Air Fryer Bacon

When you only need a few strips of bacon, grab your air fryer. You can have perfectly crispy bacon in just 10 minutes!

By
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 12 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.
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Published July 28, 2022
Nick Evans
Air Fryer Bacon on Plate and in Air Fryer

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

There are many ways to cook really delicious bacon. My favorite way is to bake it. But knowing other ways to cook it can be handy! For example, the air fryer is great for when you only need a few strips of crispy bacon—my air fryer can fit four strips. The bacon gets beautifully crispy in about 10 minutes and cleaning up is easier than washing a skillet or baking sheet. 

READ THIS: Important Safety Announcement! 

The most important step in this recipe happens before you even open your pack of bacon. Air frying bacon is very easy, but it can also be dangerous if you skip a simple yet important step. As the bacon air fries, it will render lots of fat. Without a buffer in the bottom of the basket, this fat will smoke as soon as it hits the hot base of the air fryer. That would make lots of smoke. 

The solution? Add about 1 cup of water to the bottom of your air fryer basket. This water will catch the grease and will prevent smoke. 

Simple Tip!

This is actually a great tip for many air fryer recipes! If whatever you’re cooking will drip a lot of grease, add some water to the bottom of your air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Bacon on Plate and in Air Fryer

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

How Long to Air Fry the Bacon 

The timing is straightforward. Cook the bacon for 5 minutes with the air fryer set to 350˚F, then flip the bacon strips and cook them for another 5 minutes, until perfectly crispy. That’s it! 

Make Fancy Tasty Bacon

For a special twist, sprinkle a little brown sugar and a drizzle of sriracha on each strip right after you flip them. The sugar will caramelize as it cooks. It’s amazing! 

Hand Holding Air Fryer Bacon

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

Ideas for Using Crispy Bacon 

Here are some ideas for using the crispy bacon: 

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Air Fryer Bacon

Prep Time 1 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 11 mins
Serving 1 to 2
Yield 4 strips bacon

THIS IS IMPORTANT! Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your air fryer basket before you cook the bacon. This will prevent the rendered bacon fat from creating smoke.

As long as they don’t overlap in the air fryer basket, you may be able to cook more than 4 strips of bacon at a time.

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 1 cup water

  • 4 strips classic cut bacon

  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar, for topping (optional)

  • Sriracha, for topping (optional)

Method

  1. Prepare the air fryer:

    Lightly spray the inside of the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. 

    Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your air fryer basket. This will prevent the rendered bacon fat from smoking.

    Water in Air Fryer Basket

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  2. Air fry the bacon: 

    Lay the bacon in the basket, trying not to overlap them. Some slight overlapping is okay. Air fry the bacon for 5 minutes at 350˚F. Although it is not required, you can preheat your air fryer following the instruction manual.

    Raw Bacon in Air Fryer

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  3. Flip the bacon: 

    Remove the basket from the air fryer and carefully flip the bacon, placing them back in without overlapping. At this point, you can sprinkle the brown sugar on top and drizzle a little Sriracha, if you’d like. Air fry it again for 5 minutes at 350°F.

    Bacon Flipped in Air Fryer

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
    Cooked Bacon in Air Fryer

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  4. Drain and serve: 

    Transfer the bacon onto a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain for a minute or two. 

    It’s kind of hard for me to imagine you will have leftover bacon—it only makes 4 strips. Just eat it! If you do have a strip or two of leftover bacon, refrigerate it for up to 3 days. 

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us some stars below!

    Air Fryer Bacon on Paper Towels

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
108 Calories
8g Fat
0g Carbs
8g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 to 2
Amount per serving
Calories 108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 392mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 115mg 2%
*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.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.