Air Fryer Bacon

How to Make Air Fryer Bacon

Check out these easy steps for how to cook bacon in an air fryer. With the complete recipe below, you’ll soon be a bacon in air fryer pro. You’ll practically be able to whip it up with just one eye open:

Prepare the Air Fryer and Bacon

Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray. This will make wiping out any tiny pieces of bacon that might stick to it even easier. Arrange 4 slices of bacon in the basket so they don’t overlap. Scrunch (or pleat) them up as needed so they’ll fit just in the bottom of the basket.

Cook the Bacon

Cook it until it’s crispy. This should take 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bacon from the basket. Let the air-fryer basket and base cool slightly before wiping them out with paper towels to remove all the grease. Then you can then cook the other 4 slices of bacon, just like you did the first batch.

Air Fryer Bacon Cooking Time and Temperature

Our recipe for cooking bacon in an air fryer is based on using regular bacon with a medium thickness. If you use thinner or thicker bacon, you’ll have to adjust. For how long to cook bacon in an air fryer follow this guide. For thin bacon, start with 6 minutes. If it isn’t crisp when the cook time is finished, add another minute and check it again. For thick-cut bacon, add 1 to 2 minutes to the cook time.

No matter what thickness of bacon you have, stick to using an air-fryer temperature of 375°F. If your air fryer doesn’t have this exact temperature setting, consult your manual for a suggested temperature setting that would be equivalent to it.

Due to the nature of air-fryers, there isn’t any need to turn the bacon over or let it drain on paper towels, once cooked. The air-fryer does that work for you.

Variations of Air Fryer Bacon

Try any of these flavors of bacon from our list of air-fryer bacon variations. To avoid any ingredients from burning, most of the variations add the toppings after the bacon is cooked:

Cracked Pepper: Sprinkle and rub a little freshly ground cracked pepper onto the tops of the bacon slices before cooking.

Peppered Brown Sugar: Immediately after cooking, press the hot bacon into a shallow bowl of brown sugar mixed with a little pepper. Place the bacon, sugar-side up on serving plate.

Honey-Mustard: Lightly brush both sides of the bacon slices immediately after cooking with honey mustard.

Maple: Lightly brush the tops of the bacon slices immediately after cooking with pure maple syrup or pancake syrup.

Storing and Reheating Air Fryer Bacon

If you like to eat bacon warm and crispy, it’s best to eat it immediately after air frying. It’s hard to reheat cooked bacon as it gets dry, tough, and crumbly. But it is easy and convenient to store cooked bacon for using in other recipes later.

Refrigerator Storage

Wrap cooled, cooked bacon in plastic wrap, foil, or place in resealable food-storage bags. Store in the refrigerator up to 7 days.

Freezer Storage

Place cooled, cooked bacon in freezer-safe food-storage bags. Store in freezer up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for about 15 minutes before using.

How to Use Air Fryer Bacon

If you’re a bacon lover, what recipe can’t be improved by adding it? Nothing gets you hungry quicker than the smell of cooked bacon! Air-frying bacon is an easy way to cook it quickly and easily, to use in other recipes. Try any of these recipes from our list of favorite bacon recipes below:

BLT Crescent Sandwiches: Tender, flaky crescent rolls are a game-changer for BLT sandwiches, adding another element of taste and texture to the classic favorite.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole: Leftover cooked chicken teams up with pasta, ranch dressing, and bacon in a cheesy casserole with a luscious Alfredo sauce “gravy.”

Easy Quiche: A simple quiche made with refrigerated pie crust, eggs, two cheeses, and the star of the show, bacon.

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches: Crescents stuffed with all the best savory breakfast ingredients in a convenient, hand-held delight.

Chicken, Bacon and Ranch Pasta: A rich and decadent casserole all made in a skillet on the stovetop, for a simple yet satisfying meal.