Bacon lovers rejoice! Bacon in Air Fryer is the quickest and best-tasting bacon ever! Now you can have perfectly cooked bacon ... Every ... Single ... Time. Bacon in the air fryer is the easiest bacon to cook, and you can make it exactly how you like. Crispy or less crispy? No problem. Cook time is just 9 minutes for perfect bacon, and cleanup is a breeze with absolutely no splatter! This recipe is a total game-changer. Give it a try! You won't cook it any other way!
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Like most people, we love bacon. I mean, who doesn't? It makes the perfect breakfast!
It tastes so good served as a side dish with Buttermilk Sheet Pan Pancakes or Buttermilk Belgian Waffles.
Or how about served in Oven-Baked Omelet Casserole or a soup or salad for added flavor?
The options are endless in how to serve bacon. And I'm so excited to share with you my new favorite way how to cook it.
One of my favorite things about the air fryer is that it cooks food in less time, with no mess!
The first time I tried bacon in the air fryer, I cooked it at a high temperature and didn't add water so I nearly set off the fire alarm. I had no idea that the smoke point of bacon fat is 325°F. There was white smoke everywhere!
Lesson learned, cook the pieces of bacon at a lower temperature and make sure you add water. 😉
Now that we have discovered how easy it is to cook bacon perfectly in the air fryer with this simple recipe, we have been enjoying it in homemade BLT sandwiches made with soft and fluffy Air Buns or in 3 Ingredient Flatbread with vine-ripened tomatoes.
There are so many delicious ways to serve it! Yum! Your whole family will love it!
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Why you will love this easy air fryer bacon recipe
- This is an easy way to make bacon, way easier and the least messy way than cooking it the traditional way on the stovetop.
- It cooks in 10 minutes or less.
- The excess grease drops down below in the bottom of the basket so the bacon doesn't sit in the grease.
- This recipe works for any type of bacon, just adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the bacon.
- No mess means a splatter-free kitchen.
- Easy clean-up, just wipe clean with a paper towel.
- You will get perfectly cooked strips of bacon every time. Lovely crisp bacon that is delicious!
- Everyone can have their favorite bacon, whether its the crispiest bacon or chewier bacon.
- Hands-off cooking 🙂
Ingredients
You only need 1 ingredient .... bacon!
Bacon: I buy bacon from Costco and freeze it. That way, it is so much cheaper, and I always have it on hand when I want it. I used regular-cut bacon, but you could also use thick-cut bacon, just increase the cook time by an extra minute or two.
How to make Air Fryer Bacon
Preheat the air fryer temperature to 370 degrees F.
Add 1 cup of water to the air fryer to prevent smoking during cooking.
Place slices of bacon in a single layer on the air fryer basket. They can be touching each other, don't worry about leaving space between the bacon strips. It shrivels up a lot, so there will be lots of hot air circulation.
The size of your air fryer will dictate how many bacon slices will fit in the basket.
Air fry bacon slices for 9 minutes. For more tender and less crispy bacon, reduce cooking time to 7-8 minutes—no need to flip during cooking time.
Using tongs, remove cooked bacon and place it on paper towels to absorb any remaining grease.
The awesome part about using the air fryer is the bacon grease drips down underneath the tray, so the bacon doesn't sit in grease. This results in bacon that is much less greasy than the usual method of cooking bacon.
Air Fryer bacon is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. It's perfect!
Because you can only cook a small amount of bacon at a time, you will need to cook it in small batches. Just cover the cooked bacon to keep it warm while the next batch is cooking.
Hint: Add 1 cup of water to the air fryer tray to prevent smoking. Empty the grease in the air fryer between batches and wipe clean with a paper towel.
Variations
One of the best parts of this crisp air fryer bacon recipe is that you can use any type of bacon. Change things up by cooking turkey bacon. Follow the same instructions as you would for regular bacon.
You can also cook thick-cut bacon in the air fryer, which also cooks awesome in the air fryer! Just increase the cooking time to 10-13 minutes.
Equipment
To make the best bacon, you need an air fryer. The one I use is the Instant Pot Vortex 6-quart Air Fryer. It was very reasonably priced and has a large basket so I can easily cook for my family.
I also recently bought a Ninja Air Fryer as well (because heck, sometimes you need 2 ;).
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Storage
Fridge: Store cooked bacon in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Store cooked bacon in a freezer bag for up to 4 months. This way you can grab delicious bacon anytime you want it! Just reheat in the air fryer at 360 degrees for a few minutes.
Top tips
- Make sure to add water to the air fryer before cooking.
- Empty the grease every time before cooking another batch of bacon. Wipe clean with a paper towel.
- I want to point out that the time I cook bacon in the air fryer is based on my own air fryer. All air fryers cook differently, so check periodically to make sure your bacon is not burning toward the end of the cooking time.
- Also, the cooking time will depend on the thickness of your bacon, which will need a longer cook time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Regular-cut bacon - For softer bacon, cook at 370 degrees F for 7 minutes. If you like your bacon more well done and crispy, cook for 8-9 minutes.
Thick-cut bacon - For softer bacon, cook at 370 degrees F for 10 minutes. If you like it crispier, cook it for 11-12 minutes.
Yes! You will have to increase the cooking time by about 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup of water to the air fryer tray before cooking. Alternatively, you can lay a piece of bread underneath the air fryer tray, and it will absorb any grease and prevent smoking as well.
Related Recipes
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Bacon or any other recipe, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!
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📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- bacon as many slices as you want
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees F. Add 1 cup of water to the air fryer to prevent smoking during cooking.
- Place slices of bacon in a single layer on the air fryer basket. They can be touching each other, don't worry about leaving space between the bacon. It shrivels up a lot, so there will be lots of air circulation.
- Air fry bacon for 9 minutes. For more tender and less crispy bacon, reduce cooking time to 7-8 minutes -no need to flip bacon during cooking time.
- Using tongs, remove cooked bacon and place on a paper towel to absorb any remaining grease.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Linda
Never thought of adding water when air frying bacon, thanks for the trick to prevent them from burning!
Kay
We love how easy and mess free it is cooking bacon in air fryer.
Kim
Holy cow! The water in the bottom of the tray completely worked. Genius level tip!
Genevieve
You can never go wrong with air-fryer bacon! I need to get an air-fryer stat!
Jere Cassidy
I neeeeeeed an Air Fryer. Love blt's and your method is so much easier than in the skillet.
Jeannie
it doesnt make a mess in the kitchen and eay better than frying.
serena
So quick and delicious. I usually use the oven, but going to have to give this a try. YUM!
Anaiah
Wow! Air fryer bacon is a total game changer! It seriously does make it perfect every single time. I don't think I'll make it stove top ever again.. now I can avoid all the grease splatter haha