Irresistible Bacon
We love thick-cut bacon out of an air fryer. Thinner strips cook too quickly and tend to carbonize at the edges long before the centers are done. But here’s the drawback: Bacon makes quite a mess in the machine, given all the rendered fat. Make sure you clean the drawer or trays well after making this delicacy. Wipe down the inside of the machine as indicated in your instructions from the manufacturer. Author © Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough Photograph © Eric Medsker
Servings Prep Time
4Servings 8Minutes
Cook Time
7Minutes
Servings Prep Time
4Servings 8Minutes
Cook Time
7Minutes
Ingredients
  • 4slices of plain thick-cut bacon
Instructions
  1. Slice the bacon strips in half widthwise so they fit easily in the air fryer.
  2. Set the machine to “Air Fry.” Set the temperature to 375°F and the timer to 8 minutes (which will be a little more than you need). Press START.
  3. When the machine beeps, says “add food,” or is heated to the proper temperature, arrange the bacon in a single layer in the basket or on the tray, leaving at least 1/4 inches between each piece. Use separate trays or work in batches as necessary.
  4. Air-fry, undisturbed and ignoring any “Turn Food” indicator, until the bacon is browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes for medium-cooked bacon and 7 minutes for very crisp bacon. If you’ve used multiple trays, swap them top to bottom at about the halfway point in the cooking process.
  5. Turn off the machine and use nonstick-safe kitchen tongs to transfer the bacon pieces to a serving platter or plates. Cool for a couple of minutes before serving hot.
Upgrade This Recipe!
  1. Before air-frying, brush each piece of halved bacon with about 1 tsp maple syrup or honey. 
  2. and/or sprinkle each piece of bacon with coarsely ground black pepper to taste. Or go all out with ground Aleppo pepper, urfa biber (a dried ground Turkish pepper), gochugaru (a ground Korean red chile), or other ground peppers or chiles, particularly if you add the sweet glaze.
Recipe Notes

Air Fryer Dos & Don’ts Coffee mugs chilled from the pantry in the morning? Warm them up by setting them in a 250°F air fryer for no more than 1 minute. Or better yet, turn off the air fryer after making this bacon recipe and set the mugs in the still-hot-but-off air fryer for less than 1 minute to warm them up.