If you’re trying to be a little calorie-conscious, you may have made the swap to turkey bacon over the traditional pork type. But, you still definitely want it to be crispy and delicious! So let’s talk about how to cook turkey bacon in the air fryer for an easy preparation method.
Your air fryer is perfect for getting that turkey bacon nice and crispy for the perfect crunch. It makes an excellent addition to your breakfast plate.
However, it also serves up nicely in a turkey bacon BLT air fryer sandwich (which I’ll include a recipe for below)! Pair your sandwich with some air fryer frozen onion rings for a quick and easy side.
I’m using Butterball turkey bacon in my air fryer, but this method is consistent among most brands. If you have extra thick or thin slices, though, you may need to modify the time slightly.
If you add anything with sugar in your seasoning, cut the cook time down to 5 minutes to start or it’ll burn
I like romaine lettuce, but iceberg, red leaf, and others work just as well
A nice beefsteak tomato is great for this, but you can use smaller roma tomatoes in a pinch too
For sandwich bread, I typically use sourdough or a brioche because they’re sturdy and delicious
Substitute chipotle mayo for the regular if you want some extra heat
How to Cook Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer: Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 360°F
Apply any seasonings desired to the bacon (if not, skip this step)
Place strips of turkey bacon in a single layer in the preheated air fryer basket or tray, allowing some air space between them. If you need to trim your slices in half to fit, that’s perfectly fine
Cook turkey bacon on the air fry setting for 10 minutes at 360°F, pausing to flip the strips halfway
Add any additional time in 1-minute increments if it’s not quite crispy enough for you
Serve with your breakfast favorites or add to a sandwich!
Does Turkey Bacon Need to Be Flipped in the Air Fryer?
While turkey bacon doesn’t need to be flipped in the air fryer, it’s highly recommended to do so.
Flipping your turkey bacon allows for more even air flow to both sides of the bacon, which in turn leads to more crispy and browned bacon. If you like floppy and/or soggy bacon, then I suppose you don’t need to flip it.
Certain styles of air fryer, typically air fryer toaster ovens, have a rack system instead of a basket which allows for different air flow patterns. In air fryer toaster ovens, you usually do not need to flip your turkey bacon to achieve a crispy state.
Can I Cook Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook turkey bacon in the air fryer.
This easy method requires just one flip midway through the cook cycle. You’ll get crispy, browned bacon with no fuss.
Air Fryer Turkey Bacon Time and Temperature
The recommended time and temperature for plain air fryer turkey bacon is 10 minutes at 360°F.
If your air fryer doesn’t have a setting for 360°F, then 370°F is a fine substitution. This is the perfect temperature to get your bacon crispy without being burned.
Should you add honey, maple syrup, or another sugary substance to create candied turkey bacon, cut the cook time down to 5 minutes to start to prevent burning.
Note that this is for most standard turkey bacon brands, but if you get a particularly thin or thick cut, you may need to adjust accordingly, just like you would with regular bacon.
Recipe Expert Tips
My Ninja Foodi Dual Zone fits about 3 strips in each basket, for a total of 6 at a time that I can cook. However, your space constraints may vary, so cook in batches if need be
If you have a rack or trivet you can set on top of the bacon, I highly recommend it, as turkey bacon is light enough to get thrown around in the air fryer basket. It’ll still cook fine, but it curls and you’ll get weird soft spots
Now that you know how easy it is to cook turkey bacon in the air fryer you’ll want to use this method every time. It’s way faster than the oven and delivers a much better texture than the stovetop gives you.
While turkey bacon is much less fatty than traditional pork, it will still produce some grease. Make sure you know what to do if your air fryer is smoking to keep that smoke alarm from going off!
2slicesTomato(or more depending on size of tomato and preference)
2leavesRomaine lettuce(or other lettuce variety of choice)
2slicesSandwich bread, toasted(Brioche or potato preferred)
1tbspMayonnaise(chipotle or regular)
Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 360°F
Mix together the honey and hot sauce in a small bowl
1 tbsp Honey, 1 tsp Hot sauce
Brush both sides of the turkey bacon in the honey hot sauce mixture, using a pastry brush or similar tool
4 slices Turkey bacon
Place strips of turkey bacon in a single layer in the preheated air fryer basket or tray, allowing some air space between them. If you need to trim your slices in half to fit, that’s perfectly fine
Cook turkey bacon on the air fry setting for 5 minutes at 360°F, pausing to flip the strips halfway
Add any additional time in 1-minute increments if it’s not quite crispy enough for you
While turkey bacon is cooking, slice tomatoes and lettuce using a serrated knife on a cutting board
2 slices Tomato, 2 leaves Romaine lettuce
To one of the two bread slices, spread the mayonnaise across it evenly
Add lettuce on top of mayo, cooked turkey bacon on top of lettuce, two slices of tomato, then place the second piece of bread on top
Slice sandwich in half if desired
Serve with a side of chips, fries, onion rings, or similar (optional)
Notes
The bread may be toasted ahead of time using a toaster, broiler in the oven, toaster oven, or air fry at 400°F for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through
Add more or less turkey bacon if desired; this sandwich is pretty adaptable
The cooking time is only 5 minutes for this recipe as the honey helps it brown and caramelize much quicker than plain turkey bacon
If you have a rack or trivet that fits in your air fryer, use it to help prevent the bacon from flying around and curling up
You may substitute maple syrup, brown sugar, or another sweet syrup in place of the honey if desired
The hot sauce may be omitted if you don’t like any spice (but it’s not a spicy sandwich to begin with)
Add chipotle mayo instead of regular if you want some actual spice to it
Any tomato works, but I happen to have a roma tomato today (which is why I did 3 small slices)
All varieties of lettuce work well. Pictured is some romaine because that’s what I had on hand
Nutrition facts will vary based on specific ingredients used, so please consider this a rough guideline
Keyword air fryer turkey bacon, air fryer turkey bacon sandwich, butterball turkey bacon in air fryer, how to cook turkey bacon in air fryer, ninja foodi air fryer turkey bacon, turkey bacon
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
