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Perfect Crispy Bacon in the Air Fryer (Easy Recipe)

Cook bacon in the air fryer, and you’ll discover the easiest way to get crunchy, delicious results. This crispy bacon takes only a few minutes to cook, and it will probably become your new favorite way to make it.

air fried bacon on a plate

Please read this entire post before you begin preparing the recipe. However, if you just want the list of ingredients with full directions, either click on the jump-to-recipe button above or scroll to the bottom of this post.

Crispy Air Fryer Bacon Recipe

You can take any type of bacon and make it better when you cook it in your air fryer. It’s easier than using the stove top and so much less messy. That’s why it’s my go-to method of cooking bacon.

air fried bacon on a plate

After the first time I air fried bacon, it was immediately my new favorite way to cook it. I would much rather clean the air fryer than have splatters to clean up from skillet frying.

I usually cook regular, thick sliced pork bacon. But you can do the same thing with turkey bacon.

Ingredients

  • Bacon
package of bacon

Yes, that’s it. All you need is enough bacon to serve the people at the table.

raw bacon on a plate

Of course, the size of your air fryer determines how much you can cook at one time. You can cook it in small batches for excellent results.

For exact measurements of each ingredient and full directions, go to the recipe card at the bottom of the page. You can even print out the card by using the “print” button.

How to Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F.

raw bacon in air fryer basket

Place the raw bacon slices in the bottom of the air fryer basket in a single layer.

If you’re concerned about the bacon grease that will drip to the bottom, place a piece of bread below the part of the basket with holes.

slice of bread in air fryer

This will absorb excess grease and help prevent air fryer bacon smoke. That normally doesn’t happen to me, even when I don’t use bread. 

But it has happened a time or two. So if you’re even remotely concerned about this, please just pop a piece of bread in the basket.

Air fry the bacon for 5 minutes, flipping it at the halfway point. If you’re cooking extra thick bacon, cook it for 7 minutes.

tongs flipping half-cooked bacon

If the bacon isn’t as crisp as you want it, put it back in the air fryer and cook an additional minute or two.

moving bacon from air fryer to paper towels on a plate

After the bacon is done, use tongs to transfer the bacon strips to a plate covered in paper towels. 

air fried bacon on plate covered with paper towels

Points to Consider with Bacon in an Air Fryer

There are several things you need to think about when you cook bacon in an air fryer. Here are some of them:

Air fryers may cook at different temperatures, so the cook time can vary. If you’ve had your air fryer for a while, you probably know whether or not it’s accurate.

However, if you’re a new user of this amazing appliance, start checking the food at about halfway through the cooking process. 

air fryer on a counter

There are different types of bacon. You’ll find sugar cured, maple flavored, thin cut, thick cut bacon, and many other things that make your bacon special. Any of these may affect how the bacon cooks.

Keep in mind that the thickness of the bacon makes all the difference in how long to cook it. It takes less time to cook thin bacon than thick.

Decide on how crisp you want your bacon. I like the crispiest bacon I can make, without letting any of it burn. 

There is no perfect bacon for everyone. In fact, I believe the best bacon is the one you and your family like.

air fried bacon on a plate

If you need more bacon than you can fit in your air fryer in a single layer, make a second batch. The cooked bacon will be just fine as long as you rest it on paper towels.

What to Serve with Air-Fried Bacon

You can serve this delicious bacon with anything you want. My favorite way is with breakfast food, but it’s also delicious with your favorite soup or sandwich.

Here are some of our favorites:

Fluffy Scrambled Eggs – Whip up some scrambled eggs to go with your crispy bacon, and you have breakfast.

French Toast Casserole – Drizzle a little maple syrup over this yummy casserole and serve it with a side of bacon. Mmm! So good!

BLT Salad -Next time you want to serve salad, try this bacon lettuce and tomato salad. It’s a delightful twist on the traditional sandwich that so many of us love.

Air Fryer Toast – After your bacon is done, set it aside and make toast in your air fryer. Serve it with eggs or make a bacon sandwich!

Oven-Baked Sausage – If you like to offer a variety of foods at breakfast, make this easy and delicious oven baked sausage. My preference is to have a little bit of both.

I also enjoy adding crumbled, crispy bacon to other recipes. For example, you can improve jar Alfredo sauce with a couple of extra seasonings and a handful of crumbled bacon.

More Air Fryer Recipes

If you’ve been following my site for a while, you know that I love my air fryer. Here are more of the best air fryer recipes:

Low Carb Egg Bites – These delicious little bites of egg mixed with other yummy ingredients are absolutely perfect when you want more protein than carbs.

Air Fryer Corn Chips – Have you ever made your own tortilla chips? Here’s a recipe that’s super easy and delivers restaurant quality results.

Garlic Lemon Chicken – The flavors come together in such a delightful way that you’ll want to make this often.

Air Fryer Cornbread – This cornbread recipe from Back to My Southern Roots comes out with a crispy crust and tender inside—just what you’re looking for in a side of bread. You can use other cornbread recipes and follow the the same air frying directions for delicious results!

Pork Tenderloin – It’s so quick and easy to cook a pork tenderloin in your air fryer that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it sooner!

Oven Bacon Recipe

If you prefer to use your oven to fry bacon, that’s good too. I do this when my air fryer is being used for something else. It’s another easy way to have delicious bacon without having splatters all over the stovetop and nearby counter.

Preheat oven to 400. Then prepare a cookie sheet or shallow pan by covering it with foil and then lining it with parchment paper. This makes cleanup super easy.

Place bacon on pan in a single layer and put in the oven. It takes about 15 minutes for thick bacon. If you’re cooking thinner bacon, start checking on it after about 8 or 9 minutes.

There are advantages and disadvantages to oven-baked bacon. It’s just as easy as air-fryer bacon, but it takes longer. However, if you’re cooking a large batch, you can fit more strips of bacon on a cookie sheet.

air fried bacon on a plate and bacon being transferred from air fryer to paper towels on a plate

See this recipe shared at Full Plate Thursday.

Air Fried Bacon

Air frying bacon is the easiest way to prepare this delicious food. Not only do you get great results (crispy, tasty bacon), but cleanup is also much easier.

Yield: 5 slices

How to Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer

air fried bacon on a plate

Cooking bacon in an air fryer is quick and easy, and the results are delicious!

Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 slices bacon

Instructions

  1. Preheat air fryer to 375˚ F.
  2. Put strips of bacon in a single layer on the perforated pan in the air fryer basket.
  3. Air fry bacon for 5 minutes, flipping it halfway through the cooking process.
  4. After bacon is done, transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the grease.

Notes

  • If you’re concerned about smoke from the grease in the air fryer, place a slice of bread in the basket, beneath the perforated pan. It will absorb the grease and prevent smoke.
  • Thick-sliced bacon may take a couple of minutes longer to cook. If it isn’t done at the end of 5 minutes, cook it for another couple of minutes or until it reaches your desired crispness.
  • Since everyone chooses a different serving size, the nutrition information is per slice of bacon.

Nutrition Information

Yield

5

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 54Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 11mgSodium 194mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 4g

The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.

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