Cooking bacon may seem like a simple task, but frying it in a pan means the meat will curl up and shrink due to the excess oil, which makes it more difficult to get it crispy.
Not only does oil splatter everywhere, but it cooks the bacon unevenly so it has a chewy and charred texture rather than being perfectly crispy and golden.
However, Natasha Kravchuk, a cook and founder of Natasha’s Kitchen has figured out a better cooking method to make mouthwatering bacon without having to use oil or a frying pan.
Natasha said: “The air fryer method is so much easier to make than stovetop or baking in the oven because it’s quick, less messy and there’s no need to pre-heat the oven.”
It may seem simple, but cooking bacon in the air fryer is much better than using a pan or oven as it is not only healthier but improves both the taste and texture.
The white fatty part of bacon should render out when hot but cooking with oil means this process happens much too quickly, which leads to the fat burning in the pan.
This means that the pink meat on the bacon is often dry and undercooked while the white part of the bacon will be overcooked.
When bacon is cooked in the air fryer the hot air is able to evenly cook the meat from all sides, and this consistent airflow allows it to cook uniformly without having to flip it.
What is the best way to cook bacon in the air fryer?
Natasha said: “Making air fryer bacon is so EASY! Enjoy crisp and evenly cooked bacon in under 10 minutes with the easiest cleanup.”
All you need to do is place baking paper inside the air fryer basket or on the air fryer tray.
Then place the bacon strips on the baking paper, making sure none of the bacon overlaps.
Place the on 180C and put the timer on for seven minutes. How long the air fryer will take to cook the bacon may depend on your model, but generally, seven minutes is the standard.
If you want crispier bacon, set the timer for eight to nine minutes and if you are using thick-cut bacon then set the timer for 10 to 12 minutes.
Once time is up, transfer the bacon to a paper towel to absorb any excess fat, then place your bacon on a piece of toast or plate.
Your bacon should be crispier and tastier, plus will be a little bit healthier as you do not need to use any oil.
One other great reason to try out this method is that you will not have to scrub away at a greasy frying pan afterwards, as all you have to do is peel off the baking paper and throw it in the bin to clean up.
