You’ll never use a griddle again after you try this air fryer bacon recipe. This 10-minute method will have you serving up the crispiest bacon ever, thanks to your air fryer!
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Is there anything better than waking up to the smell of bacon in the morning? It’s hard to beat, in my opinion! Traditional ways of preparing breakfast can involve a lot of cleanups. One of the best parts about owning an air fryer is that cleanup is a breeze!
The star of the show at breakfast in my house is bacon. We pair it with eggs, pancakes, and sometimes I’ll make some extra to make a BLT for lunch. We also sometimes have breakfast for dinner, which my kids get a kick out of!
Cooking bacon in the air fryer makes things taste even better. This air fryer bacon recipe is so easy that it comes together in just 10 minutes.
For a full breakfast, why not try air fryer bacon and eggs? But, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, let’s learn how to cook bacon in the air fryer.
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- Step-by-step instructions for cooking bacon in the air fryer
- My special trick for removing excess grease from your air fried bacon and keeping your air fryer clean!
- How to prevent your air fryer from smoking while your bacon cooks
- Techniques to make crispy bacon and non-crispy bacon in the air fryer
If you’re wondering how to cook bacon in the air fryer, you’ve come to the right place. After making this recipe, you’ll never go back to stovetop or microwave bacon!
How to Make Air Fryer Bacon
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees F. Place 1-2 pieces of bread at the bottom of your air fryer, under the basket. This will help catch any excess grease from causing a mess in your air fryer.
STEP TWO: In an even layer, put the bacon in your air fryer. If you’re using long bacon, cut the strips in half so they fit easily in your air fryer.
STEP THREE: Cook at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until the bacon reaches your desired crispiness. Remove and enjoy immediately!
Looking for a change-up? Try cooking these 25 air fryer breakfast recipes! Includes turkey bacon, breakfast burritos, and even hash brown patties!
Tips for Making Crispy Bacon in the Air Fryer
If you’ve never made air fryer bacon before there are a few tips you need to know about before you get started:
- Use these long tongs to remove the bacon from your air fryer. You’ll avoid burning yourself!
- Make sure that you use thick, uncured bacon for this recipe. It’s the most flavorful!
- When cooking bacon in the air fryer, don’t overcrowd the basket with multiple layers.
- For the crispiest bacon, flip the bacon strips halfway through.
- For added flavor, season the raw bacon before you air fry it. Options include pepper, maple syrup, or brown sugar!
Can You Put Raw Bacon in An Air Fryer?
You can cook bacon in an air fryer, you just need to make sure that you cook it at the correct temperature. Verify that your air fryer is clean and preheat it to 350 degrees F.
This is the perfect temperature to get crispy bacon strips.
If your bacon is frozen, use our air fryer frozen bacon recipe here.
How to Prevent Your Air Fryer from Smoking While Cooking Bacon
There are two ways to prevent your air fryer from smoking while cooking bacon:
- With bread: This method is my personal favorite. 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!
- With water: Use this method if you don’t have any bread at home. Put a small amount of water in the drawer of your air fryer, which you’ll find under the basket. Be careful not to use too much water as this can make your bacon soggy.
It’s also important to clean your air fryer right after cooking the air fryer bacon to keep the grease from getting baked on. Learn all you need to know about cleaning your air fryer here!
Do I Need to Preheat My Air Fryer?
Yes, every type of air fryer should be preheated to ensure even cooking. These popular cooking appliances are known for making foods crispy and delicious.
To get the crispiness you’re after, you need to preheat.
How Long Do You Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer?
How long to cook bacon in the air fryer depends on the thickness of the bacon:
- Regular Bacon: For crispy bacon, cook at 350 degrees F for 8-9 minutes. For non-crispy bacon, cook for 7 minutes.
- Thick Bacon: For the crispiest bacon, cook at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. For non-crispy bacon, cook for 9-10 minutes.
Other Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
- Bacon Wrapped Shrimp in the Air Fryer
- French Bread Pizza in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus in the Air Fryer
- Country-Style Ribs in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Eggs (Scrambled!)
- The Best Air Fryer Keto Recipes
- Air Fryer Bacon Jalapenos
Air Fryer Bacon
Crispy air fryer bacon cooked to perfection. Includes directions on how to make it extra crispy.
Ingredients
- 7 ounces of bacon (approximately 8 slices)
Optional
- 1-2 pieces of bread (to prevent smoking)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Place 1-2 pieces of bread at the bottom of your air fryer underneath the basket* then place bacon in the air fryer evenly in one layer. Cut bacon in half if too long.
- Cook in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes, until it's at your desired crispiness.**
- Enjoy immediately.
Notes
*putting bread under the basket will catch any grease that may cause the air fryer to smoke
**cook bacon an additional 1-2 minutes to make extra crispy and for recipes that calls for bacon bits.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 902mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 18g
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.
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.
I’ve trying the bacon in the oven air fryer right now. It’s at 350% and it’s been in there for 30 minutes and it’s still not done. Not sure what’s up with that.
Hi Sandra, have you used your air fryer oven before? If it’s not done after 30 minutes, that sounds like there may be an issue with your air fryer not hitting temperature correctly.