Figuring out how long to cook bacon in air fryer time is one of those questions that sounds simple until you realize the answer changes depending on what bacon you bought, how crispy you like it, and which air fryer is sitting on your counter. The short version: regular-cut bacon takes 7 to 10 minutes at 370°F to 400°F, thick-cut needs 10 to 14 minutes at 350°F to 375°F, and turkey bacon lands around 6 to 9 minutes at 360°F to 380°F. But those numbers are starting points, not guarantees.
What actually matters is understanding the variables that shift those times, and that's what we'll walk through here. Whether you're cooking two strips for breakfast or prepping a full pound for meal prep, the right approach depends on your bacon thickness, your air fryer's wattage, and how you load the basket. Let's break it all down so you get it right the first time.
Quick Answer: Air Fryer Bacon Times at a Glance
Here's the baseline most people need right away. These times assume a single layer of bacon in a preheated basket-style air fryer at standard wattage (1400W to 1700W). If your model runs smaller or larger, adjust by a minute or two.
| Bacon Type | Temperature | Time (Single Layer) | Flip At |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular-cut pork | 370°F–400°F | 7–10 min | 4–5 min |
| Thick-cut pork | 350°F–375°F | 10–14 min | 5–7 min |
| Thin-cut pork | 380°F–400°F | 5–7 min | 3–4 min |
| Turkey bacon | 360°F–380°F | 6–9 min | 3–4 min |
A few things to keep in mind. These are ranges, not single numbers, because "done" is personal. Some people pull bacon when the fat is just turning translucent and the edges barely brown. Others want it dark and shattering crisp.
Start at the low end of the range, check, and add time in 1-minute increments until it matches what you're after.
If you're cooking more than one batch, the second and third rounds will go faster. The air fryer is already hot, the basket is greased, and the heating element is cycling at full power. Expect to shave 1 to 2 minutes off subsequent batches.
Why Air Fryer Bacon Time Varies So Much
The biggest reason you'll find conflicting answers online is that air fryers aren't standardized the way ovens are. A 1500W Ninja Foodi and an 800W compact Dash model set to 375°F produce very different results. The smaller unit takes longer to recover its temperature every time you open the basket, and the lower wattage means less intense heat circulation overall.
Bacon itself adds another layer of variability. A package of Oscar Mayer regular-cut is noticeably thinner than a package of thick-cut from a butcher or a brand like Applegate. Sugar-cured or brown-sugar-glazed bacon burns faster because the caramelization point of sugar sits right around 350°F to 370°F. Uncured bacon without added sweetener gives you a wider window before things go wrong.
Starting temperature matters too. Bacon straight from the fridge needs about 1 to 2 minutes more than strips that have sat on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes. It's a small difference, but it's the kind of thing that separates "almost there" from "perfect" when you're working in 2-minute windows.
Then there's the basket style. Basket-style air fryers with a pull-out drawer circulate air differently than oven-style or toaster-oven air fryers with a flat rack. The basket style tends to cook faster and more evenly for bacon because the air moves around all sides of the strips. Oven-style models can work well too, but you may need to add a minute or two and rotate the rack position halfway through.
How Bacon Thickness Changes Everything
Thickness is the single most important variable in air fryer bacon timing. It affects how long it takes for heat to penetrate to the center of the strip, how much fat renders out, and how quickly the surface browns.
Regular-cut bacon is what most people picture when they think of standard bacon. It's about 1/16 inch thick, renders fat quickly, and goes from underdone to overdone in roughly 90 seconds. This is the type that works best in an air fryer because the high heat circulation matches the thin profile. Seven minutes at 380°F is a reliable starting point.
Thick-cut bacon runs about 1/8 inch or more. It needs lower heat and more time because the center has to cook through before the outside burns. Drop the temperature to 350°F to 375°F and give it 10 to 14 minutes. The lower temp lets the fat render slowly, which actually produces a better texture than cranking the heat.
Thin-cut bacon is less common but shows up in some store brands and restaurant supply packs. It cooks fast, sometimes in as little as 5 minutes. Set your temp to 380°F or 400°F and start checking at the 4-minute mark. This type goes from perfect to burnt faster than any other, so don't walk away.
Turkey bacon is a different animal entirely. It has significantly less fat, which means less grease to keep the strips moist during cooking. The result is a leaner, sometimes drier product that benefits from a slightly lower temperature and a shorter cook time. Six to nine minutes at 360°F to 380°F is the sweet spot for most brands.
Because there's less fat to render, turkey bacon also produces less smoke, which makes it a good choice if your air fryer tends to set off your smoke alarm.
If you're unsure what thickness you have, lay a strip flat and compare it. Regular-cut is roughly the thickness of two stacked quarters. Thick-cut is closer to a pencil's width. That visual check takes two seconds and saves you from guessing on timing.
Step-by-Step: How to Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer
Getting consistent results comes down to a repeatable process. Here's the method that works across most basket-style air fryers, adjusted for the variables we've already covered.
Step 1: Preheat the air fryer.
Set it to 375°F and let it run for 2 to 3 minutes. Preheating matters more for bacon than for a lot of other air fryer foods because the strips start rendering fat the moment they hit the basket. If the basket is cold, the fat congeals instead of draining, and you end up with greasy, unevenly cooked bacon. Some newer models have a built-in preheat function.
If yours doesn't, just set the temp and let it run empty.
Step 2: Arrange the bacon in a single layer.
Lay strips in the basket without overlapping. For a 3.5-quart basket, that's usually 4 to 6 regular-cut strips. A 5.5-quart or larger basket can handle 6 to 8. If strips overlap, the overlapping sections steam instead of crisp, and you'll get a mix of chewy and crunchy on the same piece.
It's better to cook two small batches than one crowded one.
Step 3: Set the temperature and initial timer.
For regular-cut, set 375°F and 8 minutes. For thick-cut, set 360°F and 12 minutes. For turkey bacon, set 370°F and 7 minutes. These are midpoint values in the ranges we discussed, which gives you room to adjust up or down after checking.
Step 4: Check and flip at the halfway point.
Open the basket, use tongs to flip each strip, and assess how things look. The fat should be turning translucent, and the edges should be starting to brown. If the strips look pale and the fat is still white and opaque, they need more time. If the edges are already dark brown, drop the temperature by 10°F and finish the remaining time.
Step 5: Finish and remove.
When the bacon reaches your preferred level of crispiness, transfer the strips to a plate lined with paper towels. They'll continue to crisp slightly as they sit for 1 to 2 minutes because of the residual heat and rendered fat on the surface.
Step 6: Drain the grease between batches.
If you're cooking multiple rounds, carefully pull out the bottom drip tray and pour the hot grease into a heat-safe container. Don't pour it down the drain. Excess grease in the bottom of the air fryer is the number one cause of smoke, and it can also cause flare-ups in models where the grease sits close to the heating element.
One more thing worth mentioning. If you want to use a parchment paper liner to cut down on cleanup, make sure it's the kind with perforations designed for air fryers. A solid sheet blocks airflow and defeats the entire purpose of the appliance. The perforated kind lets air circulate while catching most of the grease, and it cuts your cleanup time in half.
Temperature Guide: What Heat Setting to Use
Temperature and time work together, and getting the balance right is what separates good air fryer bacon from great bacon. Here's how to think about it.
Higher heat (380°F to 400°F) cooks faster and produces crispier results, but it narrows your margin for error. This range works best for regular-cut and thin-cut bacon where the strips are thin enough to cook through before the surface burns. If your bacon has added sugar or glaze, stay at or below 380°F because sugar caramelizes rapidly at higher temps and goes from golden to bitter in under a minute.
Medium heat (360°F to 375°F) is the safest range for most situations. It gives you a wider window to check and adjust without risking burnt edges. This is where you want to be for thick-cut bacon and for any situation where you're cooking a larger batch that might need an extra minute or two.
Lower heat (340°F to 355°F) is useful for extra-thick cuts, bacon that's been glazed or coated in a sweet rub, or situations where you want to render as much fat as possible for cooking purposes. The tradeoff is time. At 350°F, thick-cut bacon can take up to 14 minutes, but the result is evenly cooked strips with a high fat render and minimal shrinkage.
If your air fryer only displays Celsius, here's the conversion: 350°F is 177°C, 375°F is 190°C, and 400°F is 204°C. Most models let you adjust in 5-degree increments, so you can dial it in precisely.
One practical note from aggregate user reviews across major air fryer brands. Many people report that their air fryer runs 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the display reads, especially in the first few months of use. If your bacon is consistently coming out darker than expected at a given setting, try dropping the temperature by 10°F and adding a minute. A cheap oven thermometer placed inside the basket can tell you exactly what temperature your unit is actually reaching.
Single Layer vs. Overcrowding: Why Basket Layout Matters
Here's a quotable truth that covers most air fryer failures: overcrowding the basket is the number one reason bacon comes out uneven. Air fryers work by circulating hot air around food at high speed. When strips are piled on top of each other, the air can't reach the surfaces that are touching, and those sections steam in their own moisture instead of crisping up.
A 3.5-quart basket fits 4 to 6 regular-cut strips in a single layer. A 5.5-quart model handles 6 to 8. If you're working with a compact 2-quart unit, you may only fit 3 to 4 strips per batch. It's tempting to squeeze in a few extra, but the result is always the same: some strips come out perfect while others are limp and undercooked in the overlapped sections.
If you need to cook a full pound of bacon, plan on 3 to 4 batches depending on your basket size. Yes, it takes longer. But each batch cooks in 7 to 10 minutes, so you're looking at roughly 30 to 40 minutes total for a full pound. That's still faster than most oven methods, and the results are significantly more consistent.
One workaround that some people use is cutting the strips in half before loading the basket. This lets you fit more pieces without overlapping because the shorter strips are easier to arrange flat. It also makes the bacon easier to handle with tongs when it's time to flip.
For anyone cooking bacon in an air fryer regularly, especially in larger households, it's worth considering a model with a bigger capacity. Our guide to the best extra large capacity air fryer covers options that can handle 8 to 12 strips at once, which cuts your batch count in half.
Pork Bacon vs. Turkey Bacon: Different Times, Different Results
Pork bacon and turkey bacon behave differently enough in an air fryer that they basically need separate approaches. The core difference is fat content. A regular-cut pork bacon strip is roughly 40% to 45% fat by weight. Turkey bacon runs closer to 15% to 20%.
That fat difference changes everything about how the strips cook.
Pork bacon renders fat as it heats, and that rendered fat essentially bastes the strip from the inside. The result is a self-basting cooking process that keeps the meat moist while the surface crisps. This is why pork bacon is forgiving in an air fryer. Even if you overshoot the time by a minute, the fat content gives you a buffer before the strip turns to charcoal.
Turkey bacon has no such buffer. With less fat to render, it dries out faster and can go from perfectly cooked to brittle and overdone in about 60 seconds. The lower fat content also means less smoke, which is a genuine advantage if you've had smoke alarm issues with pork bacon. But the tradeoff is that turkey bacon requires more attention and a slightly lower temperature.
Here's a practical comparison based on aggregate user feedback across major air fryer brands:
| Factor | Pork Bacon | Turkey Bacon |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | ~40–45% | ~15–20% |
| Best temp range | 370°F–400°F | 360°F–380°F |
| Cook time (regular) | 7–10 min | 6–9 min |
| Forgiveness window | ~2 min | ~45–60 sec |
| Smoke production | Moderate to high | Low |
| Texture when overdone | Chewy to burnt | Brittle to crumbly |
If you're cooking both types at the same time, don't put them in the same batch. They need different temperatures and different timing, and the pork fat that renders into the basket will affect how the turkey bacon cooks. Do the pork bacon first, drain the grease, then cook the turkey bacon.
Common Mistakes That Ruin Air Fryer Bacon
After reviewing hundreds of user reports and manufacturer guidelines, the same mistakes come up again and again. Here are the ones that cause the most problems.
Skipping the preheat. Cold baskets mean the bacon sits in a warming phase for the first 2 to 3 minutes instead of cooking. The fat congeals, the strips stick, and you end up with uneven results. Two minutes of preheating solves this entirely.
Overcrowding the basket. We covered this in the previous section, but it bears repeating. More strips per batch does not mean faster cooking. It means worse cooking.
Setting the temperature too high for the bacon type. Thick-cut bacon at 400°F will burn on the outside before the center cooks through. Sugar-glazed bacon at 390°F will scorch in minutes. Match the temperature to the thickness and coating.
Not flipping the strips. Air fryers circulate air from one direction. The side facing the heating element always cooks faster. Flipping at the halfway point is the single easiest way to get even results.
Walking away for the full cook time. Even with the right settings, air fryers vary. Set your timer for 2 minutes less than the target, check, and add time if needed. This takes 10 seconds and prevents burnt bacon every single time.
Ignoring the grease tray. Bacon produces a surprising amount of grease. If the drip tray is full from a previous batch, the new batch sits in pooled fat and the excess can smoke or even ignite in some models. Drain it between every batch.
Using solid parchment paper. A solid sheet blocks the airflow that makes an air fryer work. If you want to use a liner, it must be perforated. Better yet, just give the basket a quick spray of cooking oil before loading the strips.
One more mistake that doesn't get mentioned enough: not accounting for carryover cooking. Bacon continues to crisp after you pull it from the basket because the residual heat and surface fat keep the cooking process going for about 60 to 90 seconds. Pull it when it's just slightly lighter than your target color. It'll darken a shade or two as it sits on the plate.
How to Tell When Bacon Is Actually Done
Time and temperature are guides, but your eyes and a pair of tongs are the final judges. Here's what to look for at each stage of doneness.
Chewy bacon. The fat is mostly translucent with some white opaque sections remaining. The meat is light brown and still flexible when you lift a strip with tongs. It bends without snapping. This stage usually hits around 6 to 7 minutes for regular-cut at 375°F.
Crispy bacon. The fat is fully translucent with no white sections. The meat is a deep golden brown and the edges are starting to darken. When you lift a strip, it holds its shape but still has a slight bend. This is the most common target and usually lands around 8 to 10 minutes for regular-cut.
Extra crispy bacon. The fat is translucent and the meat is a rich, dark brown. The edges may be just barely starting to blacken. The strip snaps cleanly when bent. This is 10 to 12 minutes for regular-cut, and you're walking a fine line.
Check every 30 seconds once you hit the 10-minute mark.
Burnt bacon. The meat is very dark brown to black, the edges are charred, and the strip crumbles when you try to pick it up. The air fryer smells sharp and acrid. If you hit this point, the batch is done. Pull the strips, drain the grease, and start over with a lower temperature.
A useful trick: pull one strip early and let it sit on a paper towel for 60 seconds. If it reaches your desired crispiness during that rest, the rest of the batch is ready. If it's still too soft, give the remaining strips another minute.
The USDA recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of 145°F with a 3-minute rest for safety. Commercially cured bacon is technically pre-cooked during the smoking process, so you're really cooking it to texture preference rather than food safety. That said, if you're using fresh, uncured pork belly slices from a butcher, hitting 145°F internally is the safe standard.
Batch Cooking Bacon: How to Handle Multiple Rounds
If you're cooking bacon for a family of four or doing weekly meal prep, you'll almost certainly need multiple batches. Here's how to make that process efficient without sacrificing quality.
Expect subsequent batches to cook faster. The air fryer is already at temperature, the basket is pre-greased, and the heating element is cycling at full power. The second and third batches typically finish 1 to 2 minutes faster than the first. Set your timer accordingly and check early.
Keep finished bacon warm. If you want all your bacon ready at the same time, set your oven to its lowest setting (usually 170°F to 200°F) and place finished strips on a wire rack inside. They'll stay warm and crisp for 15 to 20 minutes without overcooking. Don't stack them, or the ones on the bottom will steam and lose their crunch.
Drain the grease between every batch. This is non-negotiable if you want to avoid smoke. Pull out the drip tray, pour the grease into a metal container or jar, and slide it back in. The whole process takes about 30 seconds once you have a system.
Don't mix bacon types in the same batch. Pork and turkey bacon need different temperatures and times. Cook one type, finish all your batches of that type, clean out the grease, then switch to the other.
Plan your batch sizes based on your basket. Here's a rough guide:
- 2-quart basket: 3 to 4 strips per batch
- 3.5-quart basket: 4 to 6 strips per batch
- 5.5-quart basket: 6 to 8 strips per batch
- 8-quart or dual-basket: 8 to 12 strips per batch
A standard 12-ounce package of bacon contains roughly 12 to 18 strips depending on thickness. In a 3.5-quart air fryer, that's 2 to 3 batches. In a 5.5-quart model, you can often do it in 2.
If you're meal prepping, cooked bacon stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 2 to 3 minutes and it comes back almost as crisp as fresh. For anyone doing regular meal prep in an air fryer, our article on the best air fryer for large family of 6 covers models that handle bigger batches efficiently.
Cleaning Up: Managing Grease and Smoke
Bacon grease is the messiest part of the entire process, and smoke is the most common complaint in user reviews. Both are manageable if you know what's happening and plan for it.
Smoke happens when grease drips onto the heating element or pools in a hot drip tray and reaches its smoke point. Pork fat smokes at approximately 370°F, which means any air fryer set to 375°F or higher is operating right at the threshold. If your drip tray has accumulated grease from previous cooking, that grease is already primed to smoke the moment the air fryer heats up.
The fix is straightforward. Empty and wipe the drip tray before every bacon session. If you're doing multiple batches, drain it between each one. A quick wipe with a paper towel is usually enough.
For the basket itself, a soak in hot soapy water for 10 minutes loosens any stuck-on residue without heavy scrubbing.
If your air fryer still smokes despite a clean tray, try these steps:
- Lower the temperature by 10°F to 15°F and add 1 to 2 minutes to the cook time.
- Use a perforated parchment liner to catch grease before it reaches the tray.
- Make sure the air fryer has at least 5 inches of clearance on all sides, especially above the exhaust vent.
- Check that the exhaust vent isn't blocked by a wall, cabinet, or overhead grease buildup.
Some air fryer models are more prone to smoking than others. Compact units with the heating element positioned close to the basket tend to have more issues because there's less distance between the grease and the heat source. Larger basket-style models and oven-style air fryers generally handle bacon grease better because of the increased interior volume and better venting.
For the basket and drip tray, most manufacturers say these parts are dishwasher safe. Check your manual to confirm. If you don't have a dishwasher, fill the basket with hot water and a squirt of dish soap, let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then scrub with a non-abrasive sponge. Avoid steel wool or harsh scrubbers on non-stick coatings, as they scratch the surface and make future sticking worse.
One more tip: save the bacon grease. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar and store it in the refrigerator. It keeps for up to 3 months and is excellent for cooking eggs, roasting vegetables, or adding flavor to cornbread. Straining removes the burnt bits and leaves you with clean, usable fat.
Air Fryer vs. Oven vs. Stovetop: Which Method Wins
Each bacon cooking method has tradeoffs. The right choice depends on how much bacon you're cooking, how much cleanup you're willing to deal with, and what texture you're after.
Air fryer excels for small to medium batches. It's faster than the oven for 1 to 4 servings, produces less mess than the stovetop, and gives you more control over crispiness than the microwave. The main limitation is capacity. If you're cooking for a crowd, you'll be running multiple batches.
Oven baking is the best option for large quantities. A full sheet pan holds 12 to 18 strips in a single layer, and they all cook at once. The downside is time. Preheating the oven takes 10 to 15 minutes, and baking takes 15 to 20 minutes at 400°F.
You're looking at 30 to 35 minutes start to finish, compared to 8 to 10 minutes in an air fryer for a small batch.
Stovetop skillet gives you the most hands-on control but also the most mess. Grease splatters everywhere, you have to watch and flip constantly, and the heat distribution across a pan is uneven. The advantage is speed for very small amounts. Two to three strips in a hot skillet take about 4 to 5 minutes.
Microwave is the fastest method for 2 to 4 strips, typically 3 to 6 minutes on a microwave-safe rack. The texture is different, less crispy and more chewy-crisp, and it's harder to get consistent results. But for a quick single serving, it works.
Here's a side-by-side comparison:
| Method | Best For | Cook Time (6 strips) | Cleanup | Texture Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air fryer | 1–4 servings | 8–10 min | Easy | Very good |
| Oven | 6+ servings | 18–22 min | Moderate | Good |
| Stovetop | 1–3 servings | 5–7 min | Messy | Excellent |
| Microwave | 1–2 servings | 3–5 min | Easy | Fair |
The air fryer wins on convenience and consistency for everyday cooking. The oven wins on volume. The stovetop wins on texture if you're willing to put in the effort. The microwave wins on speed when quality isn't the priority.
For anyone who uses an air fryer as their primary cooking appliance, especially in smaller living spaces, our guide to the best air fryer toaster oven for small space covers models that combine air fryer functionality with oven capacity, giving you the best of both worlds.
Expert Tips for Perfect Air Fryer Bacon Every Time
These are the small details that separate decent air fryer bacon from the kind that makes people think you've been doing this for years.
Start with a cold air fryer for thick-cut bacon only. This sounds like it contradicts the preheat advice, and it does, but only for one specific case. If you're cooking extra-thick-cut bacon (1/8 inch or thicker), starting in a cold air fryer and letting it heat up with the strips inside gives the fat more time to render before the surface browns. Set the temp to 350°F and add 2 to 3 minutes to the total time. The result is more evenly rendered fat and less shrinkage.
Pat the strips dry before cooking. Moisture on the surface of the bacon creates steam, which slows down browning. A quick pat with a paper towel removes surface moisture and helps the strips crisp faster. This is especially helpful for bacon that's been sitting in its packaging and has a wet, slick coating.
Don't throw away the rendered grease. We mentioned this in the cleaning section, but it bears repeating from a cooking perspective. Bacon grease is a high-quality cooking fat with a smoke point around 370°F. It's excellent for sauteing, roasting, and baking. Strain it, jar it, and refrigerate it.
Use a light coat of cooking spray on the basket. Even non-stick baskets benefit from a quick spritz before loading bacon. It prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier. Don't use too much, as excess oil can cause smoking.
Cook bacon on a wire rack if your air fryer has one. Some models, like the Instant Vortex and certain Ninja Foodi units, come with a wire rack accessory. Elevating the strips above the basket allows air to circulate underneath, which produces more even browning on both sides and reduces the need to flip.
Let the bacon rest on paper towels for at least 60 seconds after cooking. This isn't just about carryover cooking. The paper towels absorb excess surface grease, which makes the strips crispier and less greasy to eat. Two layers of paper towels work better than one.
If your bacon curls, press it flat. Some strips curl as the fat renders and the meat contracts. If this bothers you, lay a second air fryer-safe wire rack or a small oven-safe weight on top of the strips during the first half of cooking. This keeps them flat and promotes even contact with the hot air.
For meal prep, slightly undercook your bacon. If you're cooking bacon to reheat later, pull it one stage before your target doneness. Chewy bacon reheats to crispy. Crispy bacon reheats to overdone. This gives you a buffer for the reheating process.
FAQs About Cooking Bacon in an Air Fryer
Do you need to preheat an air fryer for bacon?
Yes, in most cases. Preheating to 375°F for 2 to 3 minutes ensures the basket is hot enough to start rendering fat immediately. The one exception is extra-thick-cut bacon, where a cold start can actually help the fat render more evenly before the surface browns.
Can you cook bacon in an air fryer without foil or parchment?
Absolutely. Bacon cooks fine directly on the basket surface. A light coat of cooking spray prevents sticking. Parchment liners with perforations are optional and mainly useful for easier cleanup, not for cooking performance.
Why does my air fryer smoke when cooking bacon?
Smoke occurs when grease hits the heating element or pools in a hot drip tray. Clean the tray before cooking, don't overcrowd the basket, and keep the temperature at or below 375°F for regular-cut bacon. If smoking persists, lower the temperature by 10°F and increase the cook time slightly.
How many strips of bacon fit in an air fryer?
It depends on your basket size. A 3.5-quart basket fits 4 to 6 regular-cut strips in a single layer. A 5.5-quart basket handles 6 to 8. A compact 2-quart unit fits 3 to 4.
Never overlap strips, as this causes uneven cooking.
Is air fryer bacon healthier than pan-fried bacon?
Air fryer bacon drains more fat during cooking because the strips sit in a basket above the drip tray, allowing grease to fall away. Pan-fried bacon sits in its own rendered fat for the entire cook time. The actual nutritional difference per strip is modest, but the air fryer method does result in slightly less residual fat on the finished bacon.
Can you cook frozen bacon in an air fryer?
Yes, but add 2 to 3 minutes to the cook time and separate the strips as soon as they're thawed enough to pull apart, usually around the 3 to 4 minute mark. Frozen strips that are stuck together will cook unevenly. For best results, thaw bacon in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.
What temperature should you cook bacon in an air fryer?
Regular-cut bacon does best at 370°F to 400°F. Thick-cut bacon needs 350°F to 375°F. Turkey bacon works well at 360°F to 380°F. Start at the lower end of the range and increase if needed after checking at the halfway point.
How do you keep bacon from sticking to the air fryer basket?
A light coat of cooking spray on the basket before loading the strips is the most reliable method. Preheating also helps, as a hot basket is less likely to cause sticking than a cold one. If bacon does stick, soak the basket in hot soapy water for 10 minutes before scrubbing.
Can you reheat bacon in an air fryer?
Yes, and it works better than a microwave. Set the air fryer to 350°F and heat for 2 to 3 minutes. The strips come back crispy rather than chewy. Don't overdo it, as reheated bacon goes from perfect to brittle quickly.
How long does cooked bacon last?
Cooked bacon stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator keeps for 4 to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze it in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transfer the frozen strips to a freezer bag. Frozen cooked bacon keeps for up to 3 months and reheats well in the air fryer at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes.