Hot and crispy bacon that goes from freezer to table in just 30 minutes? That’s right! It’s so easy to make frozen bacon in the air fryer without any thawing or defrosting.
It happens to the best of us… you completely forgot to put that block of frozen bacon in the fridge to thaw overnight.
So now it’s breakfast time, you’re craving some hot and crispy strips, and you wonder: can you cook frozen bacon in the air fryer?
The answer is a resounding YES! Stick that whole block in the air fryer, cook until you can pull the strips apart, then continue as usual.
You can go from freezer to table in just 30 minutes!
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- The easiest method for cooking frozen bacon in the air fryer
- Tips for making the best air fryer bacon
- What to serve with your hot and crispy bacon
- How to avoid any potential issues when cooking bacon in the air fryer
Not only is this method super convenient, but oh my goodness, the cleanup is a breeze!
When I cook bacon on the stovetop, I am wiping my walls, counter, and stove from the splatter. The air fryer totally eliminates that problem while making the crispiest bacon possible!
How to Make Frozen Bacon in the Air Fryer
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Wedge the frozen block of bacon in the air fryer. Make sure the air fryer can properly close.
STEP TWO: Set the air fryer temperature to 360 degrees F and cook for 8 minutes.
STEP THREE: Once the time is up, use tongs to pull the strips apart and lay them in as much of a single layer as possible. Overlap is okay.
STEP FOUR: Cook for an additional 10-14 minutes, checking frequently and flipping every 3-4 minutes.
STEP FIVE: After 10 minutes, remove strips that have reached your desired level of crispiness and space out the remaining strips. Continue to check and flip every 2 minutes, removing any pieces that have finished cooking.
STEP SIX: Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to remove any excess grease. Serve and enjoy!
Do You Have to Defrost Bacon Before Air Frying?
Nope! That’s the beauty of this recipe. When you cook the bacon for the first 8 minutes in the air fryer, this defrosts the block enough to pull apart the strips.
After that, you cook the bacon like normal!
Tips to Cook Frozen Bacon in the Air Fryer
- Make sure you can push the frozen block of bacon down far enough in the basket that you can properly close the air fryer.
- Bacon has a smoke point of 374 degrees F, which is why we want to keep the heat lower. Cooking at 360 degrees F will help keep the bacon from smoking.
- Once you separate the bacon, try to lay the strips in as close to a single layer as possible, but overlap will happen since there is so much in there at once. As they cook down, the overlap will lessen.
- Remove the bacon strips from the air fryer as they finish cooking so they won’t get overdone, but the remaining pieces have plenty of time to crisp all the way up.
- Making thick cut bacon? No problem! Just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time to ensure the bacon gets nice and crispy!
What to Serve with Air Fryer Bacon
- 5-Ingredient Hash Brown Casserole
- Air Fryer Donuts
- Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
- Air Fryer Scrambled Eggs
- Tater Tot Casserole with No Meat
How to Separate Frozen Bacon
The air fryer is my favorite way to separate a frozen block of bacon! It defrosts right in the air fryer so you can separate the strips into the basket and continue cooking.
You can also move the bacon to the refrigerator the night before, let it sit in cold water for a few hours, or microwave it on the defrost setting.
But personally, I think using the air fryer is the easiest option, and it’s definitely the fastest!
Why Should You Not Cook Bacon in an Air Fryer?
This is a myth! If you’ve ever seen or read that you can’t cook bacon in the air fryer, please know this isn’t true. It’s perfectly safe to make bacon in the air fryer, plus it turns out insanely delicious!
If I had to guess, I bet some people’s air fryers started to smoke when they tried to make bacon, so they assumed it was a bad idea.
Excess grease is one of the main reasons your air fryer might start to smoke, but don’t worry; that’s an easy fix!
Just put a slice or two of bread in the drawer under the air fryer basket to soak up extra grease. This should help.
Baked-on grease can be another issue. If your air fryer is in need of a good cleaning, check out my article on How to Clean an Air Fryer!
Other Bacon Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Bacon
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos
- Bacon Wrapped Scallops in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
- Instant Pot Bacon
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