Air Fryer Bacon
Posted: 05/05/23
Updated: 05/11/23
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The easiest way to get perfectly crispy bacon? The air fryer, of course! No grease splattering, just the best possible strips of bacon you could ever hope for, ready to eat in roughly 10 minutes and with minimal clean up. Breakfast, brunch, BLTs, and burgers all just got SO much better!
🔥 Why This Recipe Is So Good
- This is, hands down, the best way to cook perfect strips of bacon. Don’t get me wrong, I love stovetop bacon as much as the next person, and cooking bacon in the oven? A must-know method. But air fryer bacon? Air fryer bacon is SO easy. All you need’s an air fryer – no skillet, no baking sheet. You don’t even have to flip the bacon as it cooks. Just check on it periodically so you’re guaranteed to get your favorite bacon texture and doneness.
- Not only is air fryer bacon by far the easiest way to cook bacon, it’s also almost completely mess-free. No more grease splattering all over the stove (or you, ouch!). Everything’s contained right in the air fryer basket, so all you have to do is wipe it out and pop it in the dishwasher when you’re done.
- Did I mention this method’s super fast? In roughly 10 minutes, you’ll have perfect strips of crispy bacon ready to compliment a stack of pancakes, a plate of scrambled eggs, or the juiciest cheeseburger.
- You can cook any type of bacon in the air fryer, too. Thick-cut, thin-cut, pork, turkey, even vegan bacon! The cook times will vary a little from one type to another, so keep that in mind and adjust accordingly to avoid burning.
🥓 If You’re Achin’ for Some Bacon…
see all bacon recipes
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- A number of factors will affect your cook time, so use this recipe as a guideline rather than a hard-and-fast rule. Even two of the exact same air fryer sitting side-by-side in the exact same kitchen will behave differently. Just keep an eye on the bacon as it cooks, and take it out of the air fryer when it’s close to your preferred doneness. It’ll crisp up a little more as it rests, so be careful not to overcook it.
- For really, really crispy bacon, let the bacon rest on a wire cooling rack after cooking. If you lay it directly on the paper towels, the bacon sits in the grease that drips off, which can make it soft. With the bacon elevated on the cooling rack, the grease drips off and away from the bacon, and the bacon gets super crispy.
- If you’re cooking multiple batches of bacon, wipe out the air fryer basket really well after each batch. As the older bacon grease gets hotter, it can start to smoke. The smoke’s not only unpleasant, but it can be a safety hazard, too. Other ways to prevent smoking are to add a little water to the pan under the air fryer basket, or to add a slice or two of bread under the basket to soak up the grease.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put raw bacon in an air fryer?
Yes! Bacon is completely safe to cook in the air fryer. Just be sure to cook the bacon completely before serving it.
Where does the grease go when you cook bacon in the air fryer?
It drips down beneath the basket that the bacon is sitting in. Make sure to clean out the basket really well to prevent smoking!
What temperature do you use to air fry bacon?
Anything between 350°F and 400°F is perfect for air frying bacon – just adjust your cook time as needed. Bacon grease begins to smoke at 400°F, so I don’t recommend setting your air fryer any higher than that.
Do I need to use aluminum foil when air frying bacon?
You don’t have to! I never use foil with my air fryer bacon and so far it’s always turned out perfectly. Some people like to put a layer of foil under the basket to catch the grease, though, but that can’t be done with all air fryer models.
♨️ More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love
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Air Fryer Bacon
The best, easiest, most foolproof method for perfectly crispy bacon super fast and with minimal clean up.
strips of bacon
Ingredients
- 5 strips bacon more or less as needed, see Notes
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Large plate
- Paper towels
- Wire cooling rack optional
- parchment paper designed for air fryers optional
- Tongs
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 370° Fahrenheit. While air fryer preheats, line large plate with layers of paper towels. For crispier bacon, place wire cooling rack over paper towels.
- Once air fryer is preheated, remove basket. Optional: Line bottom of air fryer basket with parchment paper designed for air fryers.
- Add bacon strips to air fryer basket in single layer. Work in batches as needed to prevent stacking or overlapping bacon strips. If folding bacon to fit in basket, don't fold each bacon strip more than once.
- Place air fryer basket in preheated air fryer. Fry bacon 5 minutes, then remove basket and check doneness. Use tongs to reposition bacon strips in basket if needed.
- Return basket to air fryer and fry bacon 5 to 10 minutes more depending on desired doneness (see Notes). Check doneness every 2 to 3 minutes to avoid burning.
- When desired doneness is achieved, remove air fryer basket and transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels, or to wire cooling rack over paper towels.
- Let basket cool slightly, then carefully wipe out grease to prevent smoking. Repeat steps above until all bacon has been cooked as desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Cook times will vary depending on the size, age, make, and model of your air fryer, the elevation of your kitchen, the type of bacon you’re cooking, the cut of the bacon you’re cooking, and the amount of bacon you’re cooking. Use these times and instructions as guidelines – your actual cook times may differ slightly than mine.
- If your air fryer is on the smaller side, cut the bacon strips in half before placing them in the air fryer basket. Be careful not to overfill the basket.
- Nutrition amounts reflect approximate information for 1 strip of The Butcher Shop No Sugar Uncured Applewood Bacon. Nutritional information will vary by brand.
Suggested Cooking Times
- Thick-Cut Bacon: Cook 12 to 15 minutes total for crispier, well-done bacon, and 8 to 12 minutes total for chewier, softer bacon.
- Thin-Cut Bacon: Cook 8 to 10 minutes total for crispier, well-done bacon, and 6 to 8 minutes total for chewier, softer bacon.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1strip of bacon, Calories: 70kcal, Protein: 2g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 180mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Which air fryer do you recommend?
I use and absolutely love my Chefman!