I love bacon, that’s no secret. What I don’t love is standing over a hot stove and getting splashed by grease, or sad soggy microwave bacon. Making air fryer bacon solves all those problems as it comes out crispy, with no splatter, and it cooks up quickly too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly crispy every time. The air fryer cooks bacon evenly with crispy edges and tender bites
- Less mess than stovetop cooking. The bacon cooks inside the basket, helping contain grease splatter
- Ready in minutes. It’s a quick, hands-off way to make breakfast
- Great for small or large batches. Cook just a few slices or enough for the whole family
- Consistent results. The circulating hot air helps cook each slice evenly
- Perfect for more than breakfast. Use it on burgers, sandwiches, salads, baked potatoes, or crumbled into your favorite recipes!
- Works with thick-cut or regular bacon. Simply adjust the cooking time to match the thickness
- Frees up the stovetop. Make bacon while preparing the rest of your breakfast
- A kitchen staple made even easier. Once you try bacon in the air fryer, it’s hard to go back to other cooking methods!
Quick + Easy Recipes
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Ingredients List
- Bacon, any flavor
Ingredient Tips and Notes
- You can use regular or thick-cut bacon. Thick cut takes about 2-3 minutes longer on average
- Flavored bacons like maple work exactly the same!
- Cook as much at a time as fits in a single layer in your air fryer’s basket or rack. Overlap will cause uneven cooking, so cook in batches if needed for best results
Step By Step Instructions
- Lay your bacon flat into your air fryer basket or rack, in a single layer (edges can touch, but shouldn’t overlap)
- Cook on the air fry setting at 350°F for 7-10 minutes, depending on crispiness desired (you can flip halfway through cooking, but it isn’t strictly necessary). For thick cut bacon, add 2 minutes to cooking time to start. If cooking multiple batches, reduce cooking time by 2 minutes to start for subsequent batches, and clean grease in between
- Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, then serve with your favorite sides. Enjoy!
Pairing Suggestions
Air fryer bacon is crispy, smoky, and incredibly versatile, making it the perfect addition to breakfast, brunch, sandwiches, salads, and even desserts. Here are some of my favorite pairings!
Breakfast Favorites
- Scrambled eggs: A classic breakfast pairing.
- Fried or poached eggs: Crispy bacon and runny yolks are hard to beat.
- Pancakes: Sweet and salty flavors always work well together.
- French toast: A brunch favorite with crispy bacon on the side. Air Fryer Frozen French Toast Sticks are the perfect quick option!
- Waffles: Drizzle with maple syrup for the ultimate combination. I love some Air Fryer Trader Joe’s Blueberry Waffles!
- Breakfast potatoes: Hash browns, home fries, or breakfast skillet potatoes. Try my Air Fryer Hash Browns and Eggs!
Sandwiches & Burgers
- BLTs: The ultimate bacon sandwich!
- Breakfast sandwiches: Layer bacon with eggs and cheese on a biscuit, bagel, or English muffin
- Cheeseburgers: Crispy bacon makes every burger better!
- Club sandwiches: A deli classic
- Grilled cheese: Add bacon for a smoky twist
Salads & Sides
- Caesar salad: Crumbled bacon adds crunch and flavor
- Spinach salad: Especially with strawberries or warm bacon dressing
- Baked potatoes: A classic topping alongside cheese and sour cream. Try my Air Fryer Baked Potato!
- Mac and cheese: Stir in crumbled bacon for extra flavor!
- Roasted Brussels sprouts: Bacon and Brussels sprouts are a timeless pairing. Head over to my Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts With Bacon for a complete recipe!
Soups
- Potato soup: Top with crispy bacon and cheddar
- Tomato soup: A smoky addition to a comforting classic. Try my Air Fryer Roasted Tomato Soup!
- Corn chowder: Bacon complements the sweetness of the corn
- Loaded baked potato soup: One of the best bacon pairings
- Bean soup: Adds savory richness and texture
Drink Pairings
- Coffee: The classic breakfast beverage
- Fresh orange juice: Bright citrus balances the smoky bacon
- Bloody Mary: A brunch favorite that’s often garnished with bacon
- Mimosa: Light and refreshing with a hearty breakfast. Try my Strawberry Lemonade Mimosa!
- Hot tea: A simple option that pairs well with any breakfast spread
When to Serve
Air fryer bacon is perfect for weekday breakfasts, weekend brunches, holiday mornings, breakfast-for-dinner, meal prep, and cookouts. Whether you’re serving it as a side or adding it to your favorite recipes, crispy bacon makes just about any meal better!
Recipe FAQs
Can You Air Fry Bacon At 400 Degrees?
Yes, you can cook bacon at 400°F, and it will crisp up more quickly. Just keep a close eye on it, as higher temperatures can cause the bacon to cook unevenly or become overdone faster than expected, or cause extra splatter which can result in your air fryer smoking.
Can I Put Raw Bacon In The Air Fryer?
Absolutely! The air fryer is designed to cook raw bacon from start to finish. Arrange the slices in a single layer for the most even cooking and best results.
What Are Common Mistakes When Air Frying Bacon?
The most common mistakes are overcrowding the basket, using bacon slices that overlap too much, cooking at too high of a temperature without checking for doneness, and not draining excess grease if cooking multiple batches.
Keeping the bacon in a single layer and checking it a minute or two before it’s done helps ensure perfectly crispy results.
Do You Have To Flip Bacon When Air Frying?
No, flipping isn’t usually necessary because the hot air circulates around the bacon, cooking both sides evenly. However, if you’re using very thick-cut bacon or notice uneven browning, flipping the slices halfway through can help them crisp more uniformly.
Tips For the Best Air Fryer Bacon
- My 8-qt air fryer can comfortably cook 6 slices of bacon at a time as a reference. Adjust as needed (including cutting strips to fit if needed) for your specific unit
- If your air fryer is smoking, pause cooking, and wipe out the grease from the bottom of the basket or grease tray, then resume. You can also place a piece of bread under the rack in your air fryer to catch grease, which minimizes smoke
- For easier cleanup, try the bread trick, or line your drip pan (in toaster oven style units) with foil!
- As pictured, I used regular sliced bacon and cooked for 9 minutes in a Ninja Dual Zone air fryer. Cooking times can vary between units and bacon brands, so adjust as needed in small increments for your setup and preferences
- Bacon will firm up as it cools, so if it has blown around or curled up a lot in the air fryer, flatten it a bit while it’s still warm. You can also place an oven-safe rack or weight on top of the bacon during cooking if you like to keep it perfectly flat (but this is entirely optional)
Storage and Reheating
Storage Tips
- Let the bacon cool completely before storing to prevent condensation
- Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- Place a paper towel in the container to help absorb excess grease and keep the bacon crisp
- Freeze cooked bacon for up to 3 months. Separate slices with parchment paper for easy grab-and-go portions!
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat directly from frozen
Reheating Tips
- Air fryer (best method): Reheat at 350°F for 2-3 minutes until hot and crispy
- Microwave: Heat on a paper towel-lined plate for 10-20 seconds per slice (but it will lose some crispiness this way)
- Oven: Bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes until warmed through
- Reheat only until hot. Overheating can make the bacon dry or overly brittle
- Frozen bacon can go straight into the air fryer, though it may need an extra minute or two to heat through
Make Ahead Tip
Cook a full batch of bacon at the beginning of the week (I usually undercook it by about a minute from what I usually would) and store it in the refrigerator.
It’s perfect for adding to breakfast sandwiches, salads, burgers, baked potatoes, soups, wraps, and pasta throughout the week, saving you time on busy mornings!
More Air Fryer Bacon Recipes
- Air Fryer Twisted Bacon
- Air Fryer Candied Bacon
- Million Dollar Bacon
Final Thoughts
I love to make air fryer bacon since it comes out crispy and delicious, making it better than the microwave. It’s also faster than the oven, and no messy splatter like cooking bacon on the stove! Once you try this method, you’ll never go back to anything else.
Bacon is super versatile, from being a breakfast staple to serving as a topping on salads or soups. You can layer it into a grilled cheese or classic BLT, or use it in wraps, on burgers, and more. No matter what meal of the day, everything is better with bacon!
Katie’s tip
Looking for more beyond just the basics? Check out all of my Bacon Wrapped Recipes for more ways to use bacon for appetizers, snacks, and more!
Easy Air Fryer Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- Bacon (any cut or flavor)
Instructions
- Lay your bacon strips flat into your air fryer basket or rack, in a single layer (edges can touch, but shouldn’t overlap)Bacon
- Cook on the air fry setting at 350°F for 7-10 minutes, depending on crispiness desired (you can flip halfway through cooking, but it isn’t necessary unless the cooking looks uneven). If cooking multiple batches, reduce cooking time by 2 minutes to start for subsequent batches, and wipe out grease in between
- Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate (flatten it a bit if it has curled, as it will stiffen as it cools), then serve with your favorite accompaniments. Enjoy!
Notes
- Thick cut bacon takes about 2-3 minutes longer cooking time on average
- You can cook as much bacon at a time as fits in a single layer in your air fryer’s basket or rack. Overlap will cause uneven cooking, so split into batches as needed for best results (my 8 qt air fryer holds 6 strips at a time)
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any sauces or sides added, and quantity consumed (this assumes one slice), so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
