Ditch the skillet and stove top, and follow this recipe to make perfectly crispy air fryer bacon in a matter of minutes! It’s definitely the healthier option while not compromising in taste or texture. Plus it is an easy way to make the best bacon – bacon in air fryer just might become one of your new favorite things and you may never cook bacon the traditional way again.
Using the air fryer to cook bacon strips frees you up in the kitchen to focus on other elements of your breakfast or any other dish that requires the addition of crispy bacon pieces, like these air fryer jalapeño poppers or this chicken bacon ranch casserole.
You’ll also be happy to know that cooking your bacon in the air fryer helps to eliminate unwanted oil splattering which means less cleaning up and more time for other things. If crisp bacon is what you’re after, the air fryer is so much better than microwave bacon.
Get your fry-on with just a press of a button! It’s so simple, you’ll want to start trying other air fryer recipes as an excuse to air fry all kinds of foods such as these Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies or Air Fryer Breakfast Bites!
Why You’ll Love Making Bacon in the Air Fryer
- Cooks up extra fast
- A healthier option with way less grease
- Leaves you free to multitask in the kitchen
- Clean up is a cinch! This is the least messy way to make bacon, in my opinion.
What Ingredients Do I Need for this Recipe?
- Bacon (plenty of bacon!)
How to Make Bacon in Air Fryer
Line your air fryer tray with aluminum foil for easier cleanup (optional). Preheat air fryer to 400℉. Loosely lay out 5-6 slices of bacon in the basket of the air fryer. Cook for 6 minutes. You can pull the basket out and peak every now and then to check on the strips of bacon. Adjust cook time as needed. Remember that thicker bacon will take longer to cook. Use tongs to transfer cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Cooking time listed in this recipe may be slightly different to what is required for your machine. I suggest that you try a few slices of bacon first instead of making a larger batch. If you are using thick pieces of bacon then you’ll probably need to increase the cooking time to 10-11 minutes.
- I strongly suggest that you line the bottom of your air fryer with aluminum foil or parchment paper. It helps to keep the mess minimal which means less cleanup. The bacon will have plenty of air flow in the basket, but the crumpled aluminum foil in the bottom will catch the fat that drips down through the bottom of the basket. Once the air fryer cools down, the fat will solidify, and you can simply toss the foil into the trash.
- Even though I’ve listed the step of preheating the air fryer, it’s not always necessary. You will know best what works for your specific air fryer. Preheating an air fryer at 400℉ typically takes 7 minutes.
- If after the cooking time you find that your bacon slices are not as crispy as you’d like them to be, add an extra minute or two of cooking, checking that they don’t burn.
- When placing the bacon slices in a single layer, make sure that you don’t overlap them as this will affect overall cooking and crispness. Small batches will cook up more evenly and in less time than overcrowding. The hot air swirls around in the air fryer, so ample space on all sides of the bacon will allow the machine to cook most effectively.
- For even, perfect crispy results, flip your bacon pieces using tongs midway through the cooking time. This will also allow you to reposition your bacon pieces in the air fryer tray since the slices shrink while cooking. The hot air in the
Fun Fact
The word bacon means “meat from the back of an animal.”
You can store any leftover air fryer bacon in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. In both instances, store the leftover bacon in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag.
You can reheat your leftover bacon by adding it to a skillet on low heat or put it back in your air fryer for a few minutes. Otherwise, bacon at room temperature is great for adding to pasta salads and casseroles as a crispy topping or filling ingredient.
Definitely! In fact, using an air fryer to make your keto-friendly bacon is much healthier than frying it up on the stovetop. Many people don’t realize that the bacon setting in that excess grease can increase your daily calories quite a bit so an air fryer is a total game-changer for reducing unnecessary calories.
This really boils down to personal preference. For the best tasting air fryer bacon, make sure that you use a brand well known for its quality such as AppleGate or TruLocal, or ask your local butcher for a recommendation.
You can successfully cook any type of bacon in air fryer. Turkey bacon will cook up similar to traditional pork. Regular bacon or thick-cut bacon will work in the air fryer – simply adjust the cook time according to the thickness of the bacon and to how crisp or chewy you like your bacon. More time will produce the crispiest bacon.
More Breakfast Recipes TO LOVE
Air Fryer Bacon
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer Machine
Ingredients
- 5-6 raw bacon slices
Instructions
- Line the bottom of the air fryer tray with aluminium foil for easy cleanup of bacon drippings (optional).
- Preheat air fryer to 400℉.
- Loosely lay out 5-6 slices of bacon in the basket of the air fryer. I like to give them a little wave because they fit better and they also seem to cook up prettier and with better crisp that way.
- Place the air fryer basket into the air fryer and air fry bacon (cook) for 6 minutes. You can pull the basket out and peak every now and then to check on the bacon. Adjust cook time to achieve desired level of crispness.
- Use tongs to transfer cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Repeat steps to cook as much bacon as you wish.
Notes
- For extra crispy bacon, make sure that you don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket with raw bacon slices. You may likely need to cook the bacon in batches.
- Since there are different watt air fryers sold on the market, the cooking time listed in this recipe may be slightly different from what is required for you.
- Lining the air fryer basket with foil is a great way to avoid unnecessary cleanup as it will collect the bacon fat drippings.
Nutrition
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