Did you know that air fryer bacon is a thing? I will show you exactly how to cook bacon in the air fryer.
And y’all! It is the most perfect, most delicious bacon I have ever had. Seriously!
I am not even that big of a bacon eater, but this is sooooo good. After you try this method for cooking bacon, you may never do it any other way.
It’s a total game-changer, people. 🙌🏻
Why? It is so much easier and less messy than stovetop, microwave or baking in the oven. It is simple, mostly hands off, plus the grease effortlessly falls off into the lower reservoir.
And you can wash the pair fryer parts in the dish washer if you want to.💁🏼♀️ Double check your model for that dishwasher bit.
But my Avalon Bay Air Fryer (Amazon affiliate link) is dish washer approved.✅ I got that one because it has consistently great reviews, plus it wasn’t too pricey. I have been pleased!
But back to cooking bacon in the air fryer!
How to Cook Bacon in the Air Fryer
I was able to do a twelve ounce package from Trader Joe’s in two batches.
It is a twelve ounce package, and it had eleven slices, FYI. Just arrange them in the basket. A few folds are okay, but try not to overcrowd the pan.
And then ten minutes on 400 degrees will do the trick. I did take a peek half way through to see if anything needed to be re-spaced.
Tongs are extremely helpful for this. True to form, bacon shrinks down quite a bit when cooking.
Check it after ten minutes, and see if you want it any more done. I like mine pretty well-done, so I went an extra minute and a half. It was perfect y’all!👌🏻
I use the tongs to place the cooked pieces on paper towels, where I blot and drain off any remaining grease.
Crunchy outside, chewy inside, dark around the edges…just perfect!!!😍👌🏻
Heads up: I did empty out the grease prior to cooking my second batch. Just for the record, I may never make bacon any other way again.
And if you are a big bacon eater, I think cooking bacon alone would justify an air fryer purchase.😎👌🏻 Just sayin’! 🤷🏼♀️😉
By the way, this has inspired me to explore more cooking with my air fryer. So stay tuned for more of those recipes.
Also, if you love your air fryer, leave me a comment with your favorite things to make in it. OR, a wish list of foods you wish you knew how to make in the air fryer.
👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻And if you love air fryer recipes, check out my entire Air Fryer recipe archive here. 👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
How to prevent air fryer from smoking
Update: after a few people have experienced smoke issues with this recipe, I wanted to share a few tips that will help prevent this smoking issue.
- Perhaps the easiest solution is to add a little water to the lower pan
- Alternatively, you can add a piece of bread to the lower pan to soak up the grease
- One reader mentioned he adds rock salt (not regular salt), like you use to make ice cream. The pieces are big enough that they won’t blow around from the air blowing in your air fryer, and they will soak up the grease.
- Use parchment paper to line your fryer basket. There are a few types of parchment paper that are made specifically for the air fryer. (Amazon affiliate) They are made specifically for air frying and have little holes in them to allow for air circulation. Check your specific model for the correct dimensions, as these can vary in size. There are several sizes of parchment paper available.
Recipes with Bacon
Here are some other recipes you may enjoy where I use bacon.
- Chicken BLT salad with avocado
- Classic club sandwich (pictured above)
- Cobb salad
- Irish potato leek soup
- Chicken corn chowder
Here are a few of my favorite breakfast recipes that pair well with bacon as a side.👌🏻
- Egg muffins
- Banana bread
- Breakfast veggie scramble
- Breakfast casserole
- Whole wheat pumpkin spice muffins
- Instant Pot hardboiled eggs
- Blueberry oat muffins
- Strawberry muffins
- Irish corned beef hash
- Double chocolate mocha muffins
- Pumpkin spice bread
- Tomato basil frittata
Air Fryer Bacon Recipe
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Air Fryer Bacon
I will show you exactly how to cook bacon in the air fryer. You may never make it any other way again because it is seriously the best!
Ingredients
- 11 slices bacon (I am using Trader Joe's, and it is a thick cut)
Instructions
-
Divide the bacon in half, and place the first half in the air fryer.
-
Set the temperature at 400 degrees, and set the timer to 10 minutes (possibly less time for thinner bacon).
-
Check it halfway through to see if anything needs to be rearranged (tongs are helpful!).
-
Cook remainder of the time. Check for desired doneness. I like mine extra crispy so I did about 1.5 minutes extra for a total of 11.5 minutes, and mine was perfect. 👌🏻
Recipe Notes
If you are doing more than one batch, be sure and empty the grease from the lower basket before cooking the second batch.
I liked thicker bacon for this recipe. If you are using thinner cuts, watch closely because you may need less time.
John D. says
Do you preheat the air fryer first or stick the bacon in the cold air fryer and then turn it on for your 11.5 minutes?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi John! It works just fine for me not to preheat. Hopefully that works well for you too. I realize that some models vary, but it has worked well for me this way with 4 different air fryers. Hope you enjoy!
Melanie Herendeen says
Tried the bacon and it was fantastic! My husband always liked the oven method but this was so much quicker and easier. We have only had our AirFryer for 4 days but loving it so far. I still have to use my oven because I cananot figure out meals with a meat and potato mixture, so I use the AirFryer for the meat and make the potatoes in the oven. Has anyone mastered multi dishes yet?
Sandra Madden says
Please add a “jump to recipe” button.
Dorothy L. Smith says
Has anyone ever tried fixing a pork loin in the air fryer?
Paula K says
I have made bacon now twice since getting my
Counter oven/air fryer. I keep checking recipes. All will say the bread/water suggestion. However, the first one has me cook it at 375° or 400° for 9 min or when it my liking.
The second said never use the high temp because
Bacon grease has a flash point of 374°. It said to do
it at 350°-360° longer.
I found the bacon greaser with lower temp. However, now I am afraid to go higher. The lower temp cooked more evenly.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Paula! I’d say…Stick with what is working for ya.😉👌🏻 I haven’t had any issues, but good to know.
Beth Coleman O'Keefe says
I use extra thick bacon, meaty cuts – but still (because of the thickness) there is a lot of drippings. I am not concerned as much about smoke (emptying the tray after each batch) as I am about there being too much for the tray to hold. Is there likely to be an overflow?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Beth! I have not had any issues over here. Of course, keep an eye on it. And I know all air fryer designs can vary. Emptying between batches should do the trick.👌🏻
Olivia says
Hi, my family sticks a slice of bread in the bottom to soak up the excess grease. We don’t eat the bread, so it is a little wasteful, but it might fix your problem. You might want to do a bit more research because there could be some other steps that I might not know about.
Lija says
Have used the oven for decades, but looks like I’ve found a new way to make bacon.
Will definitely be looking around your site some more. Thanks!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Lija!🙌🏻
Carole says
I would not use rock salt with food as it is poisonous!
Keith Howell says
No it is not poisonous it is just salt, perhaps you are confusing rock salt for ICE melt
Jessica F says
My bacon came out perfect! Just like you I like mine crispy so 400 degrees for 11-12 minutes was all I needed for crispy bacon! The big plus was not getting shot at with hot grease on the stove!!! Plus cleanup was a breeze! Thank you for sharing this!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay! Happy to hear that, Jessica.💖👌🏻
Dave Marion says
Thanks so Much :}}… from, Learning New Stuff… This Handsome 60 year old Dad :}}
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
You are sol welcome, Dave🙌🏻
Kimber says
I just got one for Christmas and still learning on it! So do you put it on Max fry or air fry for the 400 for 10 minutes?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Kimber! Just put it on 400 F, and keep an eye on it. For some reason, some air fryers run hotter than others. Enjoy!
Dee Cearley says
Thanks for this…love my air fryer and bacon so am going to try this. Thanks!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Enjoy!💖🙌🏻
Stephanie says
Can’t wait to cook bacon this way. I used my air fryer to make home-styled potatoes and they turned out great!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I hope you enjoy it Stephanie!
phyllis malone says
I fried me some bacon in my air fryer for like 9 or 10 minutes the rinsed out pan and put 2 egg in a ramekin and fried them for 4-5 minutes. Could of cooked a little longer but they were sunny side up. Just right. Will cook using my air fryer more often when I get my recipe book.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay, Phyllis! I have not tried eggs that way. I bet they were good👌🏻
LInda McLaren says
Best pork chops I’ve ever had came from an early experiment with my ninja grill/air fryer. Very thick, boneless chops rubbed with Jamaican seasoning. Start with 5 minutes on each side. And can be done frozen. So juicy!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Linda! I will have to try that.
Melanie Torres says
Calorie content shows 91 calories per serving but doesn’t say what a serving consists of. Thoughts? Thanks
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Melanie! It is for one slice and will depend on which type of bacon you use. 👌🏻
Martha says
I’m looking forward to trying this.
Hack : freeze bacon grease in ice cube trays and store in a mason jar in the freezer to use as extra flavor when sautéing. Full cube=approx. 2 tbsp.
My favorite things so far are butternut squash, sweet potatoes and acorn squash. Or any vegetable that you would roast in the oven.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
That is a great no waste tip, Martha!
Lija says
Thank you, thank you for the idea to freeze bacon grease in cubes! You just made my life easier!
Jane says
Can Air Fryer be used to re-heat food, such as wings or other meats
Corie says
Yes! I just used mine to reheat Olive Garden breadsticks. They were perfect! I have been told that you can use it to reheat almost anything-leftovers, pizza, etc.
Don says
There is actually a setting on most air fryers to – reheat!
Keith Howell says
Yes re-heating is the main thing I use mine for
Anna martinez says
I just received an air fryer for Christmas never used one . Do I airfry, bake , roast or broil the bacon 🙄
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
LOL Anna…so many settings!🤪 Air fry would be the setting I would choose.👌🏻 Enjoy!💖
Mari says
2nd batch cooked way faster than first. Like 2 minutes faster.
Amanda says
It’s because your air fryer was already hot from the first batch. You could always lower the temp to 380-390 and just keep an eye on it every few minutes.
Cuivre says
This works great. I will re-arrange the bacon half way through for it to be more consistent. Thanks for the tip about adding water to the pan to lower the smoking.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad yu enjoyed it, Cuivre!
Marg says
OMG, using this recipe yielded the best bacon ever! I will only be cooking bacon this way from now on. Thank you so much from Indiana.😊
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am glad yu enjoyed it, Marg!🙌🏻
Ian Pritchett says
Thanks for the help, but 10.minutes – in a Ninja air fryer definitely too long. 8 minutes more like it, 9 if you like it crispy ( i like it half chewy half crispy)
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Ian! Different air fryer models can vary slightly, as well as different thickness in the bacon cut. Good thing about an air fryer is that it is super easy to take a peek and adjust as needed.👌🏻
Katrin says
Delicious we just made it and will use for toppings for salads and baked potatoes
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay!
Michelle Myers says
So helpful!
Travis says
I’m gonna try this tonight for BLTs.
My favorite thing to make in the air fryer is butternut or acorn squash. Heavenly. Bonus: the dogs LOVE the squash rinds!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I hope you enjoy it, Travis!🙌🏻 Now I need to try butternut squash…that sounds amazing.👌🏻
thushantha silva says
….same way for back bacon ?