Perhaps the easiest thing you can cook is Air Fryer Bacon!
If you’ve never made bacon in an air fryer, today is the day. It’s fast, simple, and produces perfectly crispy bacon without burning. Below you’ll find tips for avoiding smoke, simple instructions, storage and reheating methods, and ideas for using cooked bacon in recipes.
Table of Contents
Why Cook Bacon In The Air Fryer?
Bacon is versatile and appears in many recipes. Cooking it in the air fryer is an efficient, low-mess way to prepare a batch that’s ready to use when needed. Here are the main benefits:
- Set-and-forget – Air fryers handle the cooking while you step away, unlike a skillet that needs constant attention.
- Fast – In about 8–10 minutes you can have perfectly cooked streaky bacon.
- Less mess – The air fryer reduces splatter compared to stovetop frying, making cleanup easier.
- Less greasy – Rendered fat collects in the air fryer base, so the finished bacon is less greasy. You can save the bacon grease for cooking later.

How To Prevent Smoke When Cooking Bacon In The Air Fryer
To minimize smoke when air frying bacon, follow these three simple tips:
- Cook at the right temperature – Set the air fryer to 350–360°F. Bacon fat begins to smoke near 374°F, so keeping the temperature below that helps avoid smoke.
- Add water – Placing about 1 cup of water in the base of the air fryer catches and cools drippings so they won’t splatter or burn.
- Use a covered basket – A baking basket or splatter guard that contains the bacon keeps fat from reaching the heating element and reduces smoke and mess.

What You Need For This Recipe
Ingredients are minimal:
- Strips of bacon
- Water (about 1 cup)

How To Make Bacon In The Air Fryer
Instructions:
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (about 180°C) for 3 minutes.
- If your air fryer base allows, pour in 1 cup of water to catch drippings and reduce smoke.
- Place bacon strips in the basket using tongs. Overlap slightly if needed—bacon will shrink as it cooks.
- Cover with a splatter guard or use a baking basket that contains the fat if you have one.
- Set the cook time by thickness:
- Thin bacon: start at 5 minutes and check for doneness.
- Medium-thick bacon: 8–10 minutes.
- Thick bacon: 10–12 minutes.
- No need to flip the bacon; the air fryer cooks it evenly.
- When done, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess fat.

Can I Make Air Fryer Bacon Ahead?
Yes. Air fryer bacon stores well and is convenient to have on hand for recipes or breakfasts. Once cooled, it becomes crispier and can be broken or chopped for salads, sandwiches, or garnishes.

How To Store Air Fryer Streaky Bacon?
Storage options:
- Refrigerator – Let bacon cool completely, then store in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to a week.
- Freezer – Cool completely and place in freezer-friendly bags or airtight containers. Properly stored, bacon keeps for up to three months.

How To Reheat Cooked Bacon
Reheating options to restore crispiness:
- Air fryer – Preheat to 325°F for 3 minutes, then warm bacon for about 2–3 minutes.
- Oven – Preheat to 325°F and reheat bacon on a baking sheet for 3–5 minutes until warmed.
- Skillet – Warm over medium heat for a few minutes, turning if needed, until heated through.

How To Cook Bacon In The Oven?
If you don’t have an air fryer, the oven is a great alternative:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange bacon in a single layer.
- Bake 15–18 minutes, checking toward the end for desired crispness.

Recipes That Use Bacon
Once you’ve mastered air fryer bacon, try it in these dishes:
- Brussels sprouts with cream and bacon
- Club sandwich
- Creamy garlic mushrooms with bacon
- Bacon burger
- Grilled cheese with bacon

Air Fryer Bacon
8
3 minutes
9 minutes
12 minutes
The easiest way to prepare bacon is in the air fryer. Fast, low-mess, and reliably crispy.
Ingredients
- 8 slices of bacon
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360℉/180℃. Add 1 cup of water to the base to catch drips.
- Place bacon strips in the basket, preferably using a baking basket or splatter guard.
- Cook: 5 minutes for thin bacon; 8–10 minutes for medium-thick; 10–12 minutes for thick bacon.
- Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb excess fat.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 54
Total Fat: 4g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Sodium: 195mg
Protein: 4g
Please note: Nutrition information is for reference and may not be exact.
Give this easy air fryer bacon method a try—crispy results with less mess. Enjoy!