Cooking bacon in a skillet on your stovetop can be a greasy mess. As well, the fat does not render out enough to make the bacon a healthy option. Cooking bacon in a microwave isn’t much better. You can cook bacon in a hot oven on a wire rack so that the fat drips onto a sheet pan.
I think the air fryer might actually be the best and healthiest method for cooking bacon. The fat drips to the bottom of the bucket or tray, depending on your type of fryer.
Clean-up is fairly easy. I allow the bacon fat to cool and start to solidify. Then, I wipe it out of the fryer with paper towels. After that, I just clean the bucket, crisper plate, or basket with hot soapy water. I also like to wipe the interior of the fryer with damp paper towels to remove any splattered fat.
I have seen some videos of people suggesting that you line the bottom of the fryer bucket with aluminum foil for even easier clean-up. I would check your particular fryer’s manual to make sure this is recommended.
Three Basic Bacon Recipes + Bacon Jam
There isn’t too much that compares to crispy pork bacon. While I love this, I also like turkey bacon for a healthier option.
The first recipe is for traditional pork bacon in the air fryer that is crunchy. The cook time will vary from fryer to fryer. You will find recipes that call for cooking bacon at 400°F for 10 minutes. Other recipes will instruct you to cook the bacon at 350°F for 15 minutes. I have found there is a sweet spot between the two. That said, I highly recommend checking the bacon at 5 minutes until you can get a handle on how much time it takes in your fryer.
This recipe is followed by one for bacon jam. Bacon jam is a sweet and savory condiment that goes particularly well with cheese, fruit, and crackers as an appetizer.
The second recipe is for making turkey bacon in the air fryer. Here again, there are different recipe instructions. Some suggest cooking the turkey bacon the same way you would pork bacon. Others suggest placing a little bit of water beneath the fryer basket so that the bacon steams and then crisps. I like that idea because it keeps the bacon from drying out.
Another thing that will affect the cooking time in both recipes is the thickness of the bacon slices. Also, if your fryer isn’t very large, cut the bacon strips in half to fit. Try not to overlap the slices. These recipes are for cooking the bacon in batches.
I have included a third basic bacon recipe that happens to be a favorite of mine. I am slightly obsessed with candied bacon. The unfortunate thing with this recipe is that I can eat the entire batch. It is so bad in a really good way. There are few things that can beat sweet, savory, and salty meat snacks.
Easy Air Fryer Bacon
Ingredients:
- 12 slices bacon
- Paper Towels
Total time:12 min – Prep time:2 min – Cook time:10 min – Serves:2 people
Author: Nick
Directions:
1. Take the bacon slices and cut them in half if you need them to fit. Place 1/2 of the bacon slices in the fryer basket or crisper plate in a single layer.
2. Place the basket or plate in the air fryer. Set the temperature to 375°F and the timer to 5 minutes.
3. Cook for 5 minutes and check the bacon. If desired, flip the bacon slices over. Reset the temperature and timer for an additional 5 minutes and continue to cook. If the bacon is still not crisp enough at 10 minutes, continue to cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes until the bacon has the desired texture and is cooked through.
4. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Cook the next batch the same way.
5. Serve the bacon or use it to make insanely delicious bacon jam for cheese and crackers. Recipe follows.
Bacon Jam
Ingredients:
- 12 slices air-fryer cooked bacon, broken up into bite sized pieces
- 1 TBS bacon grease from the air-fryer bucket
- 2 medium to large sweet onions, peeled, quartered, and sliced thickly
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee
- 1-1/2 tsps balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt to taste
Total time: 55 min – Prep time: 5 min – Cook time: 50 min – Serves: 2 to 4 people
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the bacon grease and onion slices. Cook for approximately 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the syrup and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the onions are completely caramelized, approximately 15 minutes.
2. Add the water and coffee. Stir to combine. Add the bacon pieces and increase the heat to medium. Continue cooking, stirring every five minutes, until the onions and bacon are thick and jam-like, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt, if needed.
4. Cool to room temperature and serve with multi-seed crackers, creamy goat cheese, and apple slices as part of an appetizer platter.
Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
Ingredients:
- 12 slices turkey bacon
Total time: 12 min – Prep time: 2 min – Cook time: 10 min – Serves: 2 people
Directions:
1. Take the bacon slices and cut them in half if you need them to fit. Place 1/2 of the bacon slices in the fryer basket or crisper plate in a single layer. If desired, add a tablespoon or 2 of water to the bottom of the fryer bucket to produce steam.
2. Set the temperature to 375°F and the timer to 8 minutes to preheat the fryer. After 3 minutes, place the basket or plate with the bacon in the air fryer.
3. Cook for 5 minutes and check the bacon. If desired, flip the bacon slices over. Reset the temperature and timer for an additional 5 minutes and continue to cook. If the bacon is still not crisp enough at 10 minutes, continue to cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes until the bacon has the desired texture and is cooked through.
4. Transfer the bacon slices to a plate for serving. Cook the next batch the same way.
Air Fryer Candied Bacon
Ingredients:
- 12 slices turkey bacon
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 TBS freshly ground course black pepper
Total time: 12 min – Prep time: 2 min – Cook time: 10 min – Serves: 2 people
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar and pepper. Take the bacon slices and cut them in half if you need them to fit in the air fryer basket. Put the bacon slices in the bowl and toss to coat with the sugar and pepper. Place 1/2 of the bacon slices in the fryer basket or crisper plate in a single layer.
2. Place the basket or plate in the air fryer. Set the temperature to 375°F and the timer to 5 minutes.
3. Cook for 5 minutes and check the bacon. If desired, flip the bacon slices over. Reset the temperature and timer for an additional 5 minutes and continue to cook. If the bacon is still not crisp enough at 10 minutes, continue to cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes until the sugar is caramelized and the bacon is crispy.
4. Transfer the bacon slices to a plate for serving. Cook the next batch the same way.
5. Just eat off the plate and enjoy.
Note: If you are working with an air-fryer oven that has shelves or racks, feel free to cook all the bacon at once. It is recommended that you rotate the shelves halfway through the cooking because the upper areas of air fryer ovens are usually hotter than the lower sections.
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