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This air fryer bacon recipe is fast, delicious, and has minimal cleanup. Whether you like it lightly crisp or extra crunchy, it’s done in minutes and perfect every time!
Try my Creamy Bacon Chicken or Chicken Bacon Ranch Orzo next.
Why you’ll love it
Bacon in the air fryer is the only way you’ll want to cook it from now on. It’s a game changer! There’s no big greasy mess like with other methods, and air fryers are super easy to clean. You can use either regular or thick-cut bacon for this simple recipe.
Air fryers are such handy appliances. They’re perfect for getting bacon as crispy as you crave, and they cook it evenly on both sides since they’re basically little convection ovens that circulate hot air throughout. That means no flipping is needed!
What you’ll need
- Bacon – the great thing about air frying bacon is that the technique doesn’t change if you use thick cut or regular bacon, just the timing
Helpful tips
- Air fryers and brands of bacon vary, so you may need to do a bit of experimenting to get the right timing for your ideal crispiness. You can also experiment with skipping the pre-heat function (just add the bacon right in) once you have a better idea of how your air fryer behaves.
- If cooking multiple batches, it’s a good idea to drain/wipe the bacon fat from your air fryer.
How to make bacon in the air fryer
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat the air fryer. Without overlapping the bacon, place the strips in the basket. Cook, checking every so often, until desired crispness using the timing guidelines below.
Substitutions and variations
- Sprinkle a little brown sugar, or brush on a bit of maple syrup to get a candied, sweet and savory quality.
- You can also use fresh cracked black pepper or your favorite seasonings to jazz it up.
- My How to Cook Bacon in the Oven guide is another foolproof way to cook bacon if you prefer.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here’s my Instant Vortex air fryer model, and it’s really easy to clean it with Dawn Power Wash spray.
- Handle the bacon with a pair of cooking tongs.
- I like to keep uncooked bacon in the fridge in this airtight storage container.
What to serve with air fryer bacon
- Bacon makes everything better. Use it in BLTs, breakfast and club sandwiches, on a burger, or with some eggs or waffles.
- It’s great as a topping on your favorite salad. Skip the pan frying and crumble it onto my Avocado Bacon Spinach Salad or Spinach Salad with Bacon and Eggs, or add it to a Caesar salad with my popular 10-Minute Caesar Dressing.
- It’s so versatile! Elevate everything from your favorite soup to my Baked Mac and Cheese.
Leftovers and storage
- Store for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- It’s best when first cooked, but you can reheat bacon in the air fryer. Set to 350F and cook for 2-3 minutes, taking care to not dry it out.
- You can freeze it. Make sure it’s cooled first, and store in a single layer in an airtight bag/container. Reheat from frozen if desired, adding on a few more minutes.
How crispy do you like your air fryer bacon? Talk to me in the comments below! I’d love it if you left me a star rating and review. You can also tag me on Instagram.
Air Fryer Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon regular or thick-cut, see note
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 350F.
- Add the bacon strips in a single layer to your air fryer basket. For regular bacon, cook for 7-10 minutes or until desired crispiness is reached, or 12-15 minutes for thick-cut bacon.
Notes
- You can add as many strips of bacon as comfortably fit in your air fryer without overlapping.
- Once you familiarize yourself with timing in your particular air fryer, feel free to put the bacon in before pre-heating it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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