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.
Why You Want This Recipe
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.
In a rush? Then make sure to check out how to cook turkey bacon in the microwave for an even faster alternative.
What You’ll Need
- One package turkey bacon (such as Butterball)
- Other ingredients if desired
If you’re making a sandwich out of it, also grab:
- Tomato
- Lettuce
- Sandwich bread
- Mayonnaise
- Other seasonings (optional)
Ingredient Tips
- 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!
Air Fryer Recipes You Can Use Turkey Bacon In
- Scalloped Potatoes (in place of ham)
- Air Fryer Quiche With Crust
- Bacon Wrapped Scallops
- Brussel Sprouts With Bacon and Maple
- Atop Air Fryer Frozen Hamburgers
- Loaded Potato Skins
Recipe FAQs
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
Other Air Fryer Breakfast Foods to Try
- Frozen French Toast Sticks
- Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Canned Corned Beef Hash
- Air Fryer Toasted Bagel
- Orange and Almond Biscotti
Final Thoughts
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!
If you are in the mood for smoky food though, then make sure to check out my mouthwatering and crispy Smoked Turkey Wings in the Air Fryer!
Air Fryer Turkey Bacon BLT Sandwich
Equipment
- Measuring spoons (1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon)
- Pastry brush or similar
- Serrated knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 4 slices Turkey bacon (such as Butterball)
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Hot sauce (or sriracha)
- 2 slices Tomato (or more depending on size of tomato and preference)
- 2 leaves Romaine lettuce (or other lettuce variety of choice)
- 2 slices Sandwich bread, toasted (Brioche or potato preferred)
- 1 tbsp Mayonnaise (chipotle or regular)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 360°F
- Mix together the honey and hot sauce in a small bowl1 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 tool4 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 board2 slices Tomato, 2 leaves Romaine lettuce
- To one of the two bread slices, spread the mayonnaise across it evenly2 slices Sandwich bread, toasted, 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 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
Nutrition
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!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
- Easy 1 Ingredient Air Fryer Roasted Red Peppers Recipe! - September 19, 2023
- Air Fryer Bird’s Eye Crispy Green Beans in Under 10 Min! - September 17, 2023
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Schnitzel: Less Oil More Flavor! - September 16, 2023
