Making Air Fryer Bacon with brown sugar and smoked paprika is my new favorite way to make bacon. It's fast, easy, and has no messy cleanup. You're going to love it!
If you enjoy using an air fryer, then cooking savory air fryer egg breakfasts should make getting up in the morning a whole lot easier. Check out my; Air Fryer Fried Eggs, Air Fryer Scrambled Eggs, Air Fryer Soft-Boiled Eggs, Copycat Egg McMuffin, and Air Fryer Breakfast Burrito and pair one (or all) with today's air fryer bacon recipe. YUMMY!!
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Table of Contents Found Here
- The ingredients needed:
- Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- Can this bacon be made in an oven?
- Should the bacon grease be removed from the air fryer during the air fryer cooking process?
- Can regular sliced bacon be used in place of thick sliced bacon?
- Can turkey bacon be used in place of pork bacon?
- What type of air fryer is best for frying bacon?
- Want an easier clean up?
- Can bacon grease from an air fryer be saved for other uses?
- Additional recipes for bacon lovers:
- Printable Recipe Card
- Please comment if you've made this recipe.
The ingredients needed:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- air fryer
- tongs
- measuring spoons
- paper towels
Can this bacon be made in an oven?
You bet.
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit (205 Celsius) and lay the bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Season as the recipe instructs with pepper, brown sugar, and smoked paprika.
Cook for 10 minutes, flip the bacon slices, and continue cooking until your desired doneness. Drain on paper towels before serving.
Should the bacon grease be removed from the air fryer during the air fryer cooking process?
Yes, It is wise to drain the bacon grease from the air fryer drawer at the half-way point of cooking.
Since the grease will drain away from the bacon slices themselves, remove the air fryer basket and set it aside while carefully draining the hot grease into a waiting hot grease receptacle.
Can regular sliced bacon be used in place of thick sliced bacon?
Yes, no problem.
If using regular sliced bacon, however, the cooking time will be less than what is written in the recipe card so be aware and check on the regular sliced bacon frequently during the cooking process so it doesn't burn.
Can turkey bacon be used in place of pork bacon?
You bet!
Just make sure when air frying turkey bacon it is fully cooked and crisp for food safety purposes.
What type of air fryer is best for frying bacon?
You can fry bacon in any type of air fryer but it is always best to use a rack when air frying so that the bacon drains away from the bacon as it cooks.
Want an easier clean up?
Line the bottom basket (or tray) of the air fryer (not the rack) with aluminum foil. Once the bacon has been removed from the fryer, and the bacon grease has cooled, you can easily dispose of the foil along with the hardened grease inside.
Can bacon grease from an air fryer be saved for other uses?
You bet!
Cool the grease slightly after cooking the bacon and then carefully transfer (or funnel) the grease into a bacon grease receptacle and use it however you wish for other recipes.
Additional recipes for bacon lovers:
Waste not, want not. Bacon Wrapped Broccoli Stems may sound like a crazy idea, but they're a delicious snack that any bacon/keto lover will enjoy.
Fried Corn with Bacon and Bell Peppers is a bacon and corn lovers dream come true with no messy corn silks to deal with.
Let me rock you world with this Root Beer and Bacon Bundt Cake. There's not much else to say, except that you really have to make it!
This Bacon, Lettuce, and Fried Green Tomato Sandwich has more complexity and flavor than it's red tomato counterpart. Plus, it's perfect if you're impatient for those summer tomatoes to ripen!
When you make today's recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did.
Search engines such as Google appreciate comments and ratings and, in turn, will show my recipes to more people. Please look for the pink star rating box within the printable recipe card. Thank you!!
Printable Recipe Card
Air Fryer Bacon with Brown Sugar and Smoked Paprika
Equipment
- paper towels
- chef's knife optional
- cutting board optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick cut bacon trimmed to fit the air fryer, if needed
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to your tastes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or to your tastes
Instructions
- Lay the bacon strips in an even layer in the air fryer basket. **Note - you may need to work in batches depending on how much bacon you need to make.
- Sprinkle the bacon evenly with brown sugar, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Set the air fryer temperature to 400° and start the fryer.
- Check on the bacon every few minutes because all air fryers will vary in cooking times.
- After approximately 5 minutes, flip the bacon and continue cooking on the other side for an additional 3 - 4 minutes depending on how you like your bacon cooked.
- Once removed from the fryer, the bacon will crisp up as it cools.
- Continue the same process with the remaining bacon strips and the trimmed ends, if needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you'll enjoy this air fryer recipe for sweet and smoky bacon as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Bessie says
Thank you for this . I was so wanting to cook the bacon this way but was afraid to . I thought maybe the splatters would cause a fire. Now I will try it. Will the grease puddle in the bottom so I can reuse it? I love it on my popcorn instead of butter sometimes.
Renée says
I'm sure you'll be able to reuse the grease, Bessie! GREAT idea to use it on popcorn! YUM!!!! 🙂
Kasey Schwartz says
Well, I had no idea that you could make bacon in the air fryer! That may be worth buying one. YUMMY!!!
Renée says
Almost that alone should be the reason for getting one. However, there are SO many other reasons. It's my new favorite kitchen appliance.
Jennifer Banz says
Bacon in the Air Fryer is awesome!
Renée says
I had no idea that it was already a thing. I shouldn't be surprised. Thanks, Jennifer.