This is how to cook frozen bacon in the air fryer to crispy for breakfast without defrosting! So easy to do if you forgot to defrost these strips of pork. You can use your Cosori, Air Wave Ninja Foodi or any brand to learn how to cook frozen bacon.

Ok so we had to experiment with frozen bacon in air fryer because we forgot to take it out, period. Yes we are one of those who has a lot going on and we don't always remember to defrost frozen meat first. Now we know how to make this easy air fryer recipe as is.

If you have been following us for any length of time you know we have a few different machines. Which is great so we can experiment and make sure the temperature and timing is the same across the board. We first made air fryer bacon when we first got our Foodi (with the attached lid) that was good, this works the same way.

Luckily we didn't have a forgetful issue with this for years but alas it happened the other day so we had to figure that out too. There are many brands and styles out there to choose from. We prefer regular to thick bacon because we feel it comes out crispier.

Tips: My Favorite models are the Cosori or making Ninja Foodi recipes with the lid that is attached.

It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. This is how to preheat air fryer first before adding your food so it becomes as crispy as possible. For best results, here's a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.

A close-up photo of a hand pulling out the basket of an open air fryer on a light-colored surface. The interior of the air fryer basket is empty and features a mesh design, solid for cooking your favorite dishes like bang bang shrimp. The edge of the air fryer has a latch mechanism for securing the basket.

You can see our favorite brand below here, if we can find uncured that is by far the best too. We wanted to figure out how to cook frozen meat right out of the package without defrosting it at all at the beginning. Why? Because that is what we would do and assume everyone is similar too.

How to Cook Frozen Bacon in Air Fryer

No matter what size you have, your basket is not going to be wide enough to fit a whole piece without folding it over. Since it is rock hard you for sure won't fit the whole thing as is so you'll need a sharp knife for this first step. Yep, we're going to cut it in half widthwise, and throw it right in that way!

Do we need to thaw frozen bacon before cooking it in an air fryer?

not, we will show you how to cook it right out of the freezer here. There are some tips and tricks to follow to get each piece cooked thru and crispy as you would like but we have figured it all out and sharing how to do it here!

What Temperature to Cook Frozen Bacon

We are going to start about 20 degrees cooler at first to defrost it essentially, enough where the pieces fall apart and separate, at 380F. Once separated though you want to increase to 400 degrees F. for the last few minutes to crisp them, moving around until they are solid for you.

If you wanted to make air fryer candied bacon you would want to add the seasonings at the same time you increase the temp. so it can cook on for the last few minutes.

How Long to Cook Frozen Bacon in Air Fryer

About 10 minutes is all you need. The beauty of this is the fat drains away from the meat thru the grates below in the air fryer basket, it gets super crispy and no grease all over your stovetop.

Can you cook the whole package at once?

There are only 4 of us left at home at this point (yes one has flown the nest already) so half is plenty. If you need to feed more then do one side at a time so it will be nice and fresh and get super crispy. We wouldn't slice and put both halves in at the same time. They will overlap too much and won't be as good.

Can you cook frozen turkey bacon in air fryer?

Yes, it wouldn't make a difference whether you were cooking pork or turkey bacon this way. We would follow the same temp. and timing. The biggest difference is going to be how long it takes to crisp depending on the thickness. The thicker the slices the longer it will take to get crunchy of course.

Can you add eggs?

Yes, we did a duo when we made air fryer sausage patties + eggs in silicone muffin cups (which take about 5 min.) so you could take a peek at that post and do the same thing. You may not be able to fit the silicone cups in the basket though until your pieces have been separated. It's kinda' fun though being able to cook it all at the same time.

Tips for Success

If you want an easier cleanup you can add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the basket. That will allow the grease to wipe out easier. Always preheat air fryer for 5 minutes. Cut your slices of bacon in half widthwise.

Timing will vary slightly but this works perfectly for us with regular thicknesses. We do not like thick personally but if you do you may need to increase timing at end by a minute or two.

Air Fryer Frozen Bacon Recipe

By Frozen bacon in air fryer comes out so crispy and good! So easy to do if you forgot to defrost this breakfast pork. Use Ninja Foodi too. Prep: 5 minutes minsCook: 10 minutes minsServings: 6 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

1/2 package bacon, frozen
1 pinch pepper, only if you want it peppered, sprinkle on halfway thru

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees f for 5 minutes. Open your package and cut your slices in half widthwise.
Lay 1 half inside air fryer basket and cook for 2 minutes, open basket and flip hunk over. Cook for another 3 minutes. At this point you should be able to use a fork to separate the pieces.
Separate and spread out in your basket so they are overlapping the least. Increase to 400F and close basket to continue cooking for 4-6 minutes moving pieces around halfway thru timing until they are as crispy as you'd like.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: BreakfastCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

How to save leftover cooked bacon

You can put it in a baggie and refrigerate for later if you want. We generally don't save unless we are going to need fresh bacon bits for a recipe the next day, it is great for that. Like If you wanted to add it into our breakfast bundt cakeit's great.

If you want to try sausage links in air fryer We enjoy that too with air fryer toast at the beginning of the day to get us going.