How to Cook Crispy Air Fryer Bacon
Learn how to make air fryer bacon. It’s an easy and splatter free way to cook bacon that comes out perfect. Use your air fryer to make the perfect crispy bacon any way you like it. You’ll love the results, and clean up is simple!
Did you know you could use an air fryer to make the most amazing bacon? You totally can and it’s very worth it!
Love using your air fryer as much as we do? Try these Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, Air Fryer Cinnamon Spice Donut Drops or these Air Fryer Intense Garlic Chicken Wings. You can also find more Air Fryer Recipes here.
Air Fryer Bacon can be made to your favorite amount of doneness. If you enjoy super crispy bacon, you can simply keep it in a little longer. If you want it to be softer, keep it in less time.
However you want it, it comes out perfect every single time.
And it’s all contained inside the air fryer, not all over your countertops, stovetop and inside the oven. (or microwave)
Can I season my air fryer bacon?
Yes! We have done this several times.
We’ve marinated the bacon in everything from sweet marinades to savory marinades.
We’ve added black pepper for peppered bacon, we’ve added bbq sauce for barbecued bacon.
My only recommendation is to watch the time and check on it occasionally to be sure it’s not overcooking.
Add a few minutes if it needs more time.
But, you can play with seasonings, herbs, spices, rubs and marinades, making your bacon flavor choices, endless.
Why use an air fryer?
Well, there are a couple of reasons.
- Fast – It cooks your bacon up faster than any other method, in less time.
- Less Mess – Okay look, any other way you make bacon, you’re going to wind up with grease splatter everywhere.
Oven, microwave, stovetop – all of those methods create a bit of a mess and are a pain to clean up. The air fryer keeps everything contained so when it’s time for clean up, it’s simple and easy. - Perfect – In my humble opinion, it makes the perfect bacon every time. It’s incredibly delicious, unlike bacon cooked any other way. And it’s so easy that why wouldn’t I want that? I don’t have to stand there and watch it, I can go about getting other food together while I am frying up the bacon in my air fryer.
What can I use air fryer bacon for?
I realize the obvious answer is… eating.
But this bacon can be used any way you would use cooked bacon. We put it on sandwiches, crumble it in pasta and salads.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Burgers and Sandwiches
- Pasta and pasta salads
- Fresh Garden Salads
- Baked Potatoes and potato skins
- Dressings, dips and other condiments
- Soups, stews and even chili
- Pizza
- Garnish or on top of finished dishes
An air fryer is so versatile and will cook nearly anything that can be fried the traditional way, without the mess.
AND it cooks a lot of things you wouldn’t think it would cook either, which I will be sharing over the next several months.
Our temperatures are warming up, so I’m using our air fryer more and more.
Air Fryer Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 strips of bacon or as much as you want to make, but only 6 strips per session for best results
- Air Fryer
Instructions
- Place 6 slices in your air fryer. I have heard for best results, don't let the bacon touch, but that was NOT my experience at all. You just don't want to crowd it. I simply lay each piece side by side with a tiny bit overlapping. (see photo above) It worked perfectly.
- Set your air fryer at 400 degrees and set the timer to 8 minutes.
- At about the halfway mark, I opened the basket to be sure everything looked stellar. It did and so I popped it back in. If bacon has moved or adjusted from the air, use tongs and readjust.
- Continue cooking. When the timer goes off, check the bacon. If you'd like it a little crispier, cook an additional 2 minutes and check again. Keep in mind what you are using it for. If if it is going in a salad, you might not want it too crisp, if you're putting it on a sandwich, maybe a bit crispier is your desire.
- Do this in 1-2 minute increments until you have it cooked the way you like it.
- Remove the bacon and enjoy!
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings
Do you pre heat they fryer?
I can’t find any place where it says to cover the bacon while air-frying,
I would think it’ll splatter uncovered,
I have fried bacon in my air-fryer and it splattered all over
I think it’s a known fact when you use an airfryer for most foods, you’re going to have to clean the inside of the air fryer. When referencing “splatter free” we are speaking more about the mess that more traditional methods create on the counter or stove or even inside your oven.
I wouldn’t cover bacon anywhere because it will cause it to cook unevenly but even more so if you cook it in an air fryer covered. An air fryer is designed to “blow” around the item inside and covering it would mean you weren’t getting the desired results.
I hope that helps clear up any confusion.
I pre-heated the air-fryer and it really splattered
I am not sure what kind of air fryer you are using but the more traditional air fryers are closed and wouldn’t splatter anywhere but inside the unit, which would be expected since that’s kind of how it all works. We use our air fryer daily for multiple purposes and there are very few foods that keep the inside in a condition that it could be used again without cleaning.