Air fryers, though initially released in 2010, continue to grow in popularity and find a place in homes, year after year, with now approximately two-thirds of households in America owning at least one air fryer. Though its popularity trend does not mirror air fryers one-to-one, bacon has also grown in popularity of the past several years, with the average American consuming approximately 18 pounds of bacon annually according to the National Pork Board.
But how easy is it to bring these two American icons together to make something incredible? Surprisingly, likely easier than you might expect.
What is an Air Fryer and How Does it Work?
Simply put: An air fryer is a smaller convection oven and is often considered more user-friendly and easier to clean when compare to an oven. Because of its smaller size, it heats up quicker, meaning meals are ready sooner versus waiting for an oven to pre-heat.
The concept of “air frying” refers to perforated trays or baskets that allow for 360 degrees of hot airflow around food. So instead of hot oil cooking food on all sides, an air fryer circulates hot air around all sides, which results in a crispy, fried-but-not-fried exterior. Because food is not sitting in a bath of oils, fewer calories and fat gets cooked into food.
But We Don’t Fry Bacon Like French Fries, So How Can We Cook It in an Air Fryer?
Actually we do fry bacon. As bacon cooks, whether in a skillet or in tray in the oven, fat renders, secretes below the bacon and in that fat, bacon fries. In simpler terms: Bacon fries in its own fat.
Because of this, cooking bacon in an air fryer is as simple as lining trays with aluminum foil (so to retain rendering fat) and placing the bacon strips in the trays, lightly spicing and baking in the air fryer so bacon can fry in its own rendering fat.
How Do We Best Prepare Bacon in an Air Fryer?
Different models of air fryers exist, but the same concept applies where possible: to line strips of bacon in a tray or other air-fryer cooking container that is either lined with foil or is solid so to retain fat as it turns to liquid. We need to keep that fat as it renders, so that hot fat, in which the bacon will fry cannot leak.
Strips of bacon can sit tightly packed next to each other prior to putting in an air fryer, but should not overlap.
Is The Bearded Butcher's Bacon From Whitefeather Meats Cured?
Yes and no. We incorporate naturally occurring sodium nitrites in the form of celery powder versus synthetic nitrites often used in commercial curing salts. While celery powder helps preserve meat and imparts a cured flavor, the USDA, by law, requires we put an “uncured” label on our bacon.
Which of The Bearded Butcher's Spice Blends Goes Best With The Bearded Butcher's Bacon?
Because celery powder and sea salt are necessary to naturally cure our bacon, our spice blends with a lower ratio of salt work well when spicing our bacon. A great example is Bearded Butcher Black Blend Seasoning. With its prominent flavors of molasses and coffee, it’s the perfect spice to pair with this breakfast—or any time of day, really—favorite.
Bearded Butcher Black Blend is a great option for seasoning anything breakfast-related.
General Directions for Cooking Bacon in an Air Fryer
- Tightly pack bacon into a tray or similar container. If receptacle is perforated, cover with aluminum foil. Retaining fat as it renders and turns to liquid is essential.
- Set air fryer setting to 400 F bake or similar setting.
- For extra-crispy bacon, cook for 10 minutes then rotate trays. Cook for another 8 minutes then remove and set bacon on napkin-covered plate.
- For bacon on the more-tender size, cook for 7 minutes then rotate trays. Cook for another 5 minutes then remove and set bacon on napkin-covered plate.
- Because air fryer models vary, you may wish to monitor your bacon and check after 5 minutes, rotate as necessary. You don’t need to flip the bacon itself, but you can if you wish to.
Because we are blocking airflow with foil, it is necessary to rotate trays for even cooking when frying bacon in an air fryer.
