole point of wrapping raw bacon around the steak is that the bacon fat bastes the meat as it renders. Precooked bacon just dries out in the oven and doesn’t add the same richness.
The key is choosing the right bacon thickness and cooking at the right temperature. Raw bacon crisps beautifully when you follow the sear-then-oven method.
Cooking Times for Different Cuts
Not all steaks are created equal. A thick filet mignon needs different treatment than a thinner sirloin.
Filet Mignon (1.5-2 inches thick): This is the classic bacon-wrapped cut. Dense, compact, and lean. Sear 2 minutes per side, then 6-8 minutes at 450°F for medium-rare. The thickness protects it from overcooking.
Sirloin (1-1.5 inches): Leaner and often more affordable. Sear 2 minutes per side, then 5-7 minutes at 450°F. Watch it closely, sirloin can dry out faster than filet.
Strip Steak (1-1.5 inches): More marbled than filet, which means more forgiveness. Same timing as sirloin: 2 minutes per side sear, 5-7 minutes in the oven.
Ribeye (1.5 inches): Honestly, ribeye doesn’t need bacon. It’s already fatty and flavorful. But if you insist, treat it like filet mignon timing-wise. Just know that all that internal fat plus bacon fat can be a bit much.
How to Know When It’s Done
Use a Meat Thermometer
Stop guessing. A good instant-read thermometer costs less than one wasted steak.
Insert it horizontally into the side of the steak, aiming for the center. Avoid hitting bacon or you’ll get a false reading.
Temperature guide:
- Rare: 125°F
- Medium-Rare: 135°F
- Medium: 145°F
- Medium-Well: 155°F
- Well-Done: 160°F (but really, don’t)
Pull the steak 5 degrees before your target. Carryover cooking will bring it up as it rests.
Visual Cues
The bacon should be deeply browned with crispy edges. If it’s still pale and floppy, it needs more time.
Press the steak gently with your finger (through tongs, the pan is hot). Medium-rare feels like the fleshy part of your palm below your thumb when you touch your thumb to your middle finger. Firmer than that, you’re heading toward medium or beyond.
But honestly, just use the thermometer. Visual cues are fine for experienced cooks. Everyone else benefits from actual numbers.
Common Mistakes That Ruin Bacon Wrapped Steak
Skipping the sear. Going straight to the oven means pale bacon and no crust. That initial high-heat contact is non-negotiable for flavor.
Using bacon that’s too thick. You’ll spend the entire cooking time trying to render bacon fat while your steak creeps past medium into well-done territory. Thin-cut always wins.
Crowding the pan. If you’re making multiple steaks, leave space between them. Packed together, they steam instead of sear. Work in batches if needed.
Not letting the steak rest. Cut into it immediately and all those beautiful juices run onto your board. Five minutes of patience makes the difference between juicy and dry.
Forgetting to preheat the oven. You need that 450°F heat ready to go the moment your seared steak comes off the stovetop. Starting with a cold oven throws off your timing entirely.
Oven Only Method for Steak Bites
Steak bites are a different game. These little cubes cook so quickly that the oven-only method actually works.
Cut your steak into 1-inch cubes. Wrap each one in half a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick. (Yes, you keep the toothpick in for these because you’re not trying to get every surface crispy.)
Arrange them on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes. The bacon crisps up nicely and the beef cooks through without needing a sear.
If the bacon isn’t quite crispy enough when the steak is done, hit it with the broiler for 2 minutes. The small size means they won’t overcook in that short time.
Steak bites are perfect for parties. You can prep them hours ahead, refrigerate, and just pop them in the oven when guests arrive.
The timing holds true whether you’re making 10 pieces or 50. Just make sure they’re spaced out on the pan so heat circulates freely. Overlapping creates steam pockets and soggy bacon.
For ribeye or strip steak bites, 12 minutes is usually enough. For leaner sirloin, check at 13-14 minutes. The goal is medium to medium-rare on the inside, crispy bacon on the outside.
