Making Air Fryer Bacon is so EASY! Enjoy crisp and evenly cooked bacon in under 10 minutes with the easiest cleanup. This is my family’s go-to method for cooking small batches of bacon.

Crispy air fryer bacon on a white plate stacked on top of each other.

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Air Fryer Bacon

We love Air Fryer Recipes like Air Fryer Chicken Wings and Air Fryer Baked Potatoes, not only because they cook faster, but they turn out extra crispy with little to no extra oil. If you crave crispy bacon, then this recipe is for you!

The air fryer method is so much easier to make than stovetop or baking in the oven because it’s quick, less messy and there’s no need to pre-heat the oven. You can make that epic BLT Sandwich in half the time.

Helpful Reader Reviews

“Oh my goodness! Thank you Natasha.Crisp and no greasy splatters all over the kitchen.Fantastic, just fantastic.” – Heather ★★★★★

“Thank you soooo much for this recipe. It is the best! In the past I have avoided cooking bacon on th stove or in the oven because of the greasy mess. After trying your recipe in my air frier, as you stated, I will be cooking bacon this way from now on. It is so quick and easy. As for messiness…there was NO MESS! I followed your recipe to the letter…” – Sheila ★★★★★

Crispy cooked bacon laid out on a cutting board.

How to Cook Bacon in Air Fryer

  • Arrange bacon in a single layer without overlapping to ensure even airflow and crisping.
  • Air Fry at 350˚F for 7-10 minutes, or to your desired crispness (see cooking time chart below). It varies depending on the thickness of your bacon.
  • Drain – Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat and enjoy!
Uncooked bacon in air fryer baskets

How Long to Cook Bacon in the Air Fryer

The cook time for this recipe can vary depending on the doneness of your bacon, the thickness of the bacon, and the style of your air fryer. Also, we do not preheat the air fryer for bacon.

  • Regular Cut Bacon – for softer bacon, air fry at 350˚F for 7 minutes, and for crispy bacon, cook 8 to 9 minutes
  • Thick-Cut Bacon – for softer bacon, air fry at 350˚F for 9-10 minutes, and for crispy bacon, cook 10-12 minutes.
Crunchy bacon strips laid out in an air fryer basket.

Do I have to preheat the air fryer?

This depends on your air fryer. Some air fryers recommend preheating, but it is not necessary for bacon and I never preheat my air fryer for anything, to be very honest.

Can I use turkey bacon?

Yes, if you want to use turkey bacon, this recipe works great. Just cook the turkey bacon as you would regular bacon. Since turkey bacon is leaner and thinner, reduce the cooking time and air fry for 5-7 minutes

Does Bacon need to be flipped in the air fryer?

Since the air circulates, there’s no need to flip the bacon halfway. It will be perfectly crispy on both sides.

How to prevent bacon smoking?

Since the smoke point of bacon fat is 400˚F, we air fry at 350˚F to avoid any smokiness while cooking bacon. Also, if cooking in batches, be sure to drain the drip pan of any oil and wipe clean with a paper towel. Another tip that was shared by one of our readers is to put a thin slice of bread flat in the bottom of the air fryer (beneath the basket – this only works in the basket-style air fryer) to absorb grease, simplify cleaning, and reduce smoking.

Oil in air fryer drip pan
Three slices of crispy cooked bacon laid out on a cutting board.

You only have to try cooking bacon in the Air Fryer once for it to become your new favorite way to cook bacon.

Use Cooked Bacon for

Crispy Air Fryer Bacon

4.98 from 232 votes
Air Fryer bacon on serving plate
Making Air Fryer Bacon is so EASY! Have this ready for breakfast in under 10 minutes. The bacon air-fried is crispy and crunchy and the cleanup is so easy.
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 5 slices of bacon
  • 5 slices bacon , (6 oz regular bacon, or 8-12 oz thick-cut bacon)

Instructions

  • Place the bacon strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cut strips in half if needed to fit more.
  • Air fry regular cut bacon at 350˚F for 7-9 minutes, or until bacon is browned and reaches desired crispiness. Air fry thick-cut bacon for 10-12 minutes.
  • Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate then serve. If cooking bacon in batches, be sure to discard any oil in the drip pan before repeating the process.

Notes

The nutrition label is per slice of bacon so you can easily calculate depending on how many slices you eat. 

Nutrition Per Serving

37kcal Calories0.1g Carbs3g Protein3g Fat1g Saturated Fat0.5g Polyunsaturated Fat1g Monounsaturated Fat0.01g Trans Fat8mg Cholesterol134mg Sodium40mg Potassium3IU Vitamin A1mg Calcium0.1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Crispy Air Fryer Bacon
Amount per Serving
Calories
37
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.5
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
8
mg
3
%
Sodium
 
134
mg
6
%
Potassium
 
40
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
0.1
g
0
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
3
IU
0
%
Calcium
 
1
mg
0
%
Iron
 
0.1
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer bacon
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 37
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook
4.98 from 232 votes (197 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Rick L Robison
    March 1, 2025

    I have an oven with air fry. I did this recipe with the temperature on 350. After 7 minutes I opened the oven to check how it was cooking and the room was filled with smoke. Apparently the smoke level for bacon is much lower than 350. After cooking for 20 minutes the bacon was still uncooked. I gave up and finished frying it in the skillet. Maybe this recipe works in the small individual air fryers, but it does not work in an oven equiped with air fry.

    Reply

  • PSW
    February 11, 2025

    Thanks for this recipe! Ended up doing thick cut bacon at 350F for 17 minutes (no preheat) and it comes out perfectly crisp!

    Reply

  • Teresa
    January 27, 2025

    Wow!!! Honestly i don’t have air fryer. Everytime i go shopping i dont see air fryers anywhere! Maybe perhaps i can try Amazon! I ‘m in love with your cookbook!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 28, 2025

      Hi Teresa! Thank you. So glad you’re enjoying the cookbook. I linked the air fryer above. You can also select “shop” from the menu at the top of the page to see a few options linked in my amazon affiliate shop.

      Reply

    • Lizzy
      February 7, 2025

      I just got the Instant Vortex Plus air fryer at Target last month and we are loving this thing! Even my kids are using it to cook their nuggets instead of using the darn microwave! So glad we bought it! Trying this bacon in the air fryer now.

      Reply

    • Michele P Martin
      March 14, 2025

      Good morning beautiful, I got my air fryer on Temu for $40. I hope this helps you. I am just learning myself. I hope you have a blessed day. Michele

      Reply

  • Carol
    January 27, 2025

    This is so good and easy for small batches…I put day old bread in bottom to soak up all the grease. Makes easy clean up.

    Reply

  • Glenn
    January 27, 2025

    Great recipes Natasha I got your cookbook for Christmas. You are a a amazing cook

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 27, 2025

      I’m so glad you got the book!

      Reply

    • Pam
      January 27, 2025

      My air fryer is built into my toaster oven, can I cook bacon in that? Nervous of the grease splatting.

      Reply

      • NatashasKitchen.com
        January 28, 2025

        Yes that would work too.

        Reply

  • Darlene green
    January 27, 2025

    I don’t have an an air fryer. Can this be cooked on the stove

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 27, 2025

      Hi Darlene, yes it can be done, but this recipe is specifically adapter for an air fryer since it is quicker and helps keep the mess/ smell.

      Reply

  • ann
    January 27, 2025

    Does this not make a mess of the heating element of the air fryer with all the grease splatter?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 27, 2025

      Hello! You can use parchment paper to help with the grease. This is so far less messyn compared to other methods.

      Reply

  • Tom
    January 27, 2025

    I have limited counter space. Small Apt. Are there small air fryers ?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      January 27, 2025

      Hi Tom! I linked the air fryer in the post above so you could go see the dimensions listed in the details to see if it fits on your countertop.

      Reply

    • Paula Englert
      January 27, 2025

      Tom, yes there are small air fryers. Measure the space where you want to put one and take the measurements with you to shop. There will be at least one and probably many more you can choose from. Air fryers are GREAT!

      Reply

    • Angie Lum
      January 27, 2025

      Dash makes a really small one. I use it for my condo in Waikiki. They also come in several colors and are reasonably priced. Easy to clean as well.

      Reply

  • Doris Temp
    January 18, 2025

    So easy!

    I used some thin, old bread slices in the drip pan after lining it with parchment paper.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 18, 2025

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Doris!

      Reply

    • Tom
      January 27, 2025

      if the slices are old, they’re probably ready as bread crumbs too. I’ll try that with the papertowel

      Reply

  • Erin R Keith
    September 30, 2024

    I love this method of cooking bacon! Thank u. I put a slice of bread in the bottom of my air fryer for even easier clean up!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      October 1, 2024

      So much easier! You’re very welcome, Erin!

      Reply

  • Rachel Deuhr
    August 25, 2024

    This may be bc my air fryer requires a higher temp but I had to cook at 400 for like 15 mins :/ not ideal but again it could be my air fryer

    Reply

  • Gail
    July 31, 2024

    I made this bacon and loved it. At the half way point I turned the bacon over and his stopped it from curling.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 31, 2024

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Gail. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  • Richard McMasters
    July 8, 2024

    Bacon was perfect at 9 mins. Crisp, no burn, not greasy this is now my goto method.

    Reply

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