Air Fryer Bacon is one of the easiest air fryer recipes to make. And, you get delicious bacon with minimal cleanup. This means makin' bacon just got a whole lot easier!
I have cooked bacon many different ways in the past, from stove top, to oven baking, and air frying. As of late, my favorite cooking method has been air fried bacon. It takes less time to cook and is the best bacon, and I can cook just a few strips for myself in a matter of minutes.
Quick Summary
- Crispy thick-cut bacon in about 11 minutes, at 160 calories per serving.
- Cook times for thick-cut, regular, and turkey bacon.
- How I keep my bacon from blowing around in the air fryer.
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Key Ingredients
Thick-cut Bacon: The instructions for this recipe are written for thick-cut bacon.
How to Make Air Fryer Bacon
Lay the bacon strips in a single layer on the air fryer tray.
Set the tray on the bottom rack, with a second tray just above it.
Cook for 10 minutes, then pull the tray out and flip the bacon with tongs.
Return the tray to the air fryer and cook until golden brown, then move the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to soak up the extra grease.
Air Fryer Bacon Cook Time
Below is a guide for each type of cut cooked at 400℉ on the bottom rack. Depending on the type of bacon you are air frying, cooking times will vary.
- Thick cut bacon: 10 minutes, flip and cook 1 minutes longer.
- Regular cut bacon (considered thin bacon): cook 5 minutes, flip and cook 1 minute longer.
- Turkey bacon: cook 5 minutes, flip and cook 1 minute longer.
- For softer less crispy bacon, cook 2 minutes less.
Note: The above times are guides for how long to cook. You may need more or less air frying time depending on how crispy you like your bacon.
Tips
- Line the bottom of the tray of the air fryer (or air fryer basket) with foil to catch the bacon grease. For a basket air fryer, use a basket liner and cut the slices to fit. The cook times are the same as tray air fryer.
- When using a tray air fryer (my personal preference), place another air fryer tray on the next level above the rack with bacon. This will help keep the bacon in place as it cooks and the circulating air will not blow the bacon around.
- To make bacon bits, just air fry the bacon until crispy, then chop it once it's cooked.
Storage
Refrigerate: Store leftover bacon in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
Freeze: Store cooked bacon in an airtight ziploc baggie up to 3 months.
Reheat: Place cooked bacon in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 1-2 minutes.
Serve With
Serve bacon with a side of crockpot scrambled eggs and toast. It also goes great with pancakes for two, on this Grilled Bacon Cheese Sandwich and even in sweet desserts like these Maple Bacon Breakfast Rolls!
You May Be Wondering
It will depend on the air fryer you own. Check your user manual to see what preheat recommendations are. I own a Pampered Chef air fryer and it does not require preheating.
I get the best results at 400℉.
Transfer the grease from the air fryer tray or basket to a glass jar (if storing for later use) or dispose of the grease (once cooled) into the trash. To clean the air fryer, remove the trays and wash in hot soapy water. Then wipe the inside of the cooled air fryer with a soapy sponge, and wipe dry with a wet cloth.
Be sure to set the air fryer as close to the stove vent and run the vent while cooking the bacon. The vent should help draw any smoke from the air fryer out of the room. If making more than one batch of bacon, empty the bacon grease from the basket or tray between each batch.
I never cook bacon from frozen. When bacon is frozen, the slices are frozen together and you can't get a good even cook on the bacon that way.
Yes! The cook times are the same as my tray air fryer.
Related Recipes
- Cheesy Bacon Home Fries
- Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Strudels
- Bacon Egg Salad Sandwich Filling
- Air Fryer Sausage Links
- If you love air fryer recipes, check out these 57 Easy Air Fryer Recipes - Appetizers to Dessert
When you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Bacon
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon
Instructions
- Place bacon strips in the air fryer tray in a single layer.
- Place tray of bacon on the bottom rack of the air fryer. Cook in air fryer at 400℉ for 10 minutes.
- Pull out tray and using tongs, turn bacon pieces over.
- Return bacon to the air fryer and continue cooking for 1 minute, until bacon is golden brown.
- Remove strips of bacon from the air fryer and place on paper towel lined plate to allow extra grease to absorb.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Fantastic idea! The last thing we want to be doing is massive cleanup after frying bacon stovetop or heating up the oven on a summer day. Can't wait to try this. We have a Cosori toaster oven style so might line the baking sheet and place that underneath to capture the grease to minimize the cleanup. Take Care