How To Cook Frozen Bacon In An Air Fryer – Easy Recipe

Bacon is regularly part of a meal in our house, as it is in many others. That’s why it is great to know that you can cook frozen bacon in an air fryer.

Air fryers are amazing at cooking many frozen foods; frozen bacon is no exception. Your air fryer will cook the bacon evenly and crisply, without the need for oil. Not only is it a healthier way to cook bacon, but it’s also a time saver. Imagine having perfectly cooked bacon in minutes without the hassle of thawing.

This method of cooking bacon will surprise you with its ease and delicious results. In this article, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process and provide tips and tricks to serve the crispiest bacon from frozen every time.

Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy breakfast option or a tasty addition to your favorite sandwich, read on to learn how to serve up the best bacon from frozen in an air fryer. There is a recipe card at the bottom of this post, the jump link is above.

Why cook frozen bacon in an air fryer?

If you are on the fence, here are my top reasons for why you should stop bothering to thaw bacon in the fridge overnight and use your air fryer.

Great Results – Using the air fryer is my new favorite way to cook bacon and so many other foods. Air fryers are made for cooking frozen foods, to the extent I don’t use my traditional oven to cook frozen food anymore. The rapid circulation of hot air in the air fryer always results in evenly cooked and perfectly crispy frozen food.

Easy – Air frying frozen bacon could not be easier. The most challenging step will be finding the bacon in the freezer. Once you have found it, add frozen bacon to your air fryer.

Healthier – Unlike other frying methods there is no need to add any oil to the air fryer. Another plus is that the bacon grease drips to the bottom of the basket, away from the bacon as it cooks. Air-fried bacon doesn’t re-absorb that fat, this helps it crisp. It also results in fewer calories.   

Easy Clean Up – By using an air fryer, you will spend less time cleaning up. There will be no fat splatters as there would be when frying in a pan.

How long does it take to cook frozen bacon in an air fryer?

It will take 5 minutes to defrost the bacon in the air fryer at 370 F (190 c). You can then separate it. Once separated it will take 8 – 10 minutes at 400 F (200 c) to cook the bacon.

How to cook frozen bacon in an air fryer

Once you have taken your bacon out of the freezer and removed the packaging, follow these steps to cook it perfectly.

Step 1 – Add the bacon for defrosting

The easiest way to defrost the bacon is to use the air fryer.

Place the frozen bacon in your air fryer basket.

There is no need to add any oil or a liner.

Step 2 – Defrost the bacon

Set your air fryer to 370 F (190 c) for 5 minutes and defrost the bacon.

Step 3 – Turn the frozen bacon

After 2 minutes and 30 seconds use kitchen tongs to turn the bacon and resume defrosting

Step 4 – Separate and organize the defrosted bacon

If you froze a large amount of bacon it might take longer to defrost. If needed continue defrosting until you can separate all the slices. Take out defrosted slices and put them on a plate. This will help the remaining frozen bacon defrost faster.

Once all the bacon has defrosted use the tongs to lay out the individual slices of bacon in a single layer.

Depending on the size of your air fryer you may need to remove half the bacon slices to cook in a second batch.

Step 5 – Cook

Increase the temperature to 400 F (200 c) and cook the bacon for 8 minutes.

Step 6 – Turn

Halfway through the cooking time use tongs to turn the bacon over. Once all the bacon has been turned over continue cooking for 4 minutes.

Step 7 – Check

After 8 minutes in total, check the bacon and see if it has reached your desired crispiness.

If not, cook for a further two minutes or longer. If this is your first time cooking frozen bacon in an air fryer you may want to check on the bacon more regularly to avoid overcooking it.

Step 8 – Serve

Once the bacon is cooked to your personal preference

Remove the now crispy bacon with tongs and place it on some paper towels to soak up any excess grease.

Then serve.

Top tips

Defrosting – Do not skip the defrosting step or use a higher temperature to speed things up. It will not produce the best results and the edges of the bacon will likely burn.

Single layer – Organize the bacon in a single layer, with as little overlapping of slices as possible. Do not be tempted to try and cook too much bacon at once. If needed cook the bacon in batches. This will produce the best results as the cooking process will not be disrupted.

Turn – To allow the bacon to fully crisp, turn the bacon halfway through the cooking time.

Different cook times – Bacon comes in various thicknesses, for example, thick-cut bacon will take longer to crisp than streaky bacon. Add or reduce cooking times to consider the thickness of your bacon and your desired level of crispiness.

Common questions

How do I store leftover bacon?

If you decide not to cook the second half of the bacon it can be stored in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three days. Do not re-freeze.

If you have leftover cooked bacon once cooled, can be placed in an airtight container or freezer bag and kept for up to 3 days.

How can I stop my air fryer from smoking?

To stop an air fryer from producing smoke, especially when cooking greasy foods with a high-fat content like bacon I use one of two methods…

Water Method – Add two to three teaspoons of cold water to the bottom of the air fryer. This water cools the excess bacon fat that collects at the bottom of the air fryer. This reduces the amount of smoke produced as less of the fat burns off.

Bread Method – This is where a piece of bread is added to the bottom of the air fryer. The bread soaks up the excess fat as it drips to the bottom. This stops the fat from burning off and generating smoke.

Can I cook frozen thick-cut bacon?

Yes, any type of bacon can be cooked as I have described. Just vary the cooking time for thick-cut bacon due to it being thicker than regular bacon. I suggest adding at least an extra couple of minutes to the cooking time.

Related articles

Amazing Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes – A collection of air fryer breakfast recipes to inspire you to mix things up at breakfast times.

Best Air Fryer Bacon – If your bacon is not frozen, then this is the how to guide for you.

Air Fried Turkey Bacon – A step by step guide for cooking turkey bacon in an air fryer.

Best Air Fryer Frozen Food Recipes – All the best frozen food recipes in one place to help you make the most of your air fryer.

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