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Air fryer bacon ready to serve
Vagner Carvalho

Air Fryer Bacon: Crisp Strips without Overcrowding

An air fryer can cook a small batch of bacon neatly, but bacon fat needs attention. Use a moderate temperature, keep the strips in one layer and follow your appliance’s rules about fatty foods.
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Draining 2 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 130

Ingredients
  

  • 6 slices regular-cut pork bacon, approximately 6 ounces (170 g) raw

Equipment

  • Air fryer rated for cooking bacon
  • Tongs
  • Paper-towel-lined plate

Method
 

  1. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for bacon and high-fat foods. Begin with a clean, properly assembled basket and drip tray. Do not preheat an empty basket with loose parchment.
  2. Place bacon in one layer, cutting slices in half to fit if necessary. A little edge overlap is acceptable, but do not stack strips. Use two batches if required.
  3. Set to 350°F (175°C) and cook for 7–10 minutes, checking at 5 minutes. Turn or reposition with tongs if the ends are browning unevenly.
  4. When the bacon is browned and cooked to your desired crispness, move it to a paper-towel-lined plate with clean tongs. It becomes crisper as it cools for 1–2 minutes.
  5. Let the appliance cool before emptying the rendered fat, following the manual. Do not start repeated batches over an accumulating hot pool of fat.

Notes

Planning times depend on batch size, thickness and appliance. The cooking estimate is for six regular-cut slices that fit in one layer. Thick-cut bacon may take longer; an extra batch adds another cooking cycle and safe fat-handling time. Nutrition is an ingredient-based estimate per serving (3 cooked slices). Approximate for 3 cooked regular-cut slices, about 24 g after rendering. Bacon brands, slice thickness and fat loss vary greatly; use the package information for a closer estimate. Illustrative images are generated, not a record of a personal cooking test.