• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Winding Creek Ranch
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
  • DIY
  • About Me
    • CONTACT ME
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Home
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Home
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Air Fryer Bacon

    Published: Aug 1, 2021, Last Modified: April 5, 2022 by Jeri - This site uses cookies - See the privacy policy linked in the footer - This post may contain affiliate links - This blog generates income via ads

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Air fryer bacon served on a white plate, and on a bed of green lettuce
    Air fryer bacon served on a white plate, and on a bed of green lettuce

    Bacon lovers rejoice! Air Fryer Bacon 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, and cleanup is a breeze with absolutely no splatter! Give it a try! You won't cook it any other way!

    PIN the recipe to try it later!

    Crispy bacon cooked in the air fryer and served on a bed of fresh lettuce this …

    Like most people, we love bacon. I mean, who doesn't? 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. Now that we have discovered how easy it is to cook bacon perfectly in the air fryer, 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. Yum!

    Jump to:
    • You'll Love Air Fryer Bacon!
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Air Fryer Bacon
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • You might also enjoy
    • Storage
    • Top tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
    • Related Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • Food safety
    • 💬 Comments

    You'll Love Air Fryer Bacon!

    • easiest bacon ever to make
    • cooks in 10 minutes or less
    • no-mess, splatter-free kitchen
    • easy clean-up
    • perfectly cooked bacon every time
    • hands off cooking 🙂

    Ingredients

    You only need 1 ingredient .... 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.

    Raw sliced bacon ready to cook, sitting on a wooden cutting board

    How to make Air Fryer Bacon

    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.

    Slices of raw bacon placed in basket of air fryer

    Air fry bacon for 9 minutes. For more tender and less crispy bacon, reduce cooking time to 7-8 minutes—no need to flip during cooking time.

    Crispy bacon cooked perfectly in the air fryer, on the air fryer tray

    Using tongs, remove cooked bacon and place on a paper towel 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!

    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

    Change things up by cooking turkey bacon. Follow the same instructions as you would for regular bacon.

    Cook thick-cut bacon in the air fryer. It also cooks awesome in the air fryer! Just increase the cooking time to 10-13 minutes.

    Perfectly cooked bacon from the air fryer sitting on a white plate

    Equipment

    To make the best bacon, you need an air fryer. The one I use is the COSORI 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 ;). It has a 5.5 qt basket, and it also dehydrates, perfect for dehydrating fresh mint and hot peppers!

    You might also enjoy

    • Easy Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
    • Easy Frozen Fries in Air Fryer
    • Smoked Whole Chicken On A Pellet Grill
    • Easy Homemade Mango Habanero Salsa Recipe

    Storage

    Store cooked bacon in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

    Store cooked bacon in a freezer bag for up to 4 months.

    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.

    Cooked air fryer bacon on a paper towel to soak up the grease
    Place cooked bacon on a paper towel to absorb any remaining grease

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    How long do I cook bacon in the air fryer?

    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.

    Can you cook frozen bacon in the air fryer?

    Yes! You will have to increase the cooking time by about 5 minutes.

    How do you keep bacon from smoking in an air fryer?

    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.

    Perfectly cooked bacon in the air fryer, tender and crispy

    Related Recipes

    • Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
    • Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries - Ultra Crispy
    • How To Make Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
    • Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
    • Air Fryer Keto Tuna Patties - Quick and Healthy

    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!

    You can also Follow Me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Would you please tag me in your photos @windingcreek_ranch? I would love to see your pictures!

    📋 Recipe

    Crispy bacon cooked in the air fryer and served on a bed of fresh lettuce

    Air Fryer Bacon

    Bacon lovers rejoice! Air Fryer Bacon 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, and cleanup is a breeze with absolutely no splatter! Give it a try! You won't cook it any other way!
    5 from 32 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: air fryer bacon, bacon in the air fryer,
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 9 minutes
    Total Time: 11 minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 86kcal

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer

    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

    Nutritional information is approximate and is meant as a guideline only.
    STORAGE:
    Store cooked bacon in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
    Store cooked bacon in a freezer bag for up to 4 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 86kcal | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8.1g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 141mg

    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

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    « Homemade Lemonade
    Homemade Salsa »

    Share the Post!

    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      August 05, 2021 at 2:32 pm

      5 stars
      Never thought of adding water when air frying bacon, thanks for the trick to prevent them from burning!

      Reply
    2. Kay

      August 04, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      5 stars
      We love how easy and mess free it is cooking bacon in air fryer.

      Reply
    3. Kim

      August 04, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      5 stars
      Holy cow! The water in the bottom of the tray completely worked. Genius level tip!

      Reply
    4. Genevieve

      August 04, 2021 at 1:28 pm

      5 stars
      You can never go wrong with air-fryer bacon! I need to get an air-fryer stat!

      Reply
    5. Jere Cassidy

      August 04, 2021 at 9:30 am

      5 stars
      I neeeeeeed an Air Fryer. Love blt's and your method is so much easier than in the skillet.

      Reply
    6. Jeannie

      August 02, 2021 at 5:47 pm

      5 stars
      it doesnt make a mess in the kitchen and eay better than frying.

      Reply
    7. serena

      August 02, 2021 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      So quick and delicious. I usually use the oven, but going to have to give this a try. YUM!

      Reply
    8. Anaiah

      August 02, 2021 at 12:24 pm

      5 stars
      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

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    A profile pic of Jeri in her kitchen.

    Hi, I'm Jeri!

    I'm a busy mom who loves to cook but doesn't have time to spend hours in the kitchen. My goal is to help you make tasty meals quickly so that you can spend more time on what matters most-- family!

    More about me →

    Mother's Day Recipes

    • Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Muffins
    • Easy Crispy Buttermilk Belgian Waffles
    • Easy Fluffy Oven-Baked Omelet Casserole
    • Air Fryer Bacon
    • Easy Air Fryer Sausage
    • How To Make A Thick Smoothie Bowl

    Trending Recipes

    • Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries - Ultra Crispy
    • Best Smoked Salmon on Pellet Grill
    • The Best Smoked Chicken Thighs On A Pellet Grill
    • Teriyaki Salmon Air Fryer
    • Maple Glazed Salmon (Baked)
    • Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Disclaimer
    • Web stories

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Winding Creek Ranch