Crispy Air Fryer Bacon Recipe - Evolving Table (2024)

FAQs

Should you put water in the bottom of an air fryer when cooking bacon? ›

Preheat the air fryer at 320°F for 5 minutes. Pour 1/4 cup of water into the bottom of the air fryer to minimize smoke. Place bacon in a single layer into the preheated air fryer basket.

Crowding the Pan

As with other meats, allow some room between strips, about an inch, when placing bacon in the pan. Crowding creates steam and prevents the bacon from cooking evenly, giving you limp bacon instead of crispy strips. Cook in batches if needed.

Unlike bacon that is cooked on a sheet pan in the oven, or in a skillet on the stovetop, the air fryer allows the bacon grease to drip into the pan below as it cooks, so the bacon strips will be less greasy when they are done.

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.

You take strips of bacon and place them on a baking sheet, then sprinkle all-purpose flour on top and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes. I was surprised to find out how great this worked. The flour definitely helped to give the bacon a crispier texture and nicer color than the other methods I tried.

Tried and true, this is the way I learned to cook bacon: Lay the strips in a cold skillet, place over medium-low to medium heat, flip and fry until you reach your desired doneness and then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Preheat an air fryer to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C) according to manufacturer's instructions. Lay bacon in the air fryer basket in a single layer; some overlap is okay. Fry for 8 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes more.

So when hot air is circulated around the bacon, your air fryer will fill up with rendered bacon fat, which will then burn and maybe even release smoke from your machine.

If the strips do overlap, they probably won't all cook fully and evenly. Bacon doesn't normally blow around too much in an air fryer, but if you want to keep it from curling, you can place a small rack directly on top.

Is water the secret to crispy bacon? ›

The addition of water keeps the initial cooking temperature low and gentle, so the meat retains its moisture and stays tender as the fat renders. Plus, since the water helps render the fat, there will be significantly less splatter as your bacon finishes in the pan.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer – not touching – on top of the parchment. Bake for 14 minute for chewy, 16 for crispy, and 18 for extra-crisp/crunchy bacon. *Keep in mind that the bacon will continue to crisp up while cooling.

To prevent burnt grease and toxic fumes, you can add a little bit of water at the bottom of your air fryer, just below the air fryer basket. Check for the air fryer's bottom drawer, as some models might have a tiny drawer underneath the basket for this purpose.

You can add a small amount of water to the bottom of the air fryer before cooking certain foods such as potatoes or vegetables. This will help create steam and prevent them from drying out during cooking.

To cook or reheat liquids, you're better off using a microwave or Instant Pot instead. Because air fryers cook food similar to a convection oven, adding water means it will blow steam around the interior, which can create smoke or start a fire.