Air Fryer Turkey Bacon

Air fryer turkey bacon is quick, easy, and results in deliciously crisp turkey bacon every time. Bonus? It makes for quick and easy cleanup, too! Make turkey bacon in the air fryer for your next brunch!

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Turkey bacon is a family-favorite in our house – crisp, crunchy, and always delicious! When we do make it, the air fryer is always our go-to method. Turkey bacon in the air fryer ALWAYS outranks skillet, oven, and microwave turkey bacon!

And if you’re just obsessed with your air fryer as I am, try these other air fryer breakfast recipes: air fryer hash browns, air fryer cinnamon rolls, air fryer toast.

Is Turkey Bacon Healthy?

I’m going to share my favorite response as a registered dietitian and balanced nutritionist: it depends!

If you were to compare turkey bacon to regular bacon, gram for gram, turkey bacon is lower in fat and calories.

That said, turkey bacon still does contain a high amount of sodium. And as a processed meat, the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded in 2015 that processed meats may likely be carcinogenic.

So is turkey bacon healthy? Again – it depends. Some brands may be less processed than others, which may help.

Overall, it’s all relative. You decide what’s a fit for you. Any and all foods can fit into health and even weight loss goals as part of an overall balanced diet. But is turkey bacon (or anything, really) something I’d recommend frequent, routine consumption of? Not really.

Now, that said! If you’re going to make turkey bacon, let’s check out how to make it in the air fryer!

Ingredients

All you need is turkey bacon! There are many varieties out there, but I personally prefer ones with less ingredients/ a little less processing. A couple brands I’ve bought include:

• Godshall’s Uncured Turkey Bacon. I get it from Sam’s Club and love the taste and simple ingredients: turkey, water, vinegar, sea salt, raw sugar, and celery powder.
• Applegate Uncured Turkey Bacon. I live in a rural area and have a harder time finding this, but this used to be my go-to turkey bacon. Less processing and ingredients are simple: turkey, water, sea salt, celery powder, onion powder, spices.
• Sam’s Choice Uncured Turkey Bacon. This is the uncured turkey bacon available at most Walmart’s, and like the others, has less processing and simple ingredients: turkey, water, sugar, salt, vinegar, and celery powder.

How to Make Turkey Bacon in Air Fryer, Step-by-Step:

1. Place turkey bacon slices on the rack of your air fryer, being careful to avoid any overlap.
2. Air fry turkey bacon at 360 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping half way through.

Recipe FAQ/ Tips & Tricks

Avoid Overlap and Overcrowding

Be sure to avoid overcrowding your air fryer with turkey bacon. Overlapping and overcrowding the turkey bacon will prevent the turkey bacon from getting as evenly crisp, and can prolong cooking times.

I use an Instant Vortex Air Fryer and can fit 5 slices at a time without overlap.

Turkey Bacon Flying Around?

Having trouble with turkey bacon flying around? Often it’s just an end that flips over, and that can easily be righted when you flip the turkey bacon at the halfway point.

But if your air fryer is really powerful, you could always try putting another rack on top, or inserting toothpicks through the turkey bacon and the rack grates to keep the bacon in one spot.

Make Adjustments for Your Air Fryer

Air fryers are fantastic, but you have to understand that they’re all made a little different. They have different power levels, different sizes, etc., and this can impact your total cook time (and sometimes even temperature).

For example: a large 12 quart air fryer has more space inside of it, so it’s going to take longer to heat to 360 degrees compared to a 4 or 6 quart air fryer.

Know your air fryer and make adjustments as needed.

How to Serve Air Fryer Turkey Bacon:

Of course you can serve it and eat it as is! When enjoying turkey bacon for breakfast, I like to enjoy it alongside some other foods as part of a more balanced breakfast. Some of my favorite pairings include:

• Alongside Healthy-ish French Toast
• With scrambled eggs and an NTF 5-a-Day Smoothie
• Paired with Healthy Baked Oatmeal Cups or Baked Vanilla Oatmeal Custard

Of course it can be delicious in other dishes or at other meals, too. Try adding it to:

• Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad
• Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Salad
• Vegetable side dishes, like these Maple Dijon Brussels Sprouts
• Sandwiches, like this Turkey Avocado Sandwich.

Storage & Reheating:

If you’re making turkey bacon to use at a later date, or if you simply have leftovers, they can be kept in an airtight bag or container and kept refrigerated up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or in the air fryer for a minute or two.

Other Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love:

• Mozzarella Sticks
• Tortilla Chips
• Baked Potatoes
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• BBQ Chicken

Did you make this recipe? Please give a rating and review below! For more balanced nutrition and no fuss, balanced recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram!