How to Cook Bacon in the Air Fryer

Many people ask... can you cook bacon in an air fryer? I say yes and it is a dream for a couple of reasons! I don’t know about you, but at my house, I have two camps, team crispy and team chewy! Air-fried bacon can be custom-made in batches to suit everyone’s taste. When cooking bacon this way, you can almost set it and forget it while you tend to your other delicious brunch recipes! I find when using the air fryer clean-up is a breeze with no splattering or burns, compared to traditional cooking methods!

This recipe is super simple because all you need is bacon!

• I like to use bacon that is organic and hormone and antibiotic free.
• You can also opt for low sodium bacon if you like, especially if you are serving your bacon with other salty items at brunch.

1. Preheat Air Fryer and place bacon strips in a single layer on the tray.
2. Air fry bacon for 4 minutes flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Transfer cooked bacon strips after cooking to a paper towel-lined plate.

My answer is YES! It's delicious and evenly cooked and can be adjusted to your taste.

The sweet spot for my taste and air fryer is 320 degrees but you can experiment see what works best for you.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but air-fried bacon is not healthier per se, it’s still bacon! Choosing better quality bacon as I suggested in the ingredients section and cooking it until crisp and not burned makes it a healthier option. I do find that I have less excess grease to absorb with paper towels after cooking so that is definitely a plus.

Leftover bacon can be reheated in the air fryer if you are ever lucky enough to have any! I personally am not sure it’s worth the time and extra clean up but you can preheat to 320 degrees and then once preheated place the bacon on the tray for 3-4 minutes. Check after 3 minutes for desired crispness.

Expert Tips for this Recipe

• Cooking time is depends on how you like your bacon. I found that 8 minutes at 320 degrees is my perfect recipe for crisp bacon with a slightly chewy texture. For crispier bacon try cooking for 1-minute longer (or extra minutes as needed).
• Cooking time will also depend on whether you are using thicker bacon or thinner bacon.
• Stay close to the fryer and remove strips of bacon immediately after cooking.

I personally have never had any issues with my air fryer except for one time when I preheated it with parchment paper which was a big rookie mistake. Having said that I never wander far when my air fryer is cooking.

There is a lot of information online about air-fried bacon and issues with burning and dangerous oil spills. In a lot of these scenarios, the bacon was being cooked at way higher temperatures than I am suggesting and it is not being flipped in the process. For my testing and recipe development, I use the Cosori 5.8 qt for this recipe with no issues. Immediately after the cooking time has been reached, I remove the bacon. I have never had any issues with air fryer bacon smoke as some others have reported but also be sure to experiment with your model for safety. I also don’t attempt cleaning the unit until the bacon grease has completely cooled down.

Air Fryer Sausage Links

Air Fryer Hash Browns

Fluffiest Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes