If you haven’t tried air fryer turkey bacon, you should! In 10 minutes or less, it comes out hot, crispy, and perfect.
It’s so good, you won’t even miss regular pork bacon!
Air fryer turkey bacon is lean, salty, and delicious. Get ready to be blown away!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are plenty of reasons to love this recipe. Here are my top three:
- It’s healthier than pork bacon. Regular bacon has almost twice the calories and over three times the fat as turkey bacon. Additionally, air frying bacon eliminates the need for excess oil.
- It’s quick and convenient. There’s nothing easier than air-frying bacon. It requires no extra oil and is ready in less than 10 minutes! You also won’t get popped with hot grease. Clean-up is easier, too!
- It’s super crispy. Trust me. You won’t believe the texture until you try it for yourself.
Ingredients
There is one ingredient in this recipe:
- Turkey bacon – Seriously, it’s all you need. Don’t worry about oil or cooking spray. The bacon will cook just fine without all that. Select high-quality, thick-cut turkey bacon with no fillers for the best taste.
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
Follow these steps to make your turkey bacon:
1. Get ready. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees. Pat the bacon dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
2. Cook the bacon. Place the bacon in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook it for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping it once halfway through.
3. Cool and serve. Transfer the fully cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess grease. Then, serve and enjoy!
How Long to Air Fry Turkey Bacon
Generally, it takes less than 10 minutes to air-fry turkey bacon. However, the exact time depends on a few different factors.
Obviously, the air fryer’s temperature and how much bacon you add will play a role. For this recipe, the temperature should be 380 degrees. You use one pack of bacon.
Other factors include:
- The type of bacon. Thin-cut turkey bacon will take a little less time to cook than thick-cut turkey bacon. Cured turkey bacon will take even longer.
- The size of your air fryer. If the basket is small, you may have to cook only half the pack at one time. You don’t want to overcrowd the basket, so cooking in batches is safer.
- How crispy do you want it? The crispiest bacon is fully cooked bacon. It will take longer than someone who likes their bacon softer and chewier.
Usually, you can finish cooking a pack of thick-cut turkey bacon in about 7 minutes. Cured bacon may take up to 10 minutes to finish cooking.
Tips and Tricks
Even though this recipe is simple, I still have a few tips for turning out perfect bacon every time:
- Preheating is key. If you don’t, your bacon won’t get as crispy. The air fryer basket should already be warm when you add the bacon to it.
- Don’t skimp on quality! The air fryer is a miracle machine. But even it can’t turn bacon you don’t like into something delicious.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. Most regular- to large-sized air fryers can cook an entire pack of turkey bacon at once. If yours can’t without crowding the bacon, cook in batches instead.
- Take a shortcut. Silicone air fryer liners will prevent grease from dripping into the air fryer. Then, when you’re done, you can simply remove them and wash them in the sink.
- Add a dash of oil. Most don’t, so don’t panic. However, if you opt for fat-free turkey bacon, add just a dash to prevent sticking and burning.
- Have pre-cooked bacon? You can cook that in the air fryer, too! Simply reduce the cooking time to 3 to 4 minutes.
Ways to Use Air-Fried Turkey Bacon
You can always enjoy turkey bacon by itself or with sides of eggs, biscuits, and gravy.
But breakfast isn’t the only time to eat bacon. Here are some other recipes to use it in:
- Little Smokies Wrapped in Bacon
- Amish Breakfast Casserole
- Fried Egg Sandwich (with Bacon!)
- Seven-Layer Salad
- Crack Green Beans
- BLT Sandwich (or BLT Dip)
How to Store
Have leftover turkey bacon? Here’s how to store it:
- To Store: Transfer the cooled bacon to a Ziploc bag or air-tight container. Refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Let the bacon cool fully. Then, place it in freezer-safe Ziploc bags. Freeze it for up to 6 months, but remember it’s best consumed within the first month after freezing.
- To Reheat: Let frozen bacon thaw in the fridge overnight. (Note: It won’t be as crispy after freezing and thawing out again.) Reheat chilled bacon in the air fryer (380 degrees/2-4 minutes) or on the stove (medium heat/2-4 minutes).
More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love
Crispy Air Fryer Tater Tots
Air Fryer Texas Toast
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries