How To Air Fry Thick Cut Back Bacon
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Have you ever cooked bacon in the air fryer? If not, you are going to love this quick and easy recipe for mouthwateringly crispy air fryer bacon using a classic British style bacon. And the best part? There is no splatter to clean up. Check out just how to air fry bacon in just 10 minutes or less.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Way Less Mess: Cooking anything in an airfryer produces way less mess. Why? Because you don’t have to deal with all the splatter you would if cooking in a skillet on the stove-top or on a backing sheet in the oven.
- Crispy every time: Since air frying gives similar results to actual frying, then you can expect some deliciously crunchy bacon…which is my personal favorite!
- Quick Cleanup: Cleaning out your air fryer is quick and simple. And since you don’t have to worry about wiping up the spatter, it is super fast too.
- Forget dry bacon: with my technique- I use foil to retain moisture whilst optimizing crispiness, as many other methods I find dry out the bacon to give a chewy rather than crispy result.
Love bacon? Try my ; Easy Bacon and Lentil Soup, Brussel Sprouts with Bacon (Pan-Fried & Easy!) and Creamy Bacon Pasta (see below)
Best types of bacon to be air fried
I love all types of bacon, and there are quite few out there. My recipe is specifically for making back bacon in the air fryer, but let me just touch on the other types of bacon you can air fry before we get into the good stuff…like making the bacon.
Back Bacon
I just love Back Bacon (and this is the bacon I use in this recipe). Back bacon is taken from the pig’s loin so it is a bit meatier than other cuts of bacon. But with a little fat still around the edges, this bacon is perfectly savory and delicious.
Bacon Medallions
Bacon medallions are also really nice in the airfryer, but they are a bit smaller than back bacon slices. Bacon medallions also come from the pig loin and therefore cook up and have a similar taste to back bacon.
Streaky Bacon
In the US, this is just typical bacon, but in the UK, we call it streaky bacon…because of its steaks of fat and meat. This bacon is made up of long thin slices of very fatty pork belly that has been cured. This is a great option if you like thinner cuts of bacon, but they come in thick cuts as well. In the airfryer, streaky bacon will cook fairly quickly and may create more smoke due to a higher fat content, so keep an eye on it.
Is it better to air fry or pan fry bacon?
I am a big fan of air frying many things, but especially bacon. If not for the sole reason that there is a built in splatter control. In the past, I tended to not even make bacon because the cleanup was just a little too much when pan frying.
But now that I’ve got my air fryer, I cook bacon all the time!
What is the best temperature to air fry bacon?
The very best temperature for cooking bacon in air fryer is 350℉ (180℃). If you go higher, you risk a few things:
- Exploding bacon (yes this is a real thing that people have complained about happening at high temperatures!)
- Lots of smoke
- Burnt bacon
How do I keep my air fryer from smoking when cooking bacon?
When you air fry bacon, there is going to be a lot of grease dripping into the drip pan. If that pan is too hot, it will cause the grease to start smoking. Here are a few ways you can keep this from happening:
- Line the drip pan with foil or parchment paper
- Turn the heat to no more than 350℉ (180℃)
- Add water to the drop pan (I have read this, but have not tried it, so let me know how it goes!)
- Be sure to clean the grease out of the drip pan before making another batch of bacon.
How long does it take to air fry bacon?
All bacon is going to cook up slightly differently depending on how thick the slice is, how much fat is present, and what temperature you use.
In my experience, 8-10 minutes at 350℉ (180℃) is good for just cooked thick cut back bacon, and 10-14 minutes is good for getting it nice and crispy.
However, medallions cook a bit faster since they are smaller in size so I would suggest just 8-10 minutes, and streaky rashers, if they are cut thin, will cook even faster. So go with about 5-8 minutes.
The trick with any bacon you cook in the air fryer is to keep an eye on it and cook it to your liking.
Love your airfryer? Here is some advice on cooking from frozen using your Airfryer : How to cook frozen chicken breast in the air fryer, Frozen Fish Fingers in Air Fryer or Cooking Frozen Sausages in an Air Fryer
How to air fry bacon from frozen
- Thaw frozen bacon in the air fryer at 350℉ (180℃) for 4 minutes.
- Separate the slices in the airfryer and leave space between them for circulation.
- Cook for another 5-8 minutes for just done, or 8-10 minutes for crispy.
- Drain the grease on a plate lined with a paper towel.
Ingredients
Variations/ Adaptations
You can use one of the different bacon slices I mentioned above, like medallions or thin streaky rashers.
How to cook bacon in air fryer
Turn the air fryer on to 350℉ (180℃)
- Remove the bacon slices from the plastic packaging (Image 1).
- Prepare the airfryer tray, by adding a layer of foil before placing the bacon in with a space between each slice (Image 2).
3. Brush a very small amount of rapeseed oil onto each rasher (Image 3).
4. Allow them to cook for 4-5 minutes (Image 4).
5. Flip each slice of bacon using some tongs (Image 5).
6. Cook for the remaining time, 4-5 more minutes, or until desired doneness is achieved (Image 6).
Tips for the best result
- Using foil retains some of the fat/moisture which will prevent your bacon from drying out.
- Empty grease before making more batches.
- Flip the bacon slices half way through.
- Space bacon out so there is room for the air to circulate.
- Cook the slices in one layer so they cook evenly.
Need inspiration for more recipes, using bacon? Try my Simple Fluffy American Pancakes served with bacon, Creamy Chicken and Bacon Pasta and Slow Cooker White Bean Stew with Crispy Bacon
Serving Suggestions
- On a sandwich
- Topping for soup
- Alongside eggs
- Pizza – while you’re at it, add some air fryer sausage to that pizza!
- On top of a salad
- Add to potatoes
- Add as topping to a risotto, see my Creamy Green Risotto with Crispy Bacon and Mushrooms below.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Storage
If you have leftovers, cooked bacon is safe to be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating
There are many ways you can reheat your cooked bacon. But I like to reheat it in the air fryer for best results. Just place the cold cooked bacon in the air fryer on 350℉ (180℃) for 3-4 minutes or until it is warm.
Here are some articles about reheating some of your favourite recipes ; The Best Way to Reheat Baked Ziti, The Best Way To Reheat Salmon and The Best Way to Reheat Chicken Wings in the Airfryer
FAQs
You can if you are having an issue with the air fryer smoking, or if you want easier cleanup. Otherwise, it is not necessary.
The only reason I would suggest water in the bottom of the air fryer when cooking bacon is if it is smoking. Otherwise, it is not needed.
Try using a thicker slice of bacon. The weight of the bacon may help hold it down.
You do not need to preheat the air fryer when making bacon.
Well most definitely. I just wrote a whole article about it!
Explore More Recipes
If you tried this Airfryer bacon recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
How To Air Fry Thick Cut Back Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 rashers of thick cut bacon (£2.25/3)=(£0.75)
Cupboard Essentials
- A light brush of rapeseed oil
Method
Turn the air fryer on to 350℉/180℃. Line the airfryer basket with foil.
- Place the bacon slices into the air fryer in one layer with space between them. Lightly brush 1 side of the bacon with a tiny layer of rapeseed oil (less than 1 tsp)
- Heat for 4 minutes, then rotate and heat for a further 4-6 minutes, depending on your desired level of crispiness. For the last 2 minutes you can rotate again if one side seems crispier than the other.
- Remove from the airfryer and optionally place on a paper towel to remove excess grease. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use foil to retain fat/moisture and prevent bacon from drying out.
- Remove excess grease between batches to maintain optimal cooking conditions.
- Space bacon evenly on foil, flipping halfway through for even cooking and allow air circulation.
Nutrition
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