When Yahoo published an article advising against using an air fryer to cook bacon, bacon sarnie lovers were sent into a frenzy. The original article by dietitian Brenda Peralta raised concerns about the potential for smoke and splatter when cooking bacon in an air fryer. Although the Yahoo article has since been removed, other publications like the Express and the Daily Record have quoted the advice.
To put the advice to the test, we decided to conduct our own bacon-cooking experiments. The dietitian’s warning highlighted several points, including the potential for smoke and splatter due to the high fat content of bacon, the delicate nature of bacon strips making them difficult to handle in an air fryer, and the limited space in the air fryer basket leading to uneven cooking.
However, we found some discrepancies in the description of bacon as “small and delicate”, as bacon is commonly known for its fatty and hearty nature. We also found that using silicone tongs can help in handling bacon strips easily in an air fryer.
For our tests, we cooked both streaky and back bacon using three different methods: frying in a pan, cooking in an oven, and air frying.
Frying bacon in a pan was quick and easy, scoring an 8/10. However, it required constant flipping and resulted in a kitchen filled with the aroma of bacon.
Cooking bacon in an oven took a longer time (30 minutes at 175°C/350°F) and resulted in a slightly less crispy texture. Cleanup was fast but wasteful, scoring a 3/10.
Air frying bacon proved to be the fastest method, with streaky bacon taking 5 minutes and back bacon taking 8 minutes at 200°C/390°F. Cleanup was relatively easy, and the kitchen had a slight bacon aroma afterward. The air fryer did not produce any smoke or splatter, contrary to the dietitian’s warning.
In the end, our tester preferred the pan and air fryer-cooked bacon sandwiches over the oven-cooked one. Overall, oven cooking was deemed the least favorable option due to its slow and expensive nature. Air frying bacon was considered a convenient and efficient method, as long as the air fryer is clean and the bacon strips are not overcrowded.
For those looking to purchase an air fryer, we recommend checking out our round-ups of the best dual-drawer air fryers, Ninja air fryers, air fryer ovens, and air fryers in various categories.
