Prep: 0 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 3 servings
Yield: 12 slices
Air fryer bacon is the easiest, least messy way to cook bacon. It produces results similar to oven cooked bacon without having to heat up your whole oven. And of course, it’s far less messy than frying strips on your stovetop. No more splatters all over your backsplash and there’s no need to turn on your exhaust fan. You’ll get nice, beautiful-looking pieces of bacon that are evenly cooked and just the right ratio of crispy to chewy.
This method makes a small batch of bacon. You can’t fit a ton of pieces on at once, so it’s best to use this method when you are cooking for two rather than a crowd.
Since the fat from the bacon drips below and isn’t sitting with the bacon, there’s less fat in the finished product. It’s a slightly healthier option to the normal skillet cooked bacon and is super crispy without deep frying.
Ingredients
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1/2 pound applewood-smoked bacon, thick or thin cut
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Preheat the air fryer to 350 F.
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Place about 6 strips of the bacon across the air fryer. For flatter bacon you can trim it to fit the basket exactly. If you don’t mind the bacon curling, you can just add the longer pieces and the edges will roll over.
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Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. If you want the bacon less crispy you can take it out a minute earlier. If you like it crispier then leave it in for an additional minute.
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If you are using a thicker cut of bacon then leave it in for a minute or two longer. You can pause the air fryer as much as you like in order to get the bacon to your ideal doneness.
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After you are finished cooking the first batch, make sure to pour out some of the grease from the bottom of the air fryer. This will help prevent excessive smoking.
Tips
- The bacon gets super crunchy in the air fryer, so it’s perfect for making bacon bits. Just crumble the cooled bacon over a bowl or in a plastic bag. Use the bacon bits to top on pastas, pizzas, or baked potatoes.
Recipe Variations
If you want to try something new, you can make candied bacon!
- Dip both sides of the bacon in a brown sugar, and seasoned salt mixture. (A 1/4 cup of brown sugar and a teaspoon of seasoned salt), then cook as usual.
- Just make sure to pause and check on the bacon halfway through to monitor it for burning! The sugar can burn more easily than the regular bacon.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 3 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 354 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 27g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol 75mg | 25% |
| Sodium 1273mg | 55% |
| Total Carbohydrate 1g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 0g | |
| Protein 26g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 8mg | 1% |
| Iron 1mg | 4% |
| Potassium 377mg | 8% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
