Air-Fryer Bacon

Starting the bacon in a cold oven is a great idea, resulting in evenly cooked, crispy bacon. My challenge is that when the bacon is finished and I open the oven door, the smoke alarm in our condo is set off, requiring furious flapping of a kitchen towel in front of the sensor to get it to turn off. And we have to put the bacon on the balcony to cool. Perhaps the air fryer method will result in less smoke?

Just got a new wall oven with our kitchen remodel. It has an Air Fry option. I love it. Yesterday I cooked a whole package of bacon at one time and it was perfectly crispy and delicious. This recipe reallly gave me the confidence to go for it. Thank you Eleanor.

Bacon turned out perfect but I couldn’t use the air fryer for toast afterwards without cleaning it. Make toast first?

As with most air fryer recipes, it all depends on the air fryer. My Ninja does great with bacon, clean up is easy, and best of all, no bacon splatters on stove/microwave/oven/counter.

Used thick cut Boar's Head bacon. Cooked most in a skillet, but some in my Ninja XL Foodi. Pan fried has a slight edge as far as texture, but they're comparable. BTW the instructions on the bacon package clearly state to cook low for about 4 minutes. Absolutely no way the 4 (cut in half) slices would be cooked so quickly. Easily took 10 minutes, so the Foodi wins the time race, but I could only cook 1.5 slices (also cut in half). I think it depends on how much you're trying to cook.

I make seasoned bacon in the air fryer for classic iceberg wedge salads. Usually I use thick bacon and sprinkle onion and garlic powder and roast crushed/chopped tomatoes on the bacon as it cooks. I lower the heat as I'm not trying to burn the seasoning or tomatoes, just roast them in to a unified seasoned topping.

I am convinced that the microwave was invented to quickly cook tasty bacon for breakfest. On a plate, layer a sheet of paper towel, bacon strips, and then a final layer of paper towel on top. Microwave to desired crispiness/chewiness usually 2-4 minutes for 2-4 slices of bacon. Grease soaks into the lower towel and the top towel keeps spatter down. Clean up is just throwing away the sheets. The top sheet can be used to wipe down the plate for serving before discarding it.

If you put sliced bread undernear the basket in the pot (i have a Ninja Foodi), the bread soaks up the bacon juice as it cooks, and it means less washing too!

We do this all the time. Rub a tiny bit of brown sugar on one or both sides and sprinkle with Aleppo or other pepper flakes. Level up.

Convection toaster oven works the same way as an air fryer. May take a few more minutes since the space is a bit more open. I cook my bacon this way all the time, easy, tasty and better than the microwave

My air fryer (Avalon) came with a free standing wire grid. I use a paper paper liner under it or a piece of foil and put the bacon on the grid. Works fine, with the grease falling into the liner/ foil. Nothing to clean up except rinsing off the grid. I do agree, though, that the microwave works equally well.

Any advice for a convection oven, which is kind of an air fryer itself. I used to make it in my microwave and liked it until I fried it in a pan after 40 years and the frypan is so much better. So my next attempt will be in a convection oven.

I was a devotee of microwave bacon until a few months ago when i tried it in the air fryer. I was hooked and will never go back. Quick tip...for easier cleanup (if you don't save the grease), put a little water in the basket.