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Crispy, golden strips of Air Fryer Turkey Bacon are one of my favorite things to pull out of the air fryer on a busy morning! I love that there’s no splatter, no babysitting, and no mess to clean up after. The air fryer circulates hot air around every strip for even, consistent crispiness every single time, whether you like yours soft and chewy or crackly and extra crisp.
Just like my air fryer bacon recipe, this dish is perfect for breakfast, brunch, meal prep, or crumbled over your favorite salad or sandwich. I promise once you make it this way, you won’t go back to the skillet.
Quick Look At This Recipe
- ✨ Flavor: Savory, crispy, and satisfying — finish with maple syrup, cracked pepper, or everything bagel seasoning for an extra flavor boost.
- ⏱️ Prep time: 2-3 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: 8-10 minutes
- ⏲️ Total time: 10-13 minutes
- 👥 Servings: about 5, may vary depending on size of your air fryer
- 🥄 Tools: Air fryer
- ❄️ Meal prep-friendly: Cook a full package, refrigerate for up to 4 days, and reheat in the air fryer in under 3 minutes. Crispy bacon on demand all week long.
- 👩🏻🍳 Tip: Don’t overlap the strips in the basket, as airflow is everything. Give each strip a little space, and you’ll get even, consistent crispiness every time.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy Every Time, Without the Guesswork: The air fryer’s circulating heat crisps every strip evenly from all sides, so you don’t have to hover over it or flip it repeatedly. Set the time, walk away, and come back to perfectly cooked bacon. Pair your bacon with these fluffy Air Fryer Biscuits or warm Air Fryer Hash Browns.
- Ready in Under 10 Minutes: From basket to plate in less time than it takes to brew a pot of coffee. Turkey bacon cooks faster than pork because it’s leaner and thinner, and the air fryer makes the most of that.
- Healthier Breakfast Option: It’s leaner than traditional pork bacon with fewer calories and less saturated fat, so you get all that savory, crispy satisfaction without the guilt.
Table of Contents
- Quick Look At This Recipe
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You Will Need
- Recipe Variations
- How to Make Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
- How Crispy Do You Like It? (Air Fryer Turkey Bacon Doneness Guide)
- Expert Tips
- Turkey Bacon Air Fryer FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- More Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon Recipe
Ingredients You Will Need
- Turkey Bacon: Use your favorite brand. I like using uncured, nitrate-free turkey bacon for a healthier option. Applegate, Oscar Mayer, and Trader Joe’s are great choices.
- Olive oil spray: It’s optional, but a light mist can help extra-lean bacon crisp up better.
A full list of ingredients is included in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- Sweet and Savory: Add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey after air frying. For an even sweeter option, try this air fryer candied bacon instead.
- Spicy Kick: Sprinkle with chili flakes or add a pinch of cayenne pepper right before serving.
- Cracked Pepper: Season with coarse black pepper after cooking for a deli-style finish. I love this variation for topping juicy air-fried burgers!
How to Make Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
- Place the turkey bacon strips in a single layer in the basket. For best results, don’t overlap.
- Air fry for 6 minutes for lightly crisp bacon. If you like it crispier, cook for 8–9 minutes, flipping halfway through if your air fryer browns unevenly. Remove and let the bacon rest for 1 minute. It will crisp up even more as it cools. Add it to an air fryer turkey burger for an easy meal!
How Crispy Do You Like It? (Air Fryer Turkey Bacon Doneness Guide)
All air fryers cook a little differently, and turkey bacon brands vary in thickness. Use this as your starting guide, then adjust by a minute in either direction based on your model.
| Crispness Level | Temperature | Time | Flip? | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft & Chewy | 350° F | 5-6 minutes | No | Pliable, lightly cooked, not crispy |
| Medium Crisp | 350° F | 7-8 minutes | Once at halfway | Firm edges, slight chew in center |
| Extra Crispy | 350° F | 9-10 minutes | Once at halfway | Fully crisp, slightly curled, deli-style |
| Ultra Crispy/Crumble | 375° F | 8-9 minutes | Once at halfway | Very crisp, ideal for salad topping or crumbling |
💡 My go-to: Medium crispy at 350°F for 8 minutes with one flip. It hits that sweet spot between firm and chewy without drying out.
A note on thickness: Thin-cut turkey bacon (most standard packages) cooks closer to the lower end of each range. If you’re using thick-cut, add 1–2 minutes and keep a close eye after the flip.
Expert Tips
- Add Flavor After Frying: Don’t season before cooking, as added sugar or spices can burn quickly in the air fryer. Instead, finish with a drizzle of maple syrup, a crack of fresh black pepper, or a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning right after it comes out. That’s when the flavors really stick.
- Line the Basket for Easy Cleanup: A parchment liner or silicone insert makes cleanup almost effortless. Just make sure your liner has holes so air can circulate. Avoid a solid liner that will trap steam and prevent your bacon from getting crispy.
- Batch Cook for the Whole Week: Turkey bacon is one of the best things you can meal prep in the air fryer. Cook a full package, let it cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, pop the strips back in at 350°F for 2–3 minutes, and they come out just as crispy as day one.
- Every Brand Cooks a Little Differently: Thickness varies more than you’d think between brands. What takes 8 minutes with Oscar Mayer might need 10 with a thick-cut Applegate strip. Use the first batch as your calibration run, note your air fryer’s sweet spot, and you’ll nail it perfectly every time after that.
Turkey Bacon Air Fryer FAQs
Turkey bacon typically takes 6–10 minutes in the air fryer at 350°F, depending on how crispy you like it and how thick the slices are. Start checking around the 7-minute mark. For soft and pliable bacon, 5–6 minutes is usually enough. For extra crispy results, go 9–10 minutes and flip once halfway through. See the crispiness guide above for a full breakdown.
350°F (175°C) is the ideal temperature for air fryer turkey bacon. It’s hot enough to crisp up the outside without burning the edges or drying out the meat. If you prefer ultra-crispy bacon for crumbling over salads or soups, you can bump the temperature to 375°F and reduce the time slightly.
It depends on your air fryer. Basket-style air fryers usually have a heating element above the food, and I find the bacon benefits from at least one flip at the halfway point to ensure even browning on both sides. If your air fryer has strong convection that circulates heat from all sides (like some oven-style models), you may get perfectly even results without flipping. When in doubt, flip once; it only takes a second and guarantees a more consistent crisp.
Yes, you can cook frozen turkey bacon in the air fryer! Place the frozen strips in a single layer and cook at 350°F for 11–13 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The slices may be slightly harder to separate when frozen. If that’s the case, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before trying to separate them. You can also use a butter knife to carefully separate the slices.
There are a few common culprits for this issue, including the slices are overlapping (they need airflow all around to crisp properly), you’re skipping the flip, or your air fryer runs cooler than average. Try bumping the time up by 2 minutes and making sure there’s a little space between each strip. A very light spray of avocado oil or cooking spray before air frying also helps, since turkey bacon has significantly less fat than pork bacon.
Serving Suggestions
Air fryer turkey bacon is a leaner option, and done in just a few minutes, and pairs perfectly with other air fryer breakfast foods!
For a healthy start to your day, pair them with air fryer egg bites. If you love sweet and savory, enjoy turkey bacon slices with air fryer blueberry muffin bites, air fryer cinnamon rolls, or easy air fryer French toast sticks.
Cook up turkey bacon slices in the air fryer to add to an air fryer Chick-fil-A sandwich or crumble strips to add to a salad or top off this air fryer macaroni and cheese.
More Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast
Air Fryer Scrambled Eggs
Breakfast
Air Fryer Pancakes
Breakfast
Air Fryer Breakfast Sandwich
Breakfast
Air Fryer Avocado Eggs
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Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 10 slices Turkey Bacon
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Place the bacon slices flat in the basket of the air fryer in a single layer.
- Air Fry at 350° F for 8-10 minutes, flip bacon halfway through the cooking process. Check the bacon after 10 minutes for crispiness. For crispier bacon, add another 1-2 minutes cook time.
- Remove bacon from air fryer, then place the bacon on paper towel to cool. Repeat until all slices of bacon are cooked.
Notes
- Add Flavor After Frying: Skip seasoning before cooking — sugar and spices burn fast in the air fryer. Finish with maple syrup, cracked pepper, or everything bagel seasoning right after it comes out for the best flavor.
- Line the Basket: A parchment liner or silicone insert makes cleanup a breeze. Make sure it has holes so air can circulate — a solid liner traps steam and kills the crispiness.
- Batch Cook for the Week: Cook a full package, cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat at 350°F for 2–3 minutes and it comes out just as crispy as day one.
- Every Brand Is Different: Thickness varies between brands, so your first batch is your calibration run. Adjust by a minute or two until you find your perfect crisp time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
