Once you make air fryer perfect bacon, you’ll never go back to the stovetop. It comes out evenly cooked, perfectly crispy, and there’s way less mess to clean up.
No greasy splatter all over your stove. No standing there flipping and watching every second. The air fryer does most of the work for you.
This method works great for thick-cut bacon, which is what I always prefer. You get that nice balance of crispy edges with a little bit of chew in the middle.
The whole thing takes about 10 minutes, and you can easily cook it in batches if you’re feeding a few people. It’s the simplest way to get bacon right every single time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Perfectly Even Cooking – The hot air circulation crisps every single slice evenly without any curling or floppy spots.
Way Less Grease – The fat drips right through the basket so your bacon is crispy without sitting in a pool of grease.
You Control the Crispiness – Pull it early for chewy bacon or add a minute for extra crunch so every person at the table gets it their way.
Ingredients
- 12 slices Thick-Cut Bacon
How To Make
Step 1
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 2 minutes.
Step 2
Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You can overlap them very slightly at the edges if needed, but try to keep them as flat as possible for even cooking. Work in batches of 4 to 6 slices depending on the size of your air fryer.
Step 3
Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes for thick-cut bacon, flipping each slice halfway through the cooking time. Check the bacon at the 8 minute mark since air fryers can vary in strength.
Step 4
For crispier bacon, continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes more. For chewier bacon, pull it out slightly earlier.
Step 5
Use tongs to transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. The bacon will crisp up even more as it cools for about a minute.
Step 6
Repeat with the remaining bacon slices. Serve immediately alongside eggs, pancakes, or your favorite breakfast spread.
Tips
Don’t Curl the Bacon
Thick-cut bacon likes to curl up in the air fryer, which means some parts get crispy while other parts stay chewy and undercooked. To prevent this, press each slice flat into the basket before you start cooking.
If a slice keeps curling during cooking, flip it and press it down again with your tongs. This keeps the whole strip in contact with the hot air so it cooks evenly from edge to edge.
Don’t Skip the Preheat
Those 2 minutes of preheating actually matter a lot with bacon. When the basket is already hot, the bacon starts rendering fat immediately instead of slowly warming up.
If you skip the preheat, the bacon sits in its own grease longer before it starts crisping. You’ll end up with greasy, limp bacon instead of that perfect crispy texture.
Pull It Out a Little Early
Bacon keeps cooking for about 30 to 60 seconds after you take it out of the air fryer. The residual heat firms it up and crisps it more than you’d expect.
So if it looks perfectly done inside the basket, it’s actually slightly overcooked. Pull it when it’s just a tiny bit less done than what you want on your plate. After a minute on the paper towels, it’ll be exactly right.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Pickle Spears
- Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage Patties
- Air Fryer Breakfast Egg Rolls
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to clean the basket between batches?
You don’t have to, but it’s a good idea to carefully pour out the grease that collects in the bottom of the basket or drip tray between batches. Too much built-up grease can cause smoking and may affect how evenly the next batch cooks.
A quick wipe with a paper towel using tongs is all you need – no full cleaning required until you’re completely done.
Air Fryer Perfect Bacon
- 12 slices Thick-Cut Bacon
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 2 minutes.
- Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You can overlap them very slightly at the edges if needed, but try to keep them as flat as possible for even cooking. Work in batches of 4 to 6 slices depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes for thick-cut bacon, flipping each slice halfway through the cooking time. Check the bacon at the 8 minute mark since air fryers can vary in strength.
- For crispier bacon, continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes more. For chewier bacon, pull it out slightly earlier.
- Use tongs to transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. The bacon will crisp up even more as it cools for about a minute.
- Repeat with the remaining bacon slices. Serve immediately alongside eggs, pancakes, or your favorite breakfast spread.