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
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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 bacon)
Instructions
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Divide the bacon strips in half, and place the first half in the air fryer in a single layer.
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Set the temperature at 400 degrees, and set the timer to 10 minutes (possibly less time for thinner bacon).
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Check it halfway through to see if anything needs to be rearranged (tongs are helpful!).
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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. 👌🏻
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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.
Linda Barkey says
I only do sausage links in my air fryer now. Perfectly browned and cooked through in minutes. No constant attention and turning. Also a good reason to buy an air Fryer!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Good to know, Linda! I am glad you enjoyed the bacon recipe too.
Chuck says
This probably the best cooking method ever
Nikki says
Amazing!!! So easy and virtually no mess!!! Best bacon ever!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
So glad to hear it Nikki!!
Jack says
Nailed it, Govenor!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Glad you enjoyed it, Jack!
Elenna says
What is the cleanup like when cooking bacon? is there grease on the roof of your fryer?
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Hi Elenna! I have not noticed grease being an issue. And I have made this many times. Hope that helps!
Nicholas Hood says
I put the bacon between two pieces of parchment paper. put the basket on top to keep the paper from flying off.
Debra humphrey sixty sweet & Savory says
I have a Power Air-Fryer pro Oven with shelves not a basket, and i’ve done bacon before, no issues with smoking whatsoever! My favorite thing to cook in the Air-Fryer is Fried chicken, marinated in Buttermilk then breaded with Chicken Crack. it comes out delicately crispy, extremely juicy and Fall off the bone tender!!! I use it almost everyday because its so versatile!!! Wait…change that…my favorite thing to cook in my Air-Fryer oven is rotiserrie chicken!!! it’s absolutely AMAZING!!! Getting ready to do a bacon wrapped pork loin roast in My Air-Fryer using the rotiserrie again (i adore this feature on my type of Air-Fryer, the Power Air-Fryer pro oven) i expect it to tuen out fabulous as I did a pork butt roast bacon wrapped (the bacon keeps the outside of the roast from drying out, getting to done on the outselide before its done on the inside) I season the roast, wrap it in Applewood smoked bacon using broken toothpicks to hold it in PLACE, as it shrinks it lets some of the roast brown up yet stay tender and moist!!! I LOVE my power Air-Fryer pro oven, and my power quick pot!!! (Basically an Instant Pot that does yogurt, bone broth, salmon, chicken, so many things!!! I haven’t even had a chamce to try all the features it has yet!!! Thank you for bacon times…
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
All of that sounds amazing! You are making me want to try the Power Air fryer!
Kim Honeycutt says
How do you reheat pizza?
Janice Vincent says
I have tried several things in my air fryer (Gowise). Pur favorite thing is pork tenderloin with & without being marinated. Thanks for the bacon recipe & how to stop my air fryer from smoking.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am glad you enjoyed it! I have not tried pork tenderloin yet, but now I want to!
Christie says
Our air fryer is flat so I was able to put a cooling rack over the bacon to keep it from curling up. It was delicious. I also have air fried a turkey breast, just rub a little oil on it then the seasoning, and at 400 is done in hour. yummy.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay! Oh that turkey breast sounds delicious! Can I ask what type of air fryer you have that would fit a turkey breast?
Jody says
My husband most favorite food is bacon. I have a great air fryer. When I cook bacon in it, it smokes heavily, sets off alarm, and must open all windows and doors. Have tried water and bread. I’ve ordered parchment paper and will hope it works!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yikes! You could also try reducing the cooking temp a little. I hope that parchment paper helps too.
Sarah says
Howdy! You could also try lining the air fryer with tinfoil before you set your bacon in it. I did this and it turned out great. I pulled the bacon out before it was done, tossed the greasy tinfoil, and finished cooking the bacon in the enoty air fryer. It didn’t smoke up!