Bacon in the Air Fryer
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Air Fryer Bacon is crispy and delicious, and ready in less than 10 minutes. It leaves your home free of smoke and grease splatters!
Learn how to air fry bacon, and you’ll never want to make it another way again. It cooks quickly and it arguably the best bacon you’ll ever have.
There’s nothing that annoys me more than grease splattering all over my perfectly clean stovetop. Honestly, I hate it so much that I was often deterred from making bacon for this reason alone. But once I learned how to air fry bacon, everything changed!
Cooking bacon in the air fryer not only keeps my stovetop spotless, it gets the bacon perfectly crispy every time. It’s also super quick, taking less than 10 minutes! I love popping a couple of strips of bacon in the air fryer while I get my coffee started or prepare other parts of breakfast.
Why You’ll Love Cooking Bacon in Air Fryer
- Less Mess: No more grease splattering everywhere all over the stovetop is a huge win in my book. And most air fryer parts are dishwasher safe, making clean up that much easier.
- No Smoke: Your kitchen will still smell of warm, delicious bacon but will be virtually smoke-free.
- Extra Crispy: The perfect crisp is what makes bacon so good. The air fryer makes that simple.
- Hands Free & Quick: No more standing over a frying pan! Set your air fryer for just 10 minutes for the best bacon ever.
How to make Air Fryer Bacon
Step 1: Prep the air fryer. Line the outer basket of the air fryer with aluminum foil to catch the grease drippings. Preheat to 390F.
Step 2: Add bacon. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer. Bacon shrinks a lot while it’s cooking so any overlapping corners should naturally move around.
Step 3: Air fry the bacon. Cook the bacon for 8-9 minutes (depending on the thickness of your bacon). Flip the bacon halfway through.
Step 4: Serve. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate to cool. You can also blot off any extra bacon grease. Enjoy!
Tips
- I always purchase thick cut bacon because I like that crunchy outside, chewy inside situation. You can work with whichever bacon you like most, but be sure to reduce the cook time by a few minutes if you’re using thin sliced bacon.
- You can slice the bacon strips in half to help them better fit in the air fryer basket. Or, cook in batches. If you’re cooking more than two batches of bacon, make sure you empty the grease drippings in between batches.
- I like my bacon pretty well-done, so check on yours towards the end to adjust the time if you need to.
- You can also place a piece of bread at the bottom to soak up the grease.
Air Fryer Bacon FAQS
About 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bacon and how many strips you are cooking at once.
The nutrition facts of air fried bacon won’t change whether you are air frying, baking, or cooking on the stove top.
Yes! Aluminum foil can be used in the air fryer. Sometimes I like to line the outer basket in foil to catch the drippings.
I recommend anywhere from 380 to 390 degrees F. This temperature might differ depending on the size and power of your air fryer, which means you may have to test a few batches of bacon to get the perfect cook. Not a bad problem to have!
Why You Should Buy an Air Fryer
Air Fryers Use Minimal Oil
This is a big reason why I love my air fryer so much. I love fried food and the texture of crispy, crunchy things but they aren’t the healthiest option.
Air fryers are able to crisp food by circulating hot air around it at high speed. Similar to a convection oven.
Air Fryers Are a Simple, Less Messy Way to Cook
Rather than frying food the traditional way, in a large pot of oil, the air fryer crisps food using circulating air so there is very little clean up necessary. Most air fryer accessories are dishwasher safe, too!
Air Fryers Save Time in the Kitchen
When I make bacon in the oven I’ve got It cooking for about 15-20 minutes. In the air fryer it’s finished in less than 10 minutes!
They are a highly efficient way of cooking because they can heat food from room temperature to over 300 degrees in less than three minutes. This seriously cuts down cooking time. Air fryers take just a few minutes to heat all the way to 400 F.
Which Air Fryer Should I Buy?
I started with this one because it was an inexpensive air fryer from Amazon and I wasn’t sure how I would like the appliance or if I’d use it often.
It was a great buy and I used it for about 3 years before upgrading to this air fryer, (also from Amazon) which has quickly become my favorite. It doubles as an indoor grill and is literally the best appliance I own!
Here are a few more reputable brands to check out:
Want more information? Check out my full What Is The Best Air Fryer to Buy blog post.
Cooking With Air Fryer Tips
- Don’t forget the accessories. There are so many things you can do with an air fryer (including bake), but you’ll need the proper accessories to utilize everything it has to offer. They aren’t even that expensive, this 9 piece set is only $25!
- That set is compatible with several brands, but make sure you double check that it’s compatible with your air fryer.
- Remember to preheat the air fryer. This step is important! Think about it, would you place your food directly into a cold oven? Nope! I mean, some people might, but you shouldn’t.
- Some air fryers have a preheat setting built into them, if yours doesn’t, just set the timer for 5 minutes to allow it to heat up.
- Air fryers need room to vent. Make sure there is about 5 inches all around your air fryer and never use it on the stove top! Things could get very dangerous if you don’t give It room to breathe.
- Check your food as it cooks. Each stove, air fryer, and oven is different. Just because a recipe says to cook something for 15 minutes does not mean to just forget about it until the timer goes off. Air fryers are designed to be opened so you can shake the basket around and adjust your food as necessary while cooking.
More Air Fryer Recipes to Try
Now that you’re an air frying expert, be sure to try these recipes as well!
More Favorites to Try
Want to try this Air Fryer Bacon Recipe?
PIN IT to your air fryer recipes or bacon recipes board to save it for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes. I’m always pinning!
Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!
Bacon Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package of thick cut bacon
Instructions
- Line the outer basket with aluminum foil and pre-heat the air fryer to 390° F. You can also add 1-2 slices of bread to the bottom basket to soak up the grease.
- Cut the bacon slices in half (or don't, this is optional) and arrange them in the basket in a flat layer. Cook the bacon 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes depending on how you like your bacon. If you like it extra crispy, cook it for 4-5 minutes after flipping (total time 8-10 mins). When finished, remove the bacon strips from the air fryer and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.1 package of thick cut bacon
Video
Notes
- This is my favorite air fryer, it holds almost an entire package of bacon!
- If you don’t have a good pair of tongs to use with an air fryer, check these out – they won’t scratch the coating off your air fryer basket.
- If you are doing more than one batch, be sure and empty the grease from the lower basket before cooking the second batch.
- I prefer thick cut bacon, but you can use thin sliced bacon too. If you are using thinner cuts, watch closely because you may need less time.
Nutrition
