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.
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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 ★★★★★
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!
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.
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.
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
- Sandwiches – BLT Sandwich, Breakfast Sandwich, or Eggs Benedict
- With Eggs – Omelettes, Scrambled Eggs, Poached Eggs, or Deviled Eggs
- Wraps – Tortilla Breakfast Wrap, or Chicken Wrap – Valentina’s Corner
- Salad – Pasta Caesar salad – Valentina’s Corner
- Topping for Pierogi, Zuppa Toscana, or Clam Chowder
Crispy Air Fryer Bacon
Ingredients
- 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
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
Simple easy and delicious! As a novice to air frying, I was so confused by all the comments on FB on how to cook bacon (really people, it’s bacon!)
Thanks for keeping it simple, this was absolutely delicious! I’ll be back for more tips and recipes : )
So simple and so good! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Made you air fryer bacon in. Kalorik Max … In 2 layers basket and it was INDESCRIBABLY DELICIOUS!!!!
I just watched the baskets toward the end of the time for thick slice bacon. My husband and I couldn’t be happier!!!
Yay, that’s awesome! I’m happy that you loved it.
Just curious if you can use a rack to stack bacon letting you cook more at one time
Hi Mark! I personally haven’t tried that myself, I imagine it may work If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi and right off let me shout out a great big “Thank You”! I wanted an Air Fryer for ever ~ My sweet daughter surprised me ~ We tired it right out! Were totally disappointed in the results! After two years of “it” just sitting hidden~ we are gonna try it again!! Can’t wait to taste the result! Thanks to all!
Sounds like a good plan, Helen. I hope you love all the recipes that you will try with it!
Hi Helen,
I am compelled to drop a note to you after reading your post.
I had a few hits and a few misses at first with my air fryer, but for a couple years now, it is my go-to cooking appliance. One of my favourites is air fried parsnips. Or zucchini, or French fries, or bbq-ish chicken hind quarters. Lots of foods are including air fryer instructions on the packaging, which is handy. I Google most of the recipes I use, and modify them to my taste.
I almost don’t use my big oven anymore…
A few things just do not belong in the air fryer, at least for me. e.g., I have destroyed a couple great steaks. I wouldn’t cook shrimp or scallops in an air fryer either, they are too delicate, and I like to plop them in sauces for the final cooking of them.
I have a friend that has an air fryef, and we trade experience es/recipes – it really helps…
My humble advice is to do some experimenting with 5 star recipes like this one, if you are like me and my friends, you will fall in love with your little appliance, and it will never leave your kitchen counter.
Oh, a hint, lining your fryer with foil will reduce cleaning significantly…
Enjoy, Bill
(Sorry, no time to edit this for typos…)
You say crispy air fry bacon is easy to clean up after, but don’t say how to do it. When I cook bacon in the microwave, it splatters all over, but is a pretty easy wipe down. The toaster oven air fryer has exposed heat tubes running through it. I don’t see how cleanup can be easy, or even achievable. Please explain.
Hi Judy, when we use the toaster oven-style air fryer, I line the basket with foil and that catches the oil drips. In the basket style air fryer, we just put the components into the dishwasher.
What about the sides and the top of the AF? Doesn’t the bacon grease splatter everywhere, just like it would in a microwave?
Hi Julie, when we use the toaster oven-style air fryer, I line the basket with foil and that catches the oil drips. In the basket-style air fryer, we just put the components into the dishwasher.
That still doesn’t explain how to clean the inside top of the oven AF. They heating elements will get splattered and they are hard to clean. Are you saying, all the grease will go to the bottom and not splatter? Can you please let us know.
Hi Dorothy! I don’t have a video or instructions for this but I have seen helpful tutorials on youtube using a damp cloth with dish soap or a mixture made of baking soda. I would research and see what method is convenient for you based on the style of air fryer you have.
Fold paper towel and place in bottom of basket and the grease will be in the paper towel and can just be tossed in trash when bacon is done. Simple clean up.
This worked really well but some of my bacon (normal thickness) curled too, and inside the curl, it was not cooked quite as much as the rest of the strip. Not a big deal as I cook my bacon really crispy anyway. Next time I will try the old trick of rinsing the bacon strips under cold water before frying and see if that makes a difference in the curls. In any case, tThank you from a recent air fryer convert!u!
Hi Terry, I haven’t heard about rinsing bacon. That’s interesting.
Actually, I read a tip somewhere that sounded silly at first, but water works as a great starter for frying bacon on the stove. The idea is that the bacon soaks up some of the water. Let the water evaporate while the bacon cooks on medium, and then when it’s done, it’s still crispy without being brittle or too hard.
I agree with you…I’ve actually tried this method and it comes out crispier than expected! Great idea!
How do you keep the bacon from curling up, mine did not look like your pictures
Hi Madeline, it can curl up moe if the bacon is very thinly sliced. Also, flipping the bacon halfway helps but it’s not really necessary for it to cook properly.
Hi Madeline, I haven’t had that experience, but we also don’t do anything special besides laying the bacon down flat and following the recipe tips. I would make sure your temperature isn’t set higher than called for so it’s not cooking too fast. I hope it works better for you next time!
Try snipping the outside edge in a few places. Even though there is no rind it helps.
38 calories?!? I need to find this magical bacon!! 😁 I actually want to thank you for putting up the nutrition facts on your recipes. It really helps arrange our day, in terms of spending calories. Although, this one seems a little off target 🎯
Can you cook two racks of bacon at the same time?
Hi Pete, if your Air Fryer allows for that, you can try it out! I hope you love this recipe!
I was gifted an air fryer & tried this recipe 1st with 2 racks & took 12 min but was delish! I had 3 strips left so cooked those alone & took 7 min. I like it well done, bacon was thin cut & my air fryer is Gourmia from Costco. You have to let it sit for a few minutes to get crispy. Was
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. The only thing I basically needed to clean was my air frier. I drained the grease after ever batch so all I had to do was put the washable basket unit in the sink with soap and hot water. Rinse, let dry and Done! GREAT!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Sheila!
Great recipes I don’t use mine much
I hope you use it more with our recipes, Lynne!
What air fryer is recommended fr a family of 2?
Quality important not price
Hi Rita, for a family of 2, I would go with the basket-style air fryer.
I recommend Ninja XL grill … LOVE IT!!! Only for 2 of us!
I really wanted to love this bacon but it just isn’t the same or as good as even microwaved bacon. It was crispy but chewy too which was weird .. and it wasn’t thick cut bacon, and that’s exactly why I don’t buy thick sliced bacon.
I wonder if you over-fried it? I haven’t had that experience with it being chewy. Maybe it was a certain type of bacon? Also, keep an eye on it since not all air fryers are created equal. You can always open and check on it and keep cooking if needed.
i had this isse too. I think it was because i put too much thick sliced baccon in basket. will try again with fewer slices and see what happens.
My oven has an air fryer mode so is it the same?
Hi Marlene, I would recommend checking your owner manual to see if any adjustments need to be made, but I bet that could work similarly!
I tried it out the first time in the air fryer and it came out perfect. Thanks Natasha.
You are very welcome, Rosemarie. Glad you loved it!
Can you do the trending wool roll bread
Hi Hana, thanks for your suggestion. I’ll try to add that to the list.
Natasha, I just read your air fryer bacon experience. My question, was it really a very easy clean up, no mess on the machine? What about inside?
We love bacon, I hate the mess of grease, everywhere, especially in the oven when I have cooked it in the oven.
Also, I just love all your recipes and your videos. Thank you for sharing your cooking passion.
Thank you so much for your good comments and appreciation. Yes, it was very easy and not messy compared to other methods that I have tried. You should give it a try!
I’ve seen posts where people put a slice of bread under the basket to soak up the fat. Personally speaking I save the fat for cooking (roasted veggies/potatoes, yorkshire’s, fried eggs, etc.)k. I will definitely give AF bacon a try now. Thanks so much for all your great recipes and cooking tips and videos Natasha.
You’re Welcome, Sue!
For greasy things like this, I line the inside/bottom of the air fryer with foil to collect the grease and stay clean. Not the basket, but under the basket, so air still flows properly. With Bacon, I even save the fat from the foil to use in my pan when frying eggs. I used to bake bacon in the oven, and even then, foil is your best friend. But of course, if you are worried about cleaning, and don’t use foil, just wash while its still warm before the grease hardens, like with any other non-stick pan. No worries!
Heaven on earth!! We go through a lot of bacon. I usually hate making it, since it can take forever & grease gets everywhere, but not this way! It was perfect! Easy clean up & so much quicker!
Yay! What a wonderful comment and review, thank you for sharing that with us. Glad you loved this recipe, Kristyn!
I think this is the best way to cook bacon! Quick & so crispy! I have found my new way!
That’s just awesome, Natalie!
Ah, I’m going to try the basket and see how it turns out! Thanks for the tips.
You’re welcome, Kim! I hope you enjoy this recipe!