Air Fryer Bacon

At a glance

What stands out: Does evenly crisp bacon with little cleanup sound like something you’d love? Air fryer bacon is fast, straightforward, and rich! Your stove will stay clean and so will you.

How long it takes: 14 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: air fryer, tongs
Servings: depends on the size of your air fryer and how much bacon you want

A New Way To Cook Bacon

We have to admit that we were a bit skeptical about making bacon in our air fryer. We love our air fryer for so many reasons but we just wasn’t enthused about using it for bacon. Maybe it’s because we always bake bacon and that’s straightforward.

But we're willing to try anything for our readers, so yes, we air fried bacon. And guess what? Air frying bacon works great! Air fryer bacon turns out evenly crisp, it’s straightforward, and speedy, too. Clean up is a breeze because the grease splatter is minimized. No messy stove, no messy you!

So it turns out that air frying bacon is a win. We don’t know why we ever doubted it. Our air fryer hasn’t let us down once! (Be sure to check out all of our air fryer recipes.)

Straightforward Air Fryer Bacon

So fast! You’ll love how quickly you can make air fryer bacon. You don’t have to preheat the air fryer; the bacon starts cooking immediately and is ready to eat in just minutes. It just makes bacon more available, if you know what we mean. Just the thought of getting out a skillet or sheet pan can deter us from even thinking about bacon.

Reliable for small batches. When you air fry bacon, you’re somewhat limited by how much space you have in your air fryer. Our air fryer accommodates 4 slices of bacon which is reliable if you are cooking for one or two, or if you’re cooking bacon for a salad (like a classic wedge salad!) or another recipe. (we've been seeing lots of larger-sized air fryers and some of the new ranges and toaster ovens are equipped with air fryers now. You would be able to do larger batches in that case.)

A healthier way to cook bacon. Because the bacon is cooked on a grate, the fat that is rendered from the bacon drips down away from the bacon, leaving the leaner tasty parts for your consumption. You’ll notice that there’s little grease left on the bacon compared to frying it in a skillet. Bacon will never be a lighter food, but still, why not make it the most lighter way you can?

Works for any type of bacon. To test this method, we air fried regular bacon, center cut bacon, thick cut bacon, and even turkey bacon. We had a bacon extravaganza! We have to say our house smelled like everyone’s favorite breakfast joint.

Turkey Bacon vs. Pork Bacon

Many people choose turkey over pork because it usually is a healthier option. However, we took a close look at the nutrition information on the packages of both kinds. At first, turkey bacon appeared to have much less fat and calories, until we realized that a serving of turkey bacon is 1 slice and a serving of pork bacon is 2 slices! Keeping that in mind, the turkey bacon was the same, if not a little higher. So our advice to you: CAREFULLY read the labels! It may surprise you.

Don't Have an Air Fryer Yet?

This is one kitchen appliance that we wouldn’t want to do without. We love cooking in our air fryer. It’s fast, straightforward to clean, and everything turns out great.

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How it comes together

Arrange the bacon in the air fryer. Place the bacon strips in a single layer on the grate or rack of your air fryer. They shouldn’t overlap much. If they overlap a little bit, it’s okay because the strips shrink pretty drastically as they cook. You can rearrange them if necessary after they cook and start shrinking.

Air fry for 5 minutes. Put the basket in the air fryer and set it to air fry at 350ºF.

Flip the strips. After five minutes have elapsed, take the basket out and flip the strips over with tongs. This step is optional but the bacon does get more evenly crisp. It’s also a good chance to check the bacon strips to make sure they haven’t moved or gotten twisted. Remember, there’s a lot of air flow in the air fryer and sometimes that strong current of air can fold or twist the bacon strips.

Air fry for 5 minutes more. Continue air frying for another five to six minutes, or until the bacon is just the way you like it. It’s important to keep an eye on it for those last couple minutes. Some folks like crispy bacon and others like it softer so cooking time can vary. It depends a bit on individual air fryers, too, and the type of bacon you’re frying. Ultimately, it will be you who decides how long to cook it.

Serve. Remove the bacon from the air fryer and drain on paper towels, if you wish. There won’t be a lot of surface grease remaining on the bacon.

Helpful Tips

Cook it in a single layer. This is essential. The bacon will stick together if it’s overlapped too much. If it overlaps slightly, that’s okay, since the bacon shrinks as it cooks.

Flip the bacon. We find that it works best to turn the strips over halfway through the cooking time. Small tongs do the job easily. The bacon cooks more evenly and you can rearrange it a bit if necessary.

Wipe out the bottom of the air fryer. If you’re cooking multiple batches, use paper towels to remove the excess grease that collects in the bottom of the air fryer to prevent smoke.

Straightforward cleanup. Bacon does produce a lot of grease but the advantage of making it in an air fryer is that the grease spatters are contained. To clean your air fryer after making bacon, use a few paper towels to wipe out the excess grease before you wash it. Once that excess grease has been removed, it will only take some hot soapy water to clean up your air fryer (unless you put it in your dishwasher!).

Ways to serve it

Breakfast: With an air fryer, you can make a few strips of crispy bacon to go on your breakfast sandwich or alongside your eggs in a basket. Try air fryer bacon crumbled over tasty peanut butter pancakes, with brown sugar pancakes, or alongside from-scratch brioche French toast.

Lunch/Dinner: It’s a snap to make a speedy bacon garnish for hearty soups like Zuppa Toscana soup, butternut squash soup (try our Panera at-home squash soup). Add bacon to salads, like this grilled vegetable salad or classic broccoli saladLighter Broccoli Salad. Add to recipes (such as stuffed butternut squash). Cooked bacon is nice to have on hand to add to salads or to garnish soups (we love it on butternut squash soup – try our Panera at-home squash soup!).

Sandwiches: Air fryer bacon makes it straightforward to prep a speedy BLT for lunch. Add a couple strips to your burgers or grilled chicken sandwich.

Snacks: Crispy bacon makes a tasty little snack too. Have you ever tried it on vanilla ice cream? Yum, that sweet and salty combination!

Make-Ahead Ideas

Cooked bacon is nice to have on hand to add to salads or to garnish soups (we love it on butternut squash soup – try our Panera at-home squash soup!). Bacon is great on sandwiches, too. Add a couple strips to your burgers or chicken sandwich.

Keeping leftovers

Leftover bacon can be stored in the refrigerator for four to five days. It can be frozen for up to a month in a freezer safe container.

• Yield: 2
• Prep: 2 minutes
• Cook: 12 minutes
• Total: 14 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon (see notes)

Method

1. Arrange bacon in a single layer in air fryer basket.
2. For regular or center cut bacon, air fry at 350ºF for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking time (see note). Towards the end of cooking time, check frequently and stop cooking when desired crispiness is achieved.
3. If desired, place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the grease.

Notes

Cooking tip: You can get by without flipping the bacon halfway through cooking time, but we find it crisps more evenly when you flip it. Sometimes the air flow can make the bacon strips fold over (especially thinner bacon), so checking it halfway through is helpful in that regard, too.

Multiple batches: If cooking more than one batch of bacon, pour out grease between each batch to prevent smoking.

Turkey bacon: Cooking time is the same, 10 to 12 minutes.

Thick cut bacon: Cook for 11 to 13 minutes.