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Home » Food » Recipes » Air Fryer Recipes » Air Fryer Bacon (Best. Bacon. Ever!)

Air Fryer Bacon (Best. Bacon. Ever!)

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Did you know that air fryer bacon is a thing? I will show you exactly how to cook bacon in the air fryer.

Air fryer bacon with hand grabbing a piece

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.

Package of Trader Joe's bacon next to air fryer basket

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.

Raw bacon arranged in the air fryer

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.

Cooked bacon in the air fryer basket

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.

Air fryer bacon on paper towels

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.

Club sandwich closeup with turkey, ham, bacon, colby jack cheese, lettuce tomato and 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

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Air fryer bacon with hand grabbing a piece
4.71 from 109 votes
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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!

Course Basics, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer bacon, how to cook bacon in the air fryer
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 11 minutes
Servings 11 slices
Calories 91 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • 11 slices bacon (I am using Trader Joe's, and it is a thick-cut bacon)

Instructions

  1. Divide the bacon strips in half, and place the first half in the air fryer in a single layer.

  2. Set the temperature at 400 degrees, and set the timer to 10 minutes (possibly less time for thinner bacon).

  3. Check it halfway through to see if anything needs to be rearranged (tongs are helpful!).

  4. 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. 👌🏻 

  5. 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.

Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Bacon
Amount Per Serving
Calories 91 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 14mg5%
Sodium 145mg6%
Potassium 43mg1%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 10IU0%
Calcium 1mg0%
Iron 0.1mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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  2. Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
  3. Simple Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle Bowen says

    December 27, 2022 at 2:42 pm

    5 stars
    Just got my air fryer for Christmas. Your bacon was the first thing I made!! ❤️

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      December 28, 2022 at 11:44 am

      Yay Michelle! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Be sure and check out all my other air fryer recipes: https://www.apinchofhealthy.com/category/food/recipes/air-fryer/ . Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Terri-Anne says

        January 26, 2023 at 7:53 am

        5 stars
        Making the bacon again today. We love it. I got a 6.8qt new air fryer at Christmas. The other one we had you put fries in and there was a thing inside that twirled around. Not ideal for all the great recipes available lol the best toasted bagel I’ve ever had is in the air fryer. I cut it then butter each side and put it on 400f for about 3 mins. So golden brown!! We are trying a full chicken tonight. We use the air fryer at least once a day. The oven has only been on for a pie and homemade muffins.

        Reply
        • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

          January 31, 2023 at 4:31 pm

          Yay! And yum, all that sounds so good❤️

          Reply
  2. Teemun Store says

    December 24, 2022 at 2:24 pm

    5 stars
    Bacon i love it since child!

    Reply
  3. Deb says

    December 23, 2022 at 8:58 am

    3 stars
    Not bad if you’re cooking for yourself. I think it takes too long. We like bacon crisp also, but 4 minutes (flipped halfway through) and it’s crispy with no grease. I use a microwaveable bacon tray, paper towel above & below the bacon with virtually no cleanup.

    Reply
  4. Pauline says

    December 17, 2022 at 7:08 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you! I will never cook bacon any other way! Easy, Crispy with out the greasy mess.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      December 19, 2022 at 6:16 am

      Yay!

      Reply
  5. Ole says

    November 27, 2022 at 5:26 pm

    It is the best way to make Bacon 🙂

    About the dishwasher part, you might wanna edit what i assume is a typo? 😉 “pair fryer”

    Reply
  6. Elaine says

    November 18, 2022 at 5:54 pm

    5 stars
    I cooked my thick sliced bacon at 425, for 15 minutes, it turned out perfectly, no more messy frying pans for me.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      November 22, 2022 at 11:05 am

      Yay Elaine!❤️

      Reply
  7. Nita says

    October 16, 2022 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely love making bacon this way! Then open a can of refrigerator biscuits, fry eggs and have a delicious breakfast!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      October 17, 2022 at 8:45 am

      So happy to hear that, Nita!❤️

      Reply
  8. Gwendolyn BLACKMAN says

    August 15, 2022 at 2:05 pm

    5 stars
    Wouldn’t cook it any other way, Love it.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      August 23, 2022 at 10:24 am

      Yay!❤️🙌🏻

      Reply
  9. Rose Wright says

    June 11, 2022 at 10:11 am

    5 stars
    I haven’t tried the bacon yet, but it sounds great. I have air fried perogies, potatos, brautworst sausages, and of course chicken wings. Love my air fryer and am glad people post recipies to use it for.

    Reply
  10. Gena says

    May 19, 2022 at 4:40 am

    5 stars
    I’m new to air frying and wouldn’t be without it now. I cook my bacon exactly as you do and we all love it! Frozen chips are amazing as are jacket potatoes. Chicken and pork are something else I cook in my air fryer. I’ve bought myself a meat thermometer as it’s a totally different way of cooking so I don’t want to unintentionally poison my family with undercooked meat!! I’ve recommended an air fryer to everyone, totally love it!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      May 19, 2022 at 9:53 am

      I am glad you are loving it Gena! You are right about air frying being a totally different method than baking, etc.

      Reply
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I am a home cook, recipe developer, coffee drinker and mom of two. My recipes are simple and tasty. I enjoy lots of fresh, healthy food, plus full treats without guilt. Thanks so much for stopping by! Read more here.

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Air Fryer Bacon
Air fryer bacon
Air Fryer Bacon