Air Fryer Bacon: Time and Temperature
Air fry bacon at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 min — single layer.
The calculator above converts a different oven recipe you enter — it won’t show the same numbers as the tested bacon setting in the quick answer above, and that’s expected. Enter your own recipe’s oven temperature and time to convert it, or read how the oven-to-air-fryer conversion works.
Air fryer settings for bacon
| State | Temperature | Time | Key step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh | 350°F / 175°C | 8–10 min | Single layer, no overlap |
How to air fry bacon
- 1
Prep the basket
If your air fryer allows it, add a splash of water to the drawer below the basket to reduce smoking from dripping fat.
- 2
Lay strips flat
Arrange bacon in a single layer without any overlap so each strip cooks evenly.
- 3
Air fry at 350°F (175°C)
Cook for 8–10 minutes depending on thickness — start checking at 7 minutes for thin-cut bacon.
- 4
Watch closely near the end
Bacon can go from perfectly crisp to burnt in under a minute, so check frequently in the last 2 minutes.
- 5
Drain and serve
Transfer cooked strips to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease before serving.
Doneness and safety
Bacon doesn't have a specific safe internal temperature target the way raw poultry or beef does — it's done when it's fully crisp and browned throughout, with no soft, translucent fat remaining. Thinner strips finish closer to 8 minutes; thick-cut bacon needs closer to 10 or slightly more.
Common bacon mistakes
- Overlapping strips, which cooks the overlapped section unevenly.
- Skipping a water splash or foil underneath, leading to smoke or grease pooling and splattering.
- Walking away from the basket — bacon goes from done to burnt very quickly at this temperature.
- Mixing thick-cut and thin-cut bacon in the same batch, since they need different cook times.
- Not draining grease from the basket between batches, which can cause splattering on the next round.
Bacon in the air fryer: questions
Real questions people ask about air frying bacon.
Do I need to preheat the air fryer for bacon?
It's not required, but a 2–3 minute preheat gives slightly more even, faster crisping — check a minute or two earlier than usual if you preheat.
Why is my air fryer smoking when I cook bacon?
Rendered fat dripping onto a hot surface below the basket is the usual cause. Adding a small splash of water to the drawer, or using a foil liner if your model allows it, helps reduce smoke.
Can I cook thick-cut bacon in the air fryer?
Yes, but it needs more time — closer to 10–12 minutes at 350°F (175°C) rather than 8. Check for your preferred crispness starting around the 9-minute mark.
Do I need to flip bacon in the air fryer?
Not usually. Because hot air circulates around the strips from multiple directions, most air fryers cook bacon evenly without flipping — though a flip halfway won't hurt if your model runs unevenly.
Sources & references
The formulas and guidelines used on this page are based on publicly available data from: