Air Fryer Bacon
Air Fryer Bacon
Air fryer bacon is bacon cooked in a countertop air fryer instead of a skillet or the oven — laid in a single layer in the basket and left alone while hot circulating air crisps both sides. No oil, no flipping for most cuts, and far less spatter than frying it in a pan.
There’s no history behind it beyond the appliance itself. The method took off alongside the countertop air fryer, roughly from 2017 onward, and stuck around because it’s hands-free and contained — the bacon renders its own fat, and the mess stays in the drawer instead of on the stovetop.
The main variable is cut thickness, which sets the time. Center-cut runs 6–9 minutes, regular bacon 7–10, thick-cut 10–14 — all at 350°F (175°C), which sits comfortably below the smoke point of rendered bacon fat. Convection crisps both sides at once, so regular and center-cut bacon don’t need flipping; thick-cut can be flipped once halfway through if you want it even all over. No preheating is needed, and it’s worth checking a couple of minutes before the timer runs out, since air fryers vary and the bacon firms up further as it cools.
Smoke is the main thing to manage. It usually comes from old grease left in the drawer from a previous batch rather than from the bacon fat itself, which is why wiping the drawer out between rounds matters. A splash of water or a slice of bread in the drawer beneath the basket also helps, by keeping the pooled fat cool enough that it doesn’t smoke.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- Bacon strips (regular, thick-cut, or center-cut), 4–6, enough to fill the basket in a single layer without overlapping
Directions
Skip preheating. If the basket or drawer still has grease left over from a previous round, wipe it out first — old grease is the main source of smoke, not the fresh bacon fat.
For extra insurance against smoke, line the drip drawer with foil, pour about 60 ml (¼ cup) water into the drawer beneath the basket without letting it touch the bacon, or lay a slice of bread in the drawer to soak up the drippings. This step is optional.
Lay the bacon strips in the basket in a single layer, edges touching but not overlapping. Cut any strip in half crosswise if it won’t fit flat otherwise.
Air fry at 350°F (175°C): about 6–9 minutes for center-cut, 7–10 minutes for regular, and 10–14 minutes for thick-cut. Regular and center-cut bacon don’t need flipping, since the circulating air crisps both sides on its own; flip thick-cut once halfway through if you want it browned more evenly.
Start checking a couple of minutes before the stated time is up and pull the bacon once it reaches the color you like — it keeps crisping and firming for a minute or two as it cools, so don’t wait for it to look fully done in the basket.
Lift the bacon onto a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Let the grease in the drawer cool before wiping it out; keep it for cooking later if you like, or discard it.
Notes
Bacon shrinks as it renders, so a basket that looks a little sparse with raw strips will look about right once it’s cooked.
For a second batch, pour off the drawer grease and wipe it out before you start the next round — leftover grease from the first batch is the main smoke risk for the next one.
No oil and no seasoning are needed either way — the bacon bastes itself in its own fat as it cooks.
See Also
