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Ready in just 10 minutes or less, Air Fryer Bacon is crispy, delicious, and perfect every time! There’s virtually zero clean-up, no greasy splatters and as a bonus, you can cook the bacon to your liking.
I am not going to add any fluffy words or tell a long story here. I have only one thing to say, and that is…bacon cooked in the air fryer is over the top good, like I’ve got to have another piece good!
I’ve been in love with my air fryer for a while, and have no idea why I’ve never cooked bacon in it until now. I’ve had great success with Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes, and Air Fryer Hot Dogs, so you’d think I would have thought to cook bacon this way sooner.
For years, my go-to method for cooking bacon has been making it in the oven. Now, that’s still a great way to cook it BUT, if you have an air fryer, you’ve got to use it for the best, crispiest, perfectly cooked bacon.
What You Need To Make Air Fryer Bacon
This one ingredient “recipe” is really all about timing and the process. There are two import items that do you need to pay attention to:
Buy good bacon. I look for lean bacon that has just the right about of fat to meat ratio.
There are several brands of air fryers on the market. I use this one, which is a basket-style air fryer. I’ve been using it for more than a year and absolutely love it. It’s easy to set the temperature and time, plus clean-up is almost non-existent since the basket goes into the dishwasher.
What Type Of Bacon Can Be Used?
You can use any type of bacon that you like. Cooking times will vary, though.
- Regular sliced bacon – 8 to 10 minutes.
- Thick cut bacon – 10 to 13 minutes.
- Turkey bacon – I have not tested turkey bacon in the air fryer. If you prefer it to regular bacon, I would use the regular sliced bacon time and temperature to start with.
At What Temperature Do You Air Fry Bacon?
The best temperature I’ve found for air frying bacon is 360 degrees. This temp will crisp the bacon and cook it beautifully without cause excess smoke.
PRO TIP: add about a ¼ cup of water to the bottom of the air fryer to minimize smoking.
After frying the bacon, carefully remove it from the air fryer and let it drain on paper towels.
Tips For Cooking Bacon In An Air Fryer
- Make sure your air fryer is well vented. Never put it up against a backsplash or wall.
- Check the bacon at about the midway point. That way, if it curled up, you can reposition it for the remainder of the cook time.
- Adjust the cooking time to how you like your bacon, whether it’s soft or super crispy.
- Place the bacon in a single layer. If you have a problem fitting it in, just cut the pieces in half.
- Clean your air fryer after using. Once the air fryer has cooled, I like to run a soft, damp towel over the inside and coils to remove any grease.
More Air Fryer Recipes To Make!
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon
Instructions
- Place bacon strips into the basket of the air fryer in a single layer and slide into the air fryer.
- Set heat to 360 degrees and timer for 8 minutes. Cook bacon, checking at the halfway mark. Rearrange bacon slices if they've moved during cooking. For crispier bacon, add additional cook time.
- When bacon is done, remove the pieces to drain and cool on paper towels. Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Want To Know More About Air Frying?
If you are new to cooking with an Air Fryer or just don’t know where to start, I’ve got something to help. I’ve put together a helpful guide with tips and recipes to get you using the Air Fryer like a pro!
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Been air frying my bacon since I first got my air fryer over 2 years ago and I love it. I also do baked potatoes, roasted corn on the cob, hamburger patties, steak, rotisserie chicken cookies, cakes and just about anything else I can get into my air fryer. I have an air fryer oven now, but my first one was a small one with a basket and I almost immediately got the air fryer oven so I could do even more in it. Ah, well I have run off at the mouth long enough, but just wanted to let you know how much I love and look forward to your newsletter and your wonderful recipes.
Thank you for all your hard work.
Claudine in Fort Worth, TX
Hey there Claudine!
Wow! Thank you so much for your incredible rating and your sweet words, I always love hearing from my SouthernSoul family! I am so happy to hear you liked this recipe, and I completely agree with you that the Air Fryer is great for cooking just about anything. I’ve never used the Air Fryer Oven before but I can imagine how nice that extra space would be. If you liked this recipe, you should check out the Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe on my site, it’s one of my favorites. Thank you so much for your support, I hope you have a great labor day weekend!
~Donya