Air fryer Turkey bacon is perfect for people that don’t like pig bacon. Cooking bacon in the air fryer ensures you get perfectly crispy bacon every time. Turkey bacon is not laden with as much fat as regular bacon so there’s little or no mess and this recipe shows you all the tips and tricks needed to make the best air fryer Turkey bacon.
Table of Contents
- 1 Why Turkey bacon in air fryer?
- 2 Join our exclusive air fryer recipe group on Facebook!
- 3 Which Air fryer is best?
- 4 Is Turkey bacon healthy?
- 5 Best way to cook Turkey bacon
- 6 How long to cook Turkey bacon in the Air fryer.
- 7 How to cook Turkey Bacon in the Air fryer (an overview)
- 8 How to use cooked Turkey bacon
- 9 How to store
- 10 Tips
- 11 Frequently asked questions
- 12 More Air fryer Breakfast Recipe ideas
- 13 Need an Air fryer? Get the Cosori Today for 15% off with code AFY15
- 14 Air fryer Turkey Bacon
Why Turkey bacon in air fryer?
Since the kiddos got back to school, my mornings have been super crazy. Making Turkey bacon in the air fryer is such a hands free way to get breakfast or school packed lunch ready in a breeze.
I simply put the Turkey bacon right in the air fryer basket or oven ( yes I do have more than one Air fryer! Don’t Judge me 😀)
Then I go about my business of chasing my kiddos around to get dressed up on time or reminding my teenage son he’s not leaving my house with a not-so-combed hair (please tell me you can relate lol) I digress!
Now to why you should ditch the skillet and embrace your basket to make this Air fryer bacon.
- No baby sitting the skillet required. This is so convenient.
- The air fryer makes the best bacon. I know I’ve probably said that a gazillion times but it’s true. If you haven’t tried it yet, you are missing out on so much deliciousness.
- Less mess! Did I say less mess already? Well it’s worth repeating.
Join our exclusive air fryer recipe group on Facebook!
Which Air fryer is best?
Which ever air fryer you have would work perfectly in my opinion. I have the Cosori and Gourmia basket style air fryers and I also have the Instant pot vortex oven style air fryer and they all cook bacon like bacon geniuses. I have also heard how amazing Ninja foodi bacon is, so go ahead and make your bacon in whichever air fryer you have, you’d love it.
Is Turkey bacon healthy?
The Real bacon is Pig bacon or pork bacon. Turkey bacon was created as a way for people with high cholesterol or religious dietary restrictions to enjoy the taste of bacon in a healthier way.
In a nutshell because it contains much less fat than regular bacon, it’s considered healthier however it is still very processed and may contain ingredients that are not so healthy.
Best way to cook Turkey bacon
How Turkey bacon turns out kind of depends on brands. I like the way Oscar Mayer Turkey bacon looks marbled, however it was almost paper thin. So I had to overlap the strips in the air fryer. Butterball brand seemed a bit thicker. Other brands include Applegate Turkey bacon and Jennie O, Appleton farms, Godshall’s, Signature select and Nature’s promise.
According to Cook’s illustrated the best way to cook Turkey bacon is on the stovetop using the pan fry method with a little bit of oil added. The oil will help it crisp up like pork bacon.
Though I didn’t use that method to make this recipe, you can achieve something similar by spraying the Turkey bacon with oil before air frying.
Related: Air fryer bacon recipes!
How long to cook Turkey bacon in the Air fryer.
Generally cooking bacon in the air fryer doesn’t require a lot of time. The only faster way to cook bacon is in the microwave. However microwave bacon doesn’t get quite as crispy as air fryer bacon. I usually cook Turkey bacon in the air fryer for 7 to 8 minutes. And If you want it super crispy, couple more minutes would do the trick. Please keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get burnt.
How to cook Turkey Bacon in the Air fryer (an overview)
Get the full printable recipe and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Place the bacon in the air fryer basket, set the temperature to 360°F / 182°C and air fryer to your desired level crispy. Please see full details in recipe card at the bottom of the page.
How to use cooked Turkey bacon
Besides being served with a side of scramble eggs or omelette, Turkey bacon can be used in a variety of dishes. Some of which are below.
How to store
Before storing Cooked bacon, be sure to let it cool, then store using either of the methods mentioned below.
- Refrigerator: Put in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: If you are making a lot you can pre-freeze on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for up to 4 hours then store frozen slices in a freezer bag for up to a month. We pre- freeze to prevent the slices from getting stuck together.
Reheating
If reheating from the refrigerator, simple pop into the microwave and reheat at 20 secs intervals till warmed through.
Let frozen cooked bacon thaw for a few minutes before reheating.
Tips
- Do not overcrowd the basket: Turkey bacon is made from seasoned Turkey meat that’s thinly sliced to mimic pig bacon therefore it doesn’t have much fat and won’t shrink when cooked like regular bacon would. It’s ok to overlap a bit for the reason below.
- Hold it down: For the same reason above, it is much lighter than regular bacon so it may tend to fly around in the air fryer. I like to use the air fryer Rack to hold it down or overlap the bacon slightly to add some weight to each slice.
Frequently asked questions
Can Turkey bacon get crispy?
Because it doesn’t have as much fat as regular bacon, it does get crispy but not as crispy as pork bacon.
What is the fastest way to cook Turkey bacon?
The fastest way to cook Turkey bacon is in the microwave.
Is Turkey bacon already cooked?
No it’s not considered fully cooked. Therefore it’s not safe for consumption until cooked with your favorite method of cooking it.
More Air fryer Breakfast Recipe ideas
- Air fryer crispy bacon
- French toast in the air fryer
- Spicy air fryer chicken sausages
- Banana bread muffins
- Air fryer veggie sausage links
Check out all our >>>Air fryer Recipes!
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Air fryer Turkey Bacon
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Kitchen tongs
- Paper towel
Ingredients
- 8 slices uncured turkey bacon
- Scrambled eggs for serving
Instructions
- Place Turkey bacon slices in air fryer basket. Doesn’t matter if it’s overlapping because the overlap will help to keep it down
- Air fry at 360°F / 182°C for 8 to 10 mins. Cook for up to 10 mins if you like it very crispy.
Notes
- Flip half way through cooking time.
Bacon crispy some more as it cools. - Air fryer temperatures and times may differ depending on manufacturer be sure to read your manual.
- I do not preheat my air fryer. However when cooking another batch right after the first I start checking the bacon at 7 mins since the air fryer is now preheated.
- Please refer to body of post for other temperatures to cook your bacon
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