Crispy Air Fryer Bacon

Is there anything better than the smell of sizzling bacon in the morning? There is something special about that smoky, salty, cured meat that lets us know a little extra love has gone into making breakfast!

Cooking bacon in the Air Fryer makes it so easy to get delicious crispy bacon in a fraction of the time you would in the oven and without all the grease splatter of the stovetop method. This is by far the BEST way to cook your bacon!

Up until recently, I’ve always thought of bacon as a weekend breakfast or brunch item. I could never see myself spending my busy weekday mornings cleaning up bacon grease splatter.

Since discovering air fryer bacon, it has been a game-changer, and I’m so excited to let you in on this little secret. It’s so fast and easy, and the air fryer keeps any grease splatter contained inside the basket. It’s dishwasher safe, which means there is virtually no mess to clean up so it’s great for even the busiest of weekday mornings!

I promise you’ll never go back to using any other method!

Why You’ll Love Using the Air Fryer for Bacon

• Quick and easy. This non-recipe recipe couldn’t be any easier. Lay your bacon down, cook, eat. That’s it!
• Mess-free. As I mentioned above, there is no grease splatter AND the grease falls directly below the basket, which means there’s less excess grease on the bacon itself.
• Texture. Perfectly cooked bacon every time. It’s fool-proof!
• Simple mornings. Air fryer bacon any day of the week? Yes, please! Now, you can not only cook up some bacon easily for a sit-down breakfast, but you can also use some slices for a lunchbox sandwich or a breakfast sandwich to go. You could even make it in the morning and let it cool by lunch and crumble some on your salad!

How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Bacon

Not all air fryers are created equal. If yours is a bit smaller, you’ll want to cook in batches. You may even need to cut the slices in half if they don’t fit in the tray or basket. I tested a batch without cutting it, letting the bacon slices rest on the basket wall, and it came out fine.

Step 1: Arrange bacon slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Make sure they don’t overlap as you’ll want to allow for enough heat to circulate all around them. This is what ensures evenly cooked crispy bacon.

Step 2: Air fry at 350 degrees for about 8-9 minutes for crispy bacon. 7 minutes should do it if you prefer yours non-crispy. Thick-cut bacon will need a few extra minutes. Cook for 6 minutes, then flip halfway and cook for another 6 minutes.

Step 3: When your bacon strips are cooked, place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any extra grease. This helps to prevent them from getting soggy.

How long does it take to cook bacon in the air fryer?

• Regular Cut Bacon – for softer bacon, air fry at 350˚F for 7 minutes, and crispy bacon cook for 8 to 9 minutes.
• Thick-Cut Bacon – for softer bacon, air fry at 350˚F for 9-10 minutes, and for crispy bacon, cook for 10-12 minutes. May need to flip halfway or readjust the bacon strips.

It’s ok to pause the air fryer and open it up to check out what’s happening. It won’t affect how the bacon turns out and it’s good to keep an eye on it. As I said, not all air fryers are the same.

What temperature to cook air fryer bacon?

350 degrees F is the perfect temperature. Any less than that and you’d be waiting too long for your bacon to cook and any higher and you risk it smoking and possibly burning.

How to prevent the air fryer from smoking?

Smoking in your air fryer can happen when too much grease builds up too quickly when the heat is too high. Bacon fat has a smoke point of 400 degrees, the same way other types of fat and oils have smoke points.

It’s for this reason we don’t cook it at anything higher than 375 degrees. Even still, it’s good practice to clean out the tray of any excess grease in between batches.

You will also need to be mindful of grease splattering up to the element, which can cause smoking.

You can place 1-2 pieces of bread underneath your air fryer’s basket. The bread acts as a sponge and soaks up any excess grease that could cause your air fryer to smoke!

Do I have to preheat the air fryer?

Nope! The cook time includes the time it takes for the air fryer to warm up. A slow build helps to cook the bacon evenly.

Should I add oil to the air fryer?

Not in this case. Bacon produces so much extra grease that any more than that would be redundant!

Can I use turkey bacon?

Absolutely! Air Fryer turkey bacon is leaner than regular pork bacon so you’ll need to spray some cooking oil on it, however, the same cooking directions apply.

Ways to Use Cooked Bacon

• Make Bacon Lettuce and Tomato or club sandwich for lunch, aka a BLT.
• Crumble it on your Caesar salad or cobb salad.
• Have bacon and eggs for breakfast or put that between slices of bread for a breakfast sandwich.
• Coat it in maple syrup and brown sugar before you cook it and make some candied bacon!

Storing Suggestions

To store: If you plan to use it within a couple of hours, it’s fine to keep it at room temperature for a little bit. The salt will act as a preservative. However, for anything longer than that, keep it stored in an airtight container for no more than 2 days.

To reheat: Once having sat for a while, you’ll notice the fat has solidified around it. It will melt once reheated. To do this use the air fryer at 350 again for a few minutes.