Can You Cook Bacon In The Air Fryer?

That savory scent of crispy bacon is the best thing to wake up to on a weekend morning. Whether you're grabbing a piece right off the cooling rack, adding it to your favorite sandwich, or using it as a salty side to a sweet breakfast or brunch dish, it seemingly has a place in almost every meal. But cooking bacon in a pan can mean grease splatters everywhere, which can potentially be dangerous. While it's not a bad idea to cook it in the oven, you might ask yourself whether it's possible to cook it in the air fryer, too, to avoid a mess. The short answer is yes, but there are some caveats.

The most obvious downside to air fryer bacon is the appliance's size. Air fryers often aren't big enough to cook an entire package of bacon at once, so you might have to cook it in a few batches, which makes life a little harder. Beyond that, you have to be careful what temperature you cook it at because it could potentially be a fire hazard.

If you've ever fried bacon in a pan, you know how quickly that fat starts to sizzle. When air frying bacon, keep the temperature at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and check it after about seven minutes. If it needs more time, adjust accordingly (thick-cut bacon, for example, will take longer than standard bacon). If you cook the bacon according to those instructions, then it should turn out crispy. But if you cook it at a higher temperature, that bacon grease will overheat once it turns to liquid and separates from the bacon. It could end up filling the air fryer with smoke and, at best, burning the bacon, or at worst, burnt grease is a potential fire hazard.

This concept might work even better with turkey bacon because it's a similar flavor and texture to regular bacon but has much less fat, meaning there's a lower risk that any grease will overheat. But if you keep the temperature at or below 350 degrees Fahrenheit and check it frequently, then you can get crispy pork bacon in the air fryer.