How to Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer
Bacon in a skillet means standing over spitting grease for ten minutes and scrubbing a pan afterward. An air fryer solves both problems at once: the basket contains the splatter, the fat drips down and away from the strips instead of pooling under them, and the result is evenly crisp bacon without flipping it once.
The method is the same whether you're using a compact basket air fryer or a larger oven-style unit — the only real variables are thickness and how crisp you like it, both covered below.
Time and temperature
Regular-cut bacon: 350-375°F for 8-10 minutes, no flipping needed. Thick-cut bacon: 350-375°F for 10-13 minutes. Check at the low end of the range the first time you make a batch in your specific machine, since basket size and wattage shift the timing by a minute or two either way.
Lay strips in a single layer without overlapping — overlapping edges cook unevenly, with the covered section steaming instead of crisping. If your basket isn't wide enough for the full batch in one layer, cook in two rounds rather than stacking.
Step-by-step
1. Arrange bacon strips in a single layer in the basket; no oil or preheat is required, since the bacon's own fat does the work. 2. Set the temperature to 350-375°F and cook for the time range above based on thickness. 3. Check for your preferred crispness starting a couple of minutes before the low end of the range — carryover crisping continues for a minute after the basket comes out. 4. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate immediately so the strips don't sit in their own grease while cooling.
Dealing with the grease
Rendered fat drips through the basket into the drawer or tray below, which is the main advantage over a skillet — but that drawer holds a surprising amount of hot liquid grease by the end of a full batch, so let it cool before you pour it out or wash it.
Lining the bottom drawer (not the basket itself) with a small amount of water or a piece of bread underneath catches drips and cuts down on smoke from fat hitting a hot surface directly, which matters more on long cooks with fattier, thick-cut strips.
Common mistakes
Overlapping strips to fit more in at once is the single biggest reason for unevenly cooked bacon — the covered sections stay pale and chewy no matter how long the cycle runs.
Walking away for the full cook time without checking near the end is a close second; bacon goes from perfectly crisp to overly dark quickly in the last couple of minutes, more so than in a skillet where you're watching the whole time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to preheat the air fryer for bacon?
- No. Bacon renders its own fat as it heats, so a cold start works fine and skipping preheat doesn't meaningfully change the result the way it does for frozen, breaded foods.
- Do I need to flip the bacon halfway through?
- Not usually. The circulating hot air cooks both sides fairly evenly on its own, unlike a skillet. If you notice one side browning faster in your specific machine, a single flip at the halfway point fixes it.
- Why is my air fryer smoking when I cook bacon?
- Fat dripping directly onto a hot drawer or tray surface is the usual cause. A splash of water or a slice of bread in the bottom drawer before cooking absorbs drips and cuts down on smoke, especially with fattier or thick-cut bacon.