Air fryers have become increasingly popular in recent years as a healthier way to fry and cook foods. Their convection heating system uses hot air to crisp and cook food, reducing the need for oil. This makes them excellent for cooking bacon, which can become greasy when cooked in other ways. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of cooking bacon in an air fryer, provide tips on how to cook bacon properly in one, and compare it to other cooking methods.
Benefits of Cooking Bacon in an Air Fryer
There are several advantages to cooking bacon in an air fryer:
- Less greasy – The hot air reduces the amount of grease that comes out of the bacon, keeping it lighter and crispier.
- Fewer calories – With less grease, bacon cooked in an air fryer has fewer calories and less fat than pan-fried bacon.
- Less cleanup – Without all the grease splattering, air fryer bacon makes less of a mess.
- More convenient – You can cook an entire batch of bacon easily in the air fryer without having to monitor it as closely.
- Even cooking – The circulating air helps the bacon cook more evenly than in a skillet.
Overall, the biggest advantage is producing crispy, tasty bacon without all the extra grease and mess of frying.
How to Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer
Cooking bacon in an air fryer is simple, but there are a few tips to follow for the best results:
- Use thick-cut bacon – Thinner sliced bacon will cook too quickly and may burn. Aim for bacon that’s at least 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut the bacon strips in half – This allows more air flow around the bacon for even crisping.
- Lay bacon strips flat – Arranging them in a single layer will prevent overlapping.
- Set air fryer to 370-400°F – The high heat will make the bacon crispy.
- Cook 12-18 minutes – Cooking time will vary based on thickness. Check frequently after 12 minutes.
- Blot grease – After cooking, blot bacon strips with a paper towel to absorb excess grease.
You may have to experiment a bit with timing to get your desired crispness. It’s better to undercook slightly and then return to the air fryer for a minute or two if needed.
Comparing Cooking Methods
Let’s compare how air fryer bacon stacks up against other popular cooking methods:
Pan Frying
- Crispiness: Pan frying can get bacon very crispy and browned.
- Grease: A good amount of grease renders out into the pan.
- Ease: Have to watch closely to prevent burning.
- Cleanup: The splattering grease makes a mess to clean up.
Oven Baking
- Crispiness: Bacon can come out crispy but depends on oven temp.
- Grease: Bacon lays in its grease so more is reabsorbed.
- Ease: Relatively hands off once in the oven.
- Cleanup: The baking sheet will need scrubbing to remove grease.
Microwave
- Crispiness: Microwaved bacon rarely gets crispy.
- Grease: No way for grease to drain off while cooking.
- Ease: Super fast but have to stop and rearrange strips.
- Cleanup: The paper towels or plate will be soaked in grease.
Air Fryer
- Crispiness: Gets bacon very crispy with circulated hot air.
- Grease: Air flow and raised rack reduces grease.
- Ease: Simple to load and set timer; minimal monitoring.
- Cleanup: Little splatter means easy cleanup.
As you can see, air frying produces the crispiest, least greasy bacon with easier cooking and cleaning than most methods.
Conclusion
Cooking bacon in an air fryer is an excellent choice if you’re looking for crispy, tasty bacon without a lot of grease and mess. The circulating hot air crisps up the bacon nicely while allowing excess fat to drip away. Air fried bacon is lighter in calories and fat than pan fried and retains more flavor than oven baked. With minimal splatter, it also creates less cleanup than other cooking methods. Just be sure to use thick cut bacon, cook at a high temp, and adjust time as needed for your desired crispness. If you want to enjoy delicious bacon without all the grease, try popping it in your air fryer!