Air Fryer Bacon is the quickest and most convenient way to cook bacon! Ready in just 10 minutes, bacon in the air fryer turns out perfectly crisp with minimal clean up. Grab your favorite brand of bacon, and let's get started!
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Bacon in the Air Fryer
We all love crispy bacon for breakfast, in BLT sandwiches, or crumbled over salads. But let's face it: cooking bacon in a pan always leaves a mess of grease on the stove top. It spatters everywhere! The answer? You should air fry bacon.
Air frying bacon makes it crispy to your liking without any of the mess and without needing to watch it closely while it cooks. It has an exceptional taste and texture that strikes the right balance between crispy and chewy. It's easy to customize to your tastes by altering the cook time!
With less mess, no extra oil, a quick cook time, and no need to preheat your oven, this crispy air fryer bacon recipe has it all. We're sure it will become your new favorite way to cook bacon - it's definitely ours!
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Ingredients
- Thick-cut bacon slices: We use Wright brand Applewood thick-cut bacon, but you can use any brand of bacon you like best. If you prefer thinner bacon, see our Tips below.
- Oil spray: We're using avocado oil in a spray bottle. You can also use light olive oil. Do not use a pressurized cooking spray with additives, as it could damage the air fryer's non-stick surface. Learn more: Our Favorite Oils to use for Air Frying.
How to Cook Bacon in the Air Fryer
Step 1 - Spray the air fryer basket with a light coating of oil to prevent the bacon from sticking. Make sure to use a sprayer with a natural oil.
Step 2 - Place the bacon in the basket in a single layer. You don't want to overlap any bacon strips - if you can't fit them all, cook your bacon in batches.
Step 3 - Air fry at 350°F for 10-12 minutes based on how crisp you like your bacon. Turn each slice of bacon over halfway through the cook time.
Step 4 - Remove the bacon from the air fryer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain before serving. Enjoy!
Note: We use an air fryer model with a basket. If you have an air fryer oven with a tray, you'll cook your bacon the same way (turning it halfway through the cook time) but it will make more of a mess than a basket model. Make sure to clean your air fryer drip tray before cooking.
Tips for Air Frying Bacon
- 10 minutes will yield bacon that is crisp but still has a little bend and chew to it. If you prefer your bacon to be extra crisp, cook it for 11-12 minutes. Check it at the 10 minute mark and air fry it in 1 minute intervals until it reaches your desired crispness.
- For less crisp bacon, air fry it for 8-9 minutes instead. Remember, bacon will crisp up a little as it cools.
- For thinner cut bacon, reduce the cook time.
- Cook time may vary depending on your specific model of air fryer. Air fryer models vary, so you may have to adjust depending on your model.
- Recipe time and temperature is based on a cold air fryer. If cooking in multiple batches, be sure to check on the remaining batches early, as they may cook more quickly.
Avoiding Excess Smoke
Your air fryer may smoke while cooking bacon. If this happens, we recommend turning on your kitchen exhaust fan. To avoid excess smoke to begin with, place a slice of sandwich bread in the bottom of the air fryer. The bread catches drips and will help absorb grease to prevent excessive smoke.
You should also make sure to use the exact temperature in the recipe. The smoke point of bacon fat is around 325°F, so if you set your air fryer temp too high, it is sure to smoke. 350°F is the perfect temperature to air fry bacon as it perfectly cooks the bacon while minimizing the potential for smoke.
How to Dispose of Bacon Grease
Important: Do not pour your bacon grease down the sink - it will damage your plumbing! Allow the grease to cool, then pour it into a disposable container, such as a disposable cup. Place the cup in the refrigerator until the grease solidifies, then dispose in the trash. Do not pour hot bacon grease into the trash can directly as it could start a fire.
Saving Bacon Fat
Alternatively, you can save the bacon fat to cook with. Pour the bacon fat into a clean mason jar and store it in the refrigerator to use as a replacement for oil or butter in savory recipes. Bacon grease is liquid gold for cooking!
Storage Instructions
Allow bacon to cool completely before storing. Then, store leftover bacon strips in an airtight container or zip-lock bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You may want to line the container with a paper towel.
How to Cook Air Fryer Bacon from Frozen
When we bring bacon home from the grocery store we like to store it in the freezer and use just what we need each time. Here’s how we do it:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (use a baking sheet that fits in your freezer).
- Place a single layer of bacon on the parchment lined baking sheet, making sure no strips of bacon are touching each other.
- Top the first layer of bacon with parchment paper and add another layer of bacon.
- Continue layering parchment and bacon in this manner until all the bacon is layered.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer until bacon strips are frozen solid.
- Once frozen, place bacon strips in a zip lock bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.
- When ready to eat, remove the number of strips you’ll be air frying (usually up to 5 will fit in the average air fryer basket).
- Place up to 5 frozen bacon strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 350°F for 12-14 minutes according to your desired crispness, turning each strip off bacon over halfway through air frying. Enjoy!
FAQ
To prevent excessive smoke, place a slice of sandwich bread in the bottom of the air fryer. It will absorb the grease and minimize smoke. Some people line their baskets with aluminum foil to catch the grease, but we recommend the bread method. Also, turn on your kitchen exhaust fan if needed! See our air frying safety precautions and our comprehensive guide to air frying if you'd like more info.
You do not need to preheat the air fryer for this air fried bacon recipe.
Absolutely! Bacon grease is a flavorful cooking oil and makes a great replacement for butter. Store it in a sealed container and use it for frying or sautéing to infuse your dishes with that delicious bacon essence.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with Air Fryer Fried Eggs over Air Fryer Toast
- Or, serve alongside Air Fryer Scrambled Eggs and Air Fryer Pancakes
- Crumble it over a fresh salad or soups for added crunch and protein
- Add it to sandwiches and burgers paired with avocado slices
- Wrap it around asparagus spears following our Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus recipe
- Sprinkle it on top of Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes for a hearty twist
- With our Air Fryer Egg Toast, you have a perfect breakfast!
If you enjoyed this easy air fryer recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below to let us know! And if you have any questions, ask away. We love to help!
Air Fryer Bacon
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 5 slices Thick-cut bacon
- Oil spray we use avocado oil
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with a light coating of oil to prevent the bacon from sticking.Oil spray
- Place the bacon in the basket in a single layer. You don't want to overlap any bacon strips - if you can't fit them all, cook your bacon in batches.5 slices Thick-cut bacon
- Air fry at 350°F for 10-12 minutes based on how crisp you like your bacon. Turn each slice of bacon over halfway through the cook time.
- Remove the bacon from the air fryer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain before serving.
Notes
- 10 minutes for crisp bacon with a slight bend; 11-12 minutes for extra crisp. Check at 10 minutes and air fry in 1-minute intervals for desired crispness.
- For less crisp bacon, air fry for 8-9 minutes; it'll crisp up as it cools.
- We use Wright's Applewood thick-cut bacon, but any brand works.
- Adjust cook time for thinner bacon.
- Cooking time varies by air fryer model; adjust accordingly.
- Avoid pressurized cooking sprays as they might damage the non-stick surface.
- Recipe time based on a cold air fryer. Check remaining batches early when cooking in multiple batches; they may cook faster.
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