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 because it makes the crispiest bacon. After you try this method for cooking bacon, it may become your new favorite way.
It’s a total game-changer, people. 🙌🏻
Why? It is so much easier and less messy than making it the more traditional way: stove top, microwave or baking in the oven. It is simple, mostly hands off, plus the bacon grease effortlessly falls off into the bottom of the basket. It is the king of easy recipes. You get the best bacon for the least effort.
Note: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. See my full affiliate disclosure policy here.
Note: If you want to make turkey bacon instead, check out my air fryer turkey bacon here.
And you can wash the pair fryer parts in the dish washer if you want to, making clean up even easier.💁🏼♀️ 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
Here is how to cook bacon in the air fryer. Note: 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. And heads up: be sure and pay attention to the type of bacon (i.e., thickness of your bacon) you are using because it can significantly affect cook time. These slices were more of a thick-cut bacon. Thinner slices of bacon will likely need less cooking time.
The cooking process is very simple. First, arrange the bacon slices in the air fryer basket in a single layer. A few folds are okay, but try not to overcrowd the pan.
Next, it’s time to air fry the bacon!
Air fryer bacon cook time and temperature
How long do you air fry bacon? Ten minutes on 400 degrees F 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 air-fried bacon strips on paper towels, where I blot and drain off any excess grease.
Crunchy outside, chewy inside, dark around the edges…just perfect!!!😍👌🏻
Heads up: I did empty out the bacon 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 cup of water to the lower pan
- Alternatively, you can add a slice of bread to the lower pan to soak up the bacon 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 air 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.
How long is leftover bacon good for?
So how long is cooked bacon good in the fridge? 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer.
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
Crispy Air Fryer Bacon Recipe
If this recipe looks good to you, please pin it and share it. Did you try my air fryer bacon? Give this recipe a star rating if you try it. And don’t forget to stay connected on social media!
Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter
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 bacon)
Instructions
-
Divide the bacon strips in half, and place the first half in the air fryer in a single layer.
-
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. 👌🏻
-
Use tongs to place finished cooked bacon on paper towels to drain excess grease.
Recipe Notes
If you are doing more than one batch, be sure and empty the bacon grease from the lower portion of the air fryer basket before cooking the second batch.
I liked using thick-cut bacon for this recipe. If you are using thinner cuts, watch closely because you may need less time.
Becky says
Bacon cooked in the air fryer is definitely a game changer! Thanks for your tips!
Cindy Bosscher says
Those having trouble, may want to check with the book on their particular air fryer! Mine has a bacon preset & it comes out beautifully. Mine says you may want more or less time depending on the thickness of your bacon! I remove the basket , pour the bacon grease out and wipe with a paper towel. Very easy!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am glad it is working well for you Cindy💖
Tanisha says
Yeagh not sure what kind of air fryer you are using but that doesn’t work at all. Thanks to you I burnt almost all our bacon. 10 min it’s burned to a crisp. Tried 7 minutes, still burned. Stop giving people bad advice.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Tanisha. I am sorry that the recipe did not work for you. I’ve made this recipe in 4 different air fryers, 100+ times with success. There are models that run hot, which sounds like what you may be dealing with. Several things you could try: (1) reducing temperature, (2) reducing cook time even more, (3) buying thicker cuts of bacon and (4) preheating ahead of cook time. Good luck!
Megan says
Don’t blame the writer for your bad mistakes. She’s just giving people some different cooking options. You don’t have to be so rude. Just move on to a different recipe and see if that works for you. Geez people. Have some respect!
Violet says
Your comment says more about you than it does the recipe. There are various types of air fryers, various types and thicknesses of bacon and different racks, baskets, airflow, etc. The recipe is simply a guide. It’s up to you to use common sense to think to lower the temp for a longer time, use thicker bacon, check more frequently.
john archer says
bacon came out fine. a have great luck with pankow coated chicken thighs and porkchops
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Glad to hear it, John! And those sound delicious👍🏻
Susan says
The bacon flys all round the air fryer. How come no one else seems to have this problem
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yikes Susan! It may be your model of air fryer. I have made this in 4 different air fryers without that happening.
anita underwood says
Love this idea. Hubbly loves bacon & eggs which I also do in the air fryer. Hubby loves calf liver I know most would say ewwwww. I breaded it like I always do, sprayed the air fryer and top of the liver, turned it half way through and it turned out great. Hubby loved it and wondered if the air fryer could make the gravy also. LOL funny man.
I love your site and all your ideas, great job.
I’ll keep reading.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
LOL, that is awesome.😆 And thank you.💖
Sally Bacon (yes, really! 🥓 says
My air fryer had a smell to it (you’ve seen comments about that!) so yesterday I put it on the porch and baked it over and over again t 400 degrees for 20 minutes/ empty or with vinegar.
So this morning I had some bacon in the freezer from 6 months ago. I popped it in the air fryer with bread on the bottom and added peppercorns instead of ice cream salt!
Bacon is delicious! Lining the bottom with bread to cover the base does work! Peppercorns- nope!
I have some residual hard fat on the bottom, so I am using the trick of cooking tomatoes – that we use with a Dutch oven!
Thank you. The bacon did NOT taste like a new air fryer!
I will use this method in the future outside to keep the bacon smell out of our home!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Thanks Sally! I am glad you enjoyed it.💖
Jesseca says
Wasn’t impressed. I tried this a few times and adjusted the times. Bacon either always came out underdone or burned.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Sorry to hear that. If you want a suggestion: Just check it a bit quicker next time, if you feel like trying again. That’s the great thing about the air fryer…super easy to check and keep an eye on progress.
Allison says
Just as described, perfectly cooked and delicious.
As well as the possibility of the smoke detector going off!
We ate every piece!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Glad you enjoyed it, LOL.💖 Hopefully the parchment or bread trick would help with smoke.
Margaret Carmen says
This truly is the very best way to cook bacon. For those who have an air fryer and have not given this a try, I strongly recommend it. Thanks for sharing this technique!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Glad it turned out delicious for you💖
Aimee says
Works great! I(loosely) roll the bacon and place them on their sides for better air flow. Turned out awesome
Sharon Ventress says
I put oatmeal in the bottom to soak up the grease