Crispy Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
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Cooking turkey bacon in the air fryer results in perfectly crispy and tender slices every single time. The cooking process is almost entirely hands-off, and there’s next to nothing to clean up after!
Why This Recipe is a Favorite
This is one of my favorite air fryer recipes. When you cook turkey bacon in the air fryer, it comes out perfectly crispy, every single time.
And since the cooking is hands off, you don’t have to babysit a skillet! Best of all, clean up is super quick and easy—there are no greasy splatters or skillets to clean up.
Of course, turkey bacon is a delicious, low fat breakfast side with air fryer poached eggs or cheesy scrambled eggs.
Learn how to cook anything in your air fryer with our free cook time chart!
In addition to enjoying it for breakfast, it’s great for meal prep, too! It’s a healthier substitute for pork bacon in recipes like egg salad with bacon and broccoli and bacon salad.
Trust me, this will definitely be your one of your new favorite recipes.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are some of my mom-tested cooking tips on how to cook turkey bacon in the air fryer:
- Preheat your air fryer to maximize your time. It’s a big time saver, especially on busy mornings. This way, you can cook an egg or whatever other breakfast food you want while the bacon is air frying.
- Each model of air fryer cooks differently. Some cook hotter than others, so keep an eye on the bacon as it cooks.
- Thick-cut slices of turkey bacon may take a little longer to cook.
- Though this is a leaner cut than pork, I still like to set the slices on a paper towel after removing them from the air fryer basket. It lets any excess grease drip off.
Ingredient Notes
- turkey bacon: Of course, any brand or thickness will cook up perfectly in the air fryer. That being said, I prefer to use uncured turkey bacon with no sodium nitrates. It is a healthier option and the flavor is better in my opinion.
I recommend spritzing slices with oil to prevent them from drying out. Turkey bacon does not have as much fat as traditional pork bacon, so it doesn’t render down as much. The oil helps get the bacon nice and crispy, and as an added bonus, it will keep the pieces from sticking to the basket!
How to Make Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
This is just a summary of the steps. See the recipe card for full instructions! ⬇️
- Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (177°C). If your model doesn’t have a preheat setting, just turn it on and let it run for 5 to 10 minutes before you start air frying.
- Lightly spray the inside of the preheated air fryer basket.
- Arrange the turkey bacon strips in a single layer in the basket. Try not to overlap the pieces, and if possible, leave a little bit of room between them. Since it’s lower in fat, the slices will only shrink a tiny bit. Don’t overcrowd the basket.
- Air fry turkey bacon for 9-10 minutes. Halfway through cooking, open the air fryer and use plastic tipped tongs to turn the slices over. *Avoid using tongs with metal tips, as they can scratch the air fryer!
- Close the basket and continue air frying. It will take about 2 minutes before the end of cook time. 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 Cooked Turkey Bacon
If you plan to use it within 24 hours, you can place the cool slices in an airtight container and store them at room temperature. Otherwise, store the air fryer turkey bacon in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat slices in your air fryer preheated to 350°F for 2-3 minutes. Let it warm through and crisp up, then eat away!
Serve your air fryer side dish with a breakfast like Instant Pot oatmeal or baked blueberry oatmeal. It’s super tasty on a croissant breakfast sandwich and my kids love it with lemon curd muffins, too.
Turkey Bacon FAQs
Turkey bacon is a great alternative to pork bacon. It’s lower in fat and calories than pork bacon, and is a nice option for people who don’t eat pork or are following fat or calorie restricted diets. However, turkey bacon is still a processed food, and it’s high in sodium, so it may not be the best choice for everyone.
Uncured bacon is cured without the use of sodium nitrates, however it is usually made with nitrates naturally occurring in things like salt, rosemary, and/or celery. Cured bacon is cured using sodium nitrites and salt.
Yes! Cook directly from frozen (you don’t need to defrost it first). Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card below, but add 2-3 minutes of cooking time.
After you make it, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it went!
Crispy Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
Equipment
Video
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.
i just had a air fryer and now I feel I should try to fry my bacon here as it looks healthy and easy simple