Air fryer bacon is much better than making bacon in the frying pan (in our opinion at least).
With an air fryer, you can make meaty or crispy bacon without the extra splatter – and in less time than in the oven! It’s especially great if you only want to make a small batch.
You can serve the bacon as part of a classic breakfast spread or use it as an ingredient in salads, sandwiches, and wraps. We’ll show you what to do to make sure it cooks evenly every time!
Ingredients
- Bacon Slices – We use regular-cut bacon, but you can also use thick-cut bacon (just be aware that the cooking time will vary).
Recipe Tips
- No extra oil is needed – the natural bacon fat is more than enough.
- Make sure the air fryer is clean before cooking bacon in it, otherwise the air fryer may smoke.
- To prevent the air fryer from smoking, you can place a slice of stale bread in the bottom of the air fryer basket to absorb some of the bacon grease.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer. The bacon should not overlap or it may not cook and crisp evenly.
- These cooking times are a guideline because air fryers are different and the thickness of the bacon can affect the cooking time.
- Personal preference for crispy bacon or softer, meatier bacon will also affect the cooking time. Use 10 minutes as a guideline for medium-crisp, regular-cut bacon and adjust your cooking time accordingly.
- When you are done, remove the bacon from the air fryer and carefully pour the heated bacon grease into a bowl or cup. Getting it out of the air fryer tray when it’s a liquid will make cleaning the air fryer easier later!
Get Weekly Air Fryer Inspiration
Join 2000+ air fryer fans getting fresh ideas in their inbox every week!
You can unsubscribe anytime. No spam. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.
Step by Step Instructions
If your bacon has a lot of moisture on it, gently pat it dry with a paper towel.
Place the bacon slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket. A little overlap is fine, but try to not put whole strips on top of each other or they won’t cook and crisp evenly.
There is no need to preheat the air fryer first. Air fry the bacon at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Check to see how it is doing after about 8 minutes.
Reduce or add time depending on your preferred level of crispiness and the thickness of the bacon. In our air fryer, regular-cut bacon takes 10 minutes and is crispy, but not extra crispy.
When the bacon is done, remove it from the air fryer and place it on a plate lined with paper towels.
You can enjoy it as part of a traditional breakfast with eggs, toast, hash browns, or breakfast potatoes, etc. (for just two people, this amount of bacon in the air fryer is perfect!)
Of course, you can also use it for a classic BLT sandwich, or as a garnish for Caesar salad or other dishes of your choice. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
You can store any leftover bacon in a sealed container or bag, or wrapped in foil in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days.
You can then use it cold as an ingredient in another dish or reheat it in the air fryer, oven, or microwave.
Related Recipes
For more great air fryer breakfast recipes, have a look at these options:
- Air Fryer Ham and Egg Cups
- Air Fryer Potato Pancakes
- Air Fryer Carrot Bacon
- Air Fryer Ham and Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sausage Patties
Air Fryer Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, regular cut
Instructions
- If your bacon has a lot of moisture on it, gently pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Place the bacon slices in an even layer in the air fryer without overelap. There is no need to preheat the air fryer first.
- Air fry the bacon at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Check after about 8 minutes to see how it is doing. Reduce or add time depending on your air fryer, preferred level of crispiness, and the thickness of the bacon.
- When the bacon is done, remove it from the air fryer and place it on a plate lined with paper towels.
Notes
- If your air fryer preheats automatically (like ours does), start counting from the time the bacon goes into the air fryer, not from when it starts counting down the time after it finishes preheating.
- Make sure the air fryer is clean before cooking bacon in it, otherwise the air fryer may smoke.
- To prevent the air fryer from smoking, you can place a slice of stale bread in the bottom of the air fryer basket to absorb some of the bacon grease.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. We have a 6-quart capacity air fryer. If yours is smaller, you might not be able to fit six strips of bacon without overlap.
- Bacon thickness, personal preference (meaty or crispy bacon), and your air fryer will affect the cooking time. Use 10 minutes as a guideline for medium-crisp, regular-cut bacon and adjust your cooking time accordingly.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
This recipe was first published in March 2021 and updated in July 2024.
