My air fryer bacon recipe has been tested more than 50 times by my family now because my kids keep wanting it for breakfast! If my 5 year old wants it every morning, it’s a recipe worth keeping!
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My Family Loved Air Fryer Bacon Recipe
One morning I was making breakfast for the kids and my son requested bacon. I looked at my air fryer that was already cooking hash brown patties and wondered, can you air fry bacon?
So I pulled a few bacon strips out of the fridge and put them in our air fryer. I didn’t want to dirty any more pans, so why not try? Well, it was absolutely delicious and we were converted!
And when I tell you I’ve tested and ate this recipe more than 50 times now, I am not exaggerating. It’s probably a lot more by the time you’re reading this.
It’s caused my son to be bacon obsessed and now we always have a package of it in the fridge. But it’s all good because it’s quick to make and easy to add to our breakfast!
It also doesn’t hurt that I love the recipe too and it’s the crispiest bacon I’ve ever had.
And, if you love bacon in the air fryer, try my frozen bacon, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, bacon wrapped asparagus, brussels sprouts with bacon, bacon wrapped hot dogs, and bacon wrapped shrimp recipes.
Why Should I Cook Bacon in the Air Fryer
- It gets super crispy
- It’s done air frying in less time than it takes my oven to preheat
- I can cook it with other air fryer breakfast recipes at the same time
- It cooks evenly every time
- It helps drain off bacon grease unlike a frying pan
- No splatter on the stove
How to Cook Bacon in An Air Fryer
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F.
STEP TWO: Place the bacon in an even layer inside the air fryer basket or tray. If your bacon is too long, cut them in half so they fit easily.
STEP THREE: Cook at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until it reaches your desired crispiness. Remove and enjoy immediately!
Air Fry Bacon Tips
- Use these long tongs to remove any bacon from your air fryer. It’s saved me from burning myself plenty of times.
- Use thick, uncured bacon. It’s the most flavorful!
- Only cook in a single layer or your food will not cook evenly. Cook in batches if needed or cook the bacon in an oven if you need a huge amount made.
- Flip the bacon halfway through to get it nice and crispy. It’s not mandatory, but I’ve found it gets that second side just a little crispier.
- Season it with pepper, maple syrup, or brown sugar for some added flavor!
- Place the cooked bacon on a paper towel after air frying to drain any remaining bacon grease.
- Store leftover bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheat in a preheated air fryer at 330 degrees for about 2 minutes.
WAys to Use Cooked Bacon
I love to cook a few extra strips of bacon each time we make it and use it for my lunches such as in my chicken bacon wrap, BLT pasta salad, turkey sandwich, and broccoli salad.
I also air fry my bacon when making recipes like my greens beans and bacon, potato skins, green bean casserole, twiced baked mashed potatoes, and bacon mac and cheese.
Air Fryer Bacon FAQs
Can You Put Raw Bacon in an Air Fryer?
Yes, I just pull the raw bacon out of the fridge and put it right in the air fryer! I find fresh raw bacon tastes the best when air fried. I’ve also pulled bacon straight from the freezer and air fried it in a pinch.
How to Keep Your Air Fryer From Smoking When Cooking Bacon
If using an air fryer basket, place a piece of bread or a little water underneath the air fryer basket to catch any grease.
If using an air fryer oven, place a drip tray lined with aluminum foil.
Do I Need to Preheat My Air Fryer?
Yes, every air fryer preheats differently, so I find I get the most codnsistently cooked food when I preheat my air fryers before putting food in it. It also helps get the bacon nice and crispy too!
How Long To Cook Bacon in The Air Fryer?
- Regular bacon: For crispy bacon, cook at 350 degrees F for 8-9 minutes. For non-crispy, cook for 7 minutes.
- Thick cut bacon: For the crispiest version, cook at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. For non-crispy, cook for 9-10 minutes.
How do you keep bacon from splattering in an air fryer?
I find cooking bacon in the air fryer higher than 350 degrees F causes it to splatter, so keep the temperature low. If I do notice any splatter, I will stick a piece of bread under my air fryer basket or use a drip tray lined with aluminum foil in an air fryer oven.
More Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes
- Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Pancakes
- Scrambled Eggs in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Soft Boiled Eggs
- Air Fryer Hash Browns
- Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls
Crispy Air Fryer Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 ounces of bacon approximately 8 bacon slices
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Place bacon in the air fryer evenly in one layer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until your desired crispiness.* Cut the bacon in half if too long.
Video
Notes
- Air fryer basket: Place 1-2 pieces of bread or a little water underneath the basket.
- Air fryer oven: Use a drip tray or a piece of aluminum foil under the crisper tray.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Love how complete your directions are, especially as someone who has never used an air fryer. That bacon looks delicious!
I have an air fryer that has 3 racks. How would I cook bacon in that?
Hi Sharon, you can cook the bacon on each of the racks in single layers. I always recommend leaving enough room for air to circulate between the layers.
Wonderful article thank you
I just got a new stove that has an air fryer setting in the oven. I have never used an air fryer – do I use it just like a counter top air fryer?
Hi Linda, yes it will work just the same, but the recipes may need a few minutes longer to cook and get as crispy as a smaller air fryer. This is just due to the extra space.
I found another thought on another site stating: “The smoke point of bacon fat is 400˚F. Air frying at 350˚F avoids smokiness while cooking bacon.”
I’ve been saving bread heels in the freezer to use under the fryer basket, as you suggest, but I’d like to reserve the rendered bacon grease, for other uses and the bread would negate that.
Any thoughts?
Smoke point and dripping grease are separate things. All bacon will have grease drip off no matter what temperature you cook it since it’s a fatty food. If you’re looking to save the bacon grease for the future, I recommend using the water method by putting about a tablespoon or two of water in the bottom. It will work the same, but make it easier to use.
Can I use the crisper rack in addition to the bottom rack to cook more back at one time?
Hi Jim! Yes, you can use both racks, but I recommend swapping the bacon or racks halfway through to enjoy even cooking. The top rack will cook faster since it’s closer to the heating element if yours is on top.
And any ideas about the grease soaked bread😵💫😵💫? I mean it’s still fairly two good pieces of bread, well except for…….
Croutons, filler in your meatloaf???
You could use it for that! We constantly have leftover bread in the house, so we use our older bread or the end pieces that we typically don’t eat.
Cut mine in half. 7 minutes. Perfection. Cosori 6 AF
We need a chart for the weight & item to find out how long to cook it, like above.
E.g 2kg chicken.
Hope to get one soon as the other cooking time chart really helps!
I tried cooking bacon in my fryer. While a few small pieces cooked and crisped perfectly most of the batch appeared raw no matter how long I cooked it.
Hi Antonio, the part where some pieces were still raw no matter how you cooked it concerns me that there might be something wrong with your air fryer, if it wasn’t fat that just looked like it wasn’t cooked, but was.
When cooking bacon in the air fryer, do you do anything with the bread you use?
Hi Rob, I personally toss it as we always have extra bread, but you could eat it or cut it up for bacon-greased croutons if you would like!
I like your style! Very , good description and through. Will use this site often. I have just winged it in the air fryer, mostly frozen food. This will be easy learning. Thanks sooooooo much.