The easiest way to make bacon is in the air fryer. It’s crispy, quick, and makes very little mess. Try it next time you make breakfast.
Jump to RecipeEven though only half of the people in my household eat bacon, we still tend to cook some up almost every weekend. Tyler and I are in the “we don’t eat bacon” group and Justin and Ryan are part of the “give me all I can eat” group. For the longest time, Justin would pan-fry the bacon on a flat pan on the stovetop. While this worked, it was very messy.
A few months ago, during Prime Day on Amazon, I purchased an air fryer for myself. I had been wanting one for a while and found a great deal. One of the first things Justin made was air fryer bacon. And he hasn’t made it another way since then!
Advantages to Using the Air Fryer to make Bacon:
- It’s Healthier
- There is less mess to clean up
- The smell doesn’t permeate the house as much
- Set it and forget it, the air fryer does all of the work
Other yummy bacon recipes they love: Alice Springs Chicken, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken, BLT Sandwich
Air Fryer Bacon Step by Step
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
Preparation
Making air fryer bacon couldn’t be easier as you can put it in the fryer, set it, and walk away. We like to line the drip pan (NOT the tray) with foil to make cleanup even easier. Spread the bacon in a single layer on the air fryer tray. Justin likes to cut the bacon in half so it fits nicely on the tray.
Place the tray in the middle of the air fryer.
Bake at 400F until desired crispness. We have found the following times seem to work well:
- 8 mins = slightly chewy
- 9 mins = crispy
- 11 mins = very crispy/almost burned
Use a paper towel to blot off any excess grease from the bacon and serve warm.
Leftovers
Any leftover bacon can be stored in the refrigerator then reheated either in a pan or in the microwave until warm
Recipe
Originally Published On: February 22, 2021
Last Updated On: September 13, 2023
Air Fryer Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- For easier cleanup, line the drip pan with foil
- Spread the bacon in a single layer on the air fryer tray
- Bake at 400F for about 9 minutes, until desired crispness
- 8 mins = slightly chewy9 mins = crispy11 mins = very crispy/almost burned
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Air Fryer Bacon FAQs
The less fat you have on the bacon in the end, the healthier it will be. Because the fat is allowed to drip off as it cooks, rather than sitting in it, you will have less on the final food. Also, the crispier you make your bacon, the more fat will cook off, giving it less calories.
As an air fryer doesn’t need to preheat, it only takes as long as you need to cook the bacon. The longest we cook it is 11 minutes for very crispy bacon.
We find this is the easiest method as well as the quickest. You don’t have to wait for the oven to preheat. It doesn’t splatter grease as with cooking on a stovetop. And it gets very crispy unlike in a microwave.
As long as you aren’t adding any extra oil or fat to the bacon, it is safe to cook in the air fryer. In fact, I find it safer since you don’t run the risk of the bacon grease splattering as you try to flip it in the pan.
More Recipes with Bacon
- Air Fryer Bacon
- Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast with Thousand Island Dressing
- Alice Springs Chicken Copycat Recipe
- Classic BLT Sandwich
Easiest and most delicious thing ever!! 🙂 I am so making some today!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
What’s leftover bacon? LOL! It just doesn’t happen in our house. This is a great way to prepare bacon. The smell really bugs us sometimes.
Hah, good question! There’s never leftovers in our house with my youngest son around.
We did this an dit was SO GOOD! I feel like I will never eat bacon any other way!
That’s the same thing my husband said, too!
Yum, it looks delicious 👌🏻 My husband has been thinking of buying an air fryer (Shhh, he is the main chef here 😜) for a while. I am going to show him the one that you are using, sounds like a great product!
It took me a while to buy one but I am so glad that I did! I really like the shape and size of the air fryer we bought.
I think we have an air fryer in Japan, but I have to research it more closely. I love eating bacon, though I don’t eat a lot. They actually are smaller here and more money.
Oh man, that’s a bummer!
That’s awesome you can do that it doesn’t have a big mess. Well, I don’t eat bacon too haha.
I don’t, but my husband and youngest love it. I don’t love the mess, so it’s a win for everyone here!
We love making our bacon in the air fryer! So much quicker and with less mess! Yum!
Yay! I’m glad we aren’t the only ones who have found it better.
An excellent way to cook bacon!! Easy, quick and clean. Every man loves bacon! Mmm!
It’s so easy, and yes, so much easier to clean up, too!
Oh wow! We love our air fryer but have never thought of cooking bacon in it.That’s genius!! I can’t wait to try this.
I love this recipe. I’ve made it a couple of times now, and I can’t get over how crispy it is and how much mess I DON’T have to clean!
Such a delicious and easy breakfast meal to make for my family. Yummy!
Nnniiiiccceeeeee…this bacon turned out really fine, I must say! I love it.
I love my airfryer!!Love this recipe definitely gonna try thanks