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Tantalizingly crisp Air Fryer Bacon is hands-down the best bacon you’ll cook! Use the air fryer to make crispy, evenly-cooked bacon, in less time and with less mess. So quick and easy, you can pull it off on a weekday morning!

crispy air fryer bacon in the air fryer

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Air Fryer Bacon Recipe

  • It Cooks Hands-Free (No Grease Splatters!). Like Baked Bacon in the Oven (and unlike cooking bacon in a skillet on the stovetop), air fryer bacon cooks completely hands-free. You don’t even need to flip it!
  • It’s Fast. From Air Fryer French Fries, to Air Fryer Chicken Wings, to Air Fryer Potato Chips, the air fryer makes food crispy in a fraction of the time as the oven. That’s a major bonus when you have a table full of hungry people or are looking to make yourself a BLT.
  • It’s Mouthwateringly Crispy! Soggy bacon is not allowed in our house, so when I find a new way to cook bacon, I have to make sure it will turn out crisp every single time. Like my Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, this air fryer bacon will always be crispy and delicious!
  • Works for Thin or Thick-Cut Bacon. The air fryer does a fantastic job cooking both, so use what you prefer or have on hand.
  • Easy Clean Up. One of the best parts of making bacon in the air fryer is the quick clean up. No greasy stove.
crispy air fryer bacon on a paper towel

About Air Frying Bacon

Bacon is safe to cook in the air fryer, but you need to make sure that you use the proper temperature and that your air fryer is clean before you begin.

  • The Best Bacon Air Fryer Temperature is 350 degrees F. This will crisp the bacon without causing it to smoke or burn.
  • Discard Excess Bacon Grease in the Drip Tray Between Batches. This will prevent smoking.
  • Different Types of Bacon Cook Differently. Typically air fryer bacon cooks in 5 to 9 minutes, depending upon if it is thick-cut bacon or thin-cut.
  • Air Fryers Vary. Each air fryer model is a little different; this recipe has been tested in a Ninja air fryer and Philips air fryer. Check early to make sure your bacon doesn’t burn.
air fried bacon on a plate

How to Cook Bacon in the Air Fryer

The Ingredients

  • Bacon. Since it is the only true ingredient here, using good-quality bacon is very important. It will have the best taste and texture, resulting in the best possible bacon experience (yes, please!). You can use thick-cut or thin-cut bacon for this recipe.
  • Black Pepper. For a twist, try adding a sprinkle of black pepper to your bacon.

The Directions

Raw meat in a basket
  1. Cut the Bacon Slices. Lay them in the air fryer basket in a single layer (if you do multiple layers, it won’t be as crisp).
Bacon in an air fryer
  1. Air Fry. Air fry bacon at 350 degrees F for 5 to 9 minutes (for thin-cut bacon) or 10 to 12 minutes (for thick cut).
A plate of cooked air fryer bacon
  1. Remove and Repeat. Repeat steps with remaining batches. DIG IN!

How to Use Air Fryer Bacon

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Refrigerate bacon strips in an airtight container for up to 2 days. 
  • To Reheat. You can reheat bacon in an air fryer. Recrisp leftovers in the air fryer at 350 degrees F. 
  • To Freeze. Freeze bacon strips in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. Reheat from frozen as desired. 

Storage Tips

If you’re freezing a large quantity of bacon, freeze the strips in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, transfer the frozen strips to a freezer-safe ziptop bag or storage container.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Bacon

Pieces of crispy air fryer bacon
  • Air Fryer. Prepare this delicious air fryer bacon recipe (or Air Fryer Pork Chops) anytime a craving strikes!
  • Baking Sheet. Perfect if you plan to keep your bacon warm in the oven.
  • Tongs. Ideal for transferring the slices to the air fryer.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • How You Cut Matters. For perfect bacon, cut the bacon slices in half crosswise before adding them to the air fryer. This helps them cook more evenly and fit in the air fryer basket more comfortably.
  • Buy the Best Bacon. If possible, purchase your bacon slices directly from the grocery store’s butcher counter. It’s often the same price as what comes prepackaged, but it’s better quality.
  • Stop the Smoking. I have never had an issue with air fryer bacon smoke as long as I empty any excess grease in between batches, BUT if you do have problems with smoke when you air fry bacon, I read you can place a piece of bread in the air fryer basket to absorb extra bacon drippings. If you’re in the middle of cooking bacon in the air fryer and it starts to smoke, remove it and finish cooking on the stovetop or in your regular oven.
  • Don’t Worry About Foil. While you can line the basket with it if you like, I found the air fryer was very easy to clean even without it. If you use foil, ensure it’s not touching any part of the heating element or fan.

Air Fryer Bacon

4.91 from 111 votes
Here's your guide to the BEST air fryer bacon! Tricks for how to cook it, avoid bacon smoke, and create the most perfect bacon you've ever had!

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 servings (multiply as desired!)

Ingredients
  

  • 4 strips bacon thick or thin, cut in half crosswise
  • Black pepper optional

Instructions
 

  • Wipe out your air fryer to avoid bacon smoking. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. If you’d like to keep the bacon warm between batches, preheat your oven to 250°F.
  • Slide out your air fryer basket. With tongs, arrange the halved bacon slices in a single layer. Make sure they do not overlap (a little bit of touching at the edges is OK). If desired, sprinkle with black pepper. Depending upon the size of your basket and the number of strips you’d like to cook at once, you may need to cook the bacon in batches.
  • Cook the bacon for 5 minutes (for thinner bacon) or up to 12 minutes (for thick-cut bacon), until it reaches your desired crispness. The bacon will curl as it crisps. Check the bacon’s progress frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn.
  • Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and lightly blot. If desired, transfer the bacon to a baking sheet and keep in the oven.
  • For further batches: Repeat with remaining bacon (no need to wipe out the air fryer in between unless it begins to smoke, in which case carefully pour out the grease and wipe it with a paper towel). Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • If the bacon begins to smoke, this is likely old grease that was left in your air fryer (as long as your air fryer is set to less than 360°F, it should not smoke). Once your air fryer is cool, wipe it out with a damp cloth to prevent further smoking. I have also read you can place a slice of bread in the air fryer basket when making bacon to absorb excess grease and prevent smoke.
  • TO STORE: Refrigerate bacon strips in an airtight storage container for up to 2 days. 
  • TO REHEAT: Recrisp bacon in the air fryer at 350°F. 
  • TO FREEZE: Freeze bacon strips in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag. Reheat from frozen as desired. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (of 2); 2 stripsCalories: 183kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 29mgPotassium: 87mgVitamin A: 16IUCalcium: 2mgIron: 1mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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56 Comments

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  1. Work really well. I cooked thick cut back bacon and only took10 minutes or less to cook but we like it crispy so we left it for about 12-14 minutes and it was lovely and crisp and not dry!5 stars

  2. I put 2 pieces of bread in the very bottom of the air fryer, underneath the tray, to soak up the grease and prevent smoking.5 stars

  3. I tried bacon for the first time in my Gowise air fryer. It was awesome!! I tried with two layers ( with a rack). Top got done in 10 minutes but had to bottom layer in for another 3 minutes.5 stars

  4. For my airfryer I had to turn up the temperature. If I did it at 350 it would have to cook for 13 minutes. At 375 it cooked for 8. So I guess it just depends. But it was DELICIOUS!5 stars

  5. 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!5 stars

  6. Love cooking bacon this fast and easy way. I do have to wipe down the inside of the oven air fryer but still so much quicker than the stove top.5 stars

  7. Thanks so much. I cooked at 176 deg C for 6 minutes, turned the bacon and did another 4 minutes and it was lovely. I did only 4 slices of streaky bacon and obviously mine was cut thick. Bacon was cooked perfectly. I’ll be cooking Bacon this way from now on.5 stars

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