Cooking turkey bacon in the air fryer results in perfectly crispy and tender pieces of turkey bacon, every single time. The cooking process is almost entirely hands-off, and there’s next to nothing to clean up after!
Air Fryer Turkey Bacon Recipe
Turkey bacon is one of my new favorite air fryer recipes. It’s an incredibly quick breakfast addition and I get perfectly crispy pieces of turkey bacon, every single time.
And since all of the cooking is hands off, I don’t have to babysit a skillet! Best of all, there’s no greasy pans or splatter so it’s an easy cleanup since the air fryer contains all the mess. It’s honestly my personal preference now to air fryer turkey bacon — there’s too many good things about it!
Aside from being a savory breakfast side, this delicious turkey bacon can be used in place of pork bacon in any recipe, like my egg salad with bacon, bacon & spinach egg muffins, chicken, bacon & ranch spaghetti squash, or broccoli & bacon salad.
You can also simply serve it with poached eggs and French toast and you’ve got a complete air fryer breakfast! Trust me, this will definitely be your one of your new favorite recipes and is the best way to prepare turkey bacon with other tasty breakfast recipes.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Do we have to choose just one reason to like perfectly cooked bacon? I know I have tons of reason why I love this crispy turkey bacon:
- If you’re on team bacon that is always crispy then this will be your go-to method in no time. The crispy goodness of air fried bacon is truly unmatched! Crunchy bacon every single time.
- Pan frying bacon honestly takes so long. Making it in the air fryer will save both cook time and clean-up time.
- Turkey bacon is a healthy alternative to regular pork bacon. There’s less grease and fewer calories, but still a perfect level of crispiness and delicious flavor.
Ingredients
- turkey bacon: You can use regular bacon if you prefer. Otherwise, just grab a package or turkey bacon. I prefer to use uncured turkey bacon with no sodium nitrates. It is a healthier option and the flavor is better in my opinion.
- olive oil or avocado oil spray
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
Learn how to make air-fried turkey bacon by following these few steps. Once you run to the grocery store and get what you need, you’re ready to go! So let’s get started on this easy way to cook bacon:
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (177°C) and the lightly spray the inside of the preheated air fryer basket.
I strongly recommend using oil to avoid ending up with dried out pieces of turkey bacon. Turkey bacon does not have as much fat as traditional pork bacon, so there’s very little rendered as it cooks. The oil helps get the bacon nice and crispy, and as an added bonus, it will keep the pieces from sticking to the basket!
Set the turkey bacon strip in a single layer in the preheated air fryer basket. Try not to overlap the pieces of bacon and to leave a little bit of room between each piece. Since the bacon doesn’t render much fat during cooking, it will only shrink a tiny bit. Don’t overcrowd the basket!
Cook for 9-10 minutes. Halfway through cooking, open the air fryer basket and turn the pieces of turkey bacon over. Plastic tipped tongs tend to be the easiest way to do this without scratching the air fryer or burning your wrist!
Close the basket to finish cooking. It will take about 2 minutes before the end of cook time, then open the air fryer and check to see how crispy the pieces are and make sure they’re not getting too dark.
Turkey bacon is done cooking when the pieces are firm, bright in color, and crispy. Adjust the cooking time if necessary to get it as crispy as you prefer.
How to Store Leftover Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
Transfer leftover turkey bacon to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to eat your leftover bacon, just reheat it in an air fryer preheated to 350°F for 2-3 minutes. Let it warm through and crisp up, then eat away!
What to Serve with Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
Any and all of your favorite breakfast recipes can go alongside this air fryer turkey bacon! I love to make air fryer hashbrowns and eggs. But you could also make a yummy breakfast casserole, frittata, or egg muffins. You could even have a piece or two of bacon with your high protein overnight oats, baked blueberry oatmeal or some chocolate pancakes.
Aside from breakfast, this bacon can also be crumbled up on a salad, mixed into casserole, and added to any recipe that calls for bacon. It also goes GREAT on a homemade burger or a croissant breakfast sandwich.
Tips for Success
If this is your first time cooking bacon in an air fryer, then check out my tips! These few things will help ensure success:
- On busy mornings, preheat your air fryer while you are doing something else to maximize your time. Then you can cook an egg or whatever other breakfast food you want while the bacon cooks in the air fryer.
- Different air fryers will cook differently. There may be a bit of nuance with the cook time, so just make sure you keep an eye on the bacon as it cooks. Different brands of turkey bacon can also cook a little differently, especially if you’ve grabbed something thick cut!
- Though this is a leaner option, I still like to remove it and put it on a paper towel after it is done cooking. It let’s excess grease drip off and also allows the bacon to cool a bit.
FAQ
You can also cook frozen turkey bacon in the air fryer! Cook directly from frozen (you don’t need to defrost it first). Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card below, with an additional 2-3 minutes of cooking time.
More Delicious Air Fryer Recipes
- Hard or Soft Boiled Eggs
- Crispy Frozen Hash Browns
- Breakfast Potatoes
- Roasted Beets
- Roasted Carrots
- Garlicky Mushrooms
Making this recipe? I’d love to hear about your experience!
Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. turkey bacon
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (177°C).
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Lay the slices of turkey bacon in a single layer in the air fryer basket with a little space between each piece.
- Close the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Open the basket and carefully use tongs to flip the pieces of bacon.
- Close the air fryer and cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the turkey bacon is as crispy as you prefer it. For extra crispy bacon, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the turkey bacon from the air fryer and set on a paper towel lined plate while you repeat the steps to cook the next batch.
