When it comes to bacon, it’s hard to go wrong. No matter if you cook it on the stove or pop a pan of bacon in the oven, it’s easy to end up with enjoyable crispy strips.
However, there’s a new way of cooking bacon that you may not have thought of—the air fryer! Join us as we cover how to cook bacon in an air fryer, so you end up with perfectly crunchy strips and easy cleanup.
Can You Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook bacon in an air fryer! The air fryer is a quick and easy way to achieve crispy bacon that’s free from excessive grease.
All you need to get started is an air fryer and some bacon. When it comes time to choose bacon, start with a high-quality product, such as Coleman Natural’s Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon.
How to Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer
Cooking bacon in the air fryer is easy! There’s no pre-heating, limited cleanup, and no need to turn the slices as they cook.
Begin by removing the bacon from the package and separating the individual strips. If you’re working with frozen bacon, you can defrost it before cooking or place frozen strips directly into the air fryer. After you’ve separated the strips, lay them on the air fryer basket, so they are close but not touching.
Place the basket into the air fryer, heat to 375ºF, and cook for ten minutes—there’s no need to preheat, although you certainly can if you’d like. If the bacon isn’t as done as you like, pop it back in for a few more minutes and then check it again. While regular-cut bacon is often done in 10 minutes, thick-cut bacon will likely take a bit longer.
Once your bacon strips have reached your ideal level of crispiness, remove the basket from the air fryer. Place the bacon on a plate covered with a paper towel to catch the extra grease, let it cool a bit, and enjoy!
Benefits of Cooking Bacon in an Air Fryer
If you’re used to cooking bacon on the stove or in the oven, you may be hesitant to try out a new method. While you’ll no longer need to ask, “can you cook bacon in an air fryer,” you may still be wondering about the advantages of this cooking method.
It’s Quick
When you pop the bacon in the air fryer, it will be done in around ten minutes! That means an air fryer is a great option when you don’t have much time or have a sudden craving for bacon.
Cleanup Is Easy
Bacon is a high-fat food—that’s part of what makes it so delicious and a great component of a Keto diet. However, the fatty portions of bacon can liquify during the cooking process and cause quite a mess. If you’ve had a cast iron skillet of bacon fill your kitchen with grease splatterings, you know what we’re talking about!
When you cook bacon in an air fryer, the grease settles in the bottom. This makes cleanup super simple—just pour the melted fat into a jar, and you’re good to go!
Bacon Strips Become Evenly Crispy
Sometimes, it’s hard to cook bacon evenly. Perhaps you’ve chowed down on bacon that was burnt in some portions and undercooked in others. Fortunately, the air fryer makes it easy to avoid this uneven cooking.
The air fryer churns out strips that are crunchy all the way through, which is perfect whether you’re looking to enjoy strips at breakfast or work crunchy bits into recipes like Brussels Sprouts and Bacon and Sun-Dried Tomato and Bacon Pasta Salad.
It’s a Mostly Hands-Off Method
Other bacon cooking methods require that you monitor the strips, turn them when necessary, and/or tinker with the temperature. When you cook bacon in the air fryer, you simply set it and forget it. Wait for the timer to ring, then enjoy!
This ease makes it possible to multitask in the kitchen or just take a moment to sit back and relax.
Other Bacon Cooking Methods
If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t fear! There are plenty of other ways to cook bacon.
Stove Top
Cooking bacon in a pan on the stove is a classic option. Whether you opt for a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or a stainless steel pan, the stove can be a good way to fill the house with the smell and sound of sizzling bacon.
Microwave
It’s true that the microwave is the quickest way to cook bacon—even quicker than the air fryer. Ensure you use the right settings for your microwave.
Oven
The oven is a great choice if you’re looking to cook lots of bacon at one time. Although this method is slower than the air fryer, it allows you to cook multiple sheet pans of bacon at once.
Start with High-Quality Bacon
When it comes time to make some air fryer bacon, starting with a high-quality product will create the best results. No matter if you’re looking for uncured natural bacon or sugar-free bacon, Coleman Natural has a product for you.
All of our bacon is made from animals that were raised crate-free by American family farmers. These farmers take the natural meat label to heart and never provide their animals with antibiotics or added hormones.
So the next time you’re selecting bacon for you and your loved ones, pick up some Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon or Sugar-Free Applewood Smoked Bacon to enjoy. You can check out where to buy our bacon via our store locator and even purchase natural bacon online!
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