Air Fryer Bacon

Here’s how to cook bacon in your Air Fryer! Making Air Fryer Bacon is so easy and saves you so much time cleaning up! All the grease stays in one place for easy clean-up. You get crispy, delicious bacon in minutes.

Air Fryer Bacon

There is nothing like the smell of bacon cooking in the morning. Making bacon on the stovetop is nice, but I hate cleaning up all the grease that gets all over the place.

Skip the pan frying and use the air fryer instead!

We love using the air fryer even over cooking bacon in the oven or microwave. Air Fried Bacon is quick, easy, and always tastes fantastic.

Making bacon in the air fryer saves time and keeps all the clean-up in one place. It is so dang easy!

Set some bacon aside for lunch and pair it with an air fryer baked potato! Hello YUM!

There are so many ways to enjoy crispy bacon!

Bacon makes me giggle, which I know is a random reaction, but there is a backstory. Bacon outed my relationship with my now husband.

I have been a vegetarian for 20+ years and didn't know how to cook bacon when I was dating my husband. Thankfully, John and I are still together, and I have mastered cooking bacon in various ways.

This crispy air fryer bacon recipe is so easy! No more stressing about flipping the bacon on the stovetop. I hope it will become your new favorite way to prepare perfect bacon.

How do you stop the bacon smoking in the air fryer?

There are two ways to prevent the air fryer from smoking while making bacon. You can put a piece of bread under the air fryer basket to soak in the grease or add water under the basket to combine with the fat.

Make sure to empty the grease after every batch of bacon to prevent it from bubbling and smoking in the bottom.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make epic Air Fryer Bacon! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.

• Regular or Thick-Cut Bacon 

Equipment Needed

• Air Fryer: We suggest getting an air fryer that is bigger than you think you will need. We found once we started using the air fryer, we ended up using it for more meals and larger meals.
• Kitchen Tongs: We highly suggest getting a good pair of kitchen tongs to remove items from the air fryer and save your hands from getting burned.
• Paper Towels 

Recipe Tips

We do not preheat the air fryer for this recipe.

We do not spray the inside of the air fryer with any cooking oils since the bacon forms grease making it really easy to remove it.

For softer bacon, you will want to lower the cooking time by a couple of minutes.

Every batch of bacon slices will cook a bit quicker than the one before it. You will need to lower the cook time for each batch.

You will need to clean the bacon grease in between batches.

The smoke point of bacon fat is 400˚F though some sites say it is as low as 325˚F

IF your bacon is to long just cut it in half so it easily fits and the air can circulate around it.

Once your air fryer has cooled down make sure to wipe it down with a towel to remove any grease that may have splattered inside.

How to Make Air Fryer Bacon

I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.

1. Place bacon strips in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
2. Air fry bacon
3. Remove the bacon from the air fryer and place the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Remove any oil from the air fryer basket before doing another batch of bacon.

Preparation and Storage

Make Ahead: This Air Fryer Bacon recipe is so quick and easy that we recommend making it to order. You’ll have crispy bacon slices in mere minutes!

Storage: Store cooked bacon in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy it within five days.

Freezing/How to Freeze: Freeze bacon slices in an airtight, freezer-safe container and enjoy them within a month. You can separate each piece with a layer of paper towel between each.

How to Reheat: You can reheat your cooked Air Fryer Bacon in the air fryer.

Recipe Variations

Substitutions: This recipe works for any type of bacon, including turkey and veggie.

Vegetarian Option: Replace the bacon with a meat-free alternative to make this recipe vegetarian.

Vegan Option: Replace the bacon with a plant-based substitute to make this recipe vegan.

Gluten-Free: Check for a gluten-free label on your bacon to ensure it is safe for a gluten-free diet.

Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: How much bacon you can prepare depends on the size of your air fryer oven. Every batch of bacon slices will cook quicker than the one before it. You will need to lower the cooking time for each batch.

Sugar-Free: Check the nutrition label on your bacon to ensure it is sugar-free if this is a dietary concern for you or anyone you’re serving.

Tips for the Best Air Fryer Bacon

• We do not preheat the air fryer for this recipe.
• We do not spray the inside of the air fryer with any cooking oils since the bacon forms grease, making it easy to remove it.
• For softer bacon, you will want to lower the cooking time by a couple of minutes.
• You will need to clean the bacon grease in between batches.
• The smoke point of bacon fat is 400˚F though some sites say it is as low as 325˚F
• If your bacon is too long, cut it in half so it easily fits and the air can circulate it.
• Once your air fryer has cooled down, wipe it down with a towel to remove any grease that may have splattered inside.
• Check out our recipe for Brown Sugar Bacon Candy if you want to turn your cooked bacon slices into treats that are delightfully sweet and savory!
• Nutrition information, including calories, protein, calcium, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin c, potassium, cholesterol, sodium, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and more, will vary depending on the products used.

 

What to Serve with Air Fryer Bacon

Whether you make it part of a breakfast of champions or add it to a savory dish later in the day, it’s no wonder versatile bacon is well-loved and appears in all sorts of meals! Here are some menu pairing suggestions.

Sides: Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole, Easy Pancake Muffins, Muffin Mix Pancakes, Air Fryer Sausage Links, 3 Ingredient Sausage & Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls, Air Fryer Frozen Hashbrowns, Air Fryer Toaster Strudel, Sausage Breakfast Biscuit Cups, Bacon Gravy

Main Dishes: Sausage Biscuit & Gravy Casserole, Eggnog French Toast, Crock Pot Cheese Grits, Crock Pot Ham & Cheese Grits, Crockpot Breakfast Casserole, Pulled Pork Breakfast Hash, Ham & Cheese Breakfast Casserole, CopyCat Egg McMuffin, Eggs in a Basket

Desserts: Raspberry Coffee Cake, Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling Cobbler, Lemon Dutch Baby, CrockPot Cinnamon Monkey Roll Bread, Bisquick Blackberry Cobbler

When to Serve

• Breakfast
• Brunch
• Lunch
• Dinner
• As a salad topper
• On a BLT

Great Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Frozen Pancakes

Air Fryer Frozen Hashbrowns

Air Fryer Chickpeas

Check out all of our Air Fryer Recipes! 

Great Breakfast Recipes

Make sure to check out all of our recipes with bacon!

Bisquick Blueberry Muffins

Eggnog Oatmeal

Cinnamon Sugar Crescent Rolls

Greek Frittata

Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.

Follow Tammilee Tips on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for all our recipe posts.