Air Fryer Candied Bacon
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Savory and salty bacon can only be made better with a sweet brown sugar glaze for a super easy Air Fryer Candied Bacon recipe that’s made in 15 minutes.
Candied Bacon in the Air Fryer
Candied bacon is a perfect indulgence and downright addicting. It’s very difficult to take just one strip, so the solution is to make a small batch in the air fryer.
The best part of making candied bacon in the air fryer is portion control. Even the basket on our large Cuisinart Air Fryer & Toaster Oven only holds about 8 strips of bacon which makes a perfectly portioned treat!
Bacon is one of our favorite foods, so it’s no surprise some of our favorite recipes feature our air fried bacon! From our Bacon Breakfast Casserole to Chicken & Bacon Carbonara to Turkey, Bacon & Cheddar Sliders.
Being at home a lot more makes us crave snacks and the Air Fryer is our favorite appliance to use when making a quick snack. First we craved Air Fryer Bacon & Cheese Loaded French Fries for a snack and appetizer then air fried candy bacon came to mind and we had to give it a try! Another super easy high protein snack is our Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs.
I’ve been baking bacon in the oven with a baking rack on top of a cookie sheet for years. Using the air fryer to make bacon or even better candied bacon is a natural progression of culinary improvement!
The air fryer certainly speeds up the bacon frying process so a big tip is to watch the bacon closely towards the end of the cooking time as it moves from done to crispy to burnt very quickly. So make plans to stay in the kitchen near your air fryer while the bacon is cooking!
Our air fryer has been such a handy tool to help make side dishes. We love adding some bacon to a great breakfast with Easy Oatmeal Waffles. For lunch and dinner we’ve been making some amazing broccoli, mushrooms and asparagus in the air fryer.
Tips for Making Air Fryer Candied Bacon
- Allow bacon to out on the counter for about 30 minutes before frying to get closer to room temperature
- If beginning with heavily peppered bacon adding pepper may not be necessary
- Adding a couple tablespoons of water to the tray may help decrease smoke while bacon is frying
- Watch bacon closely after the 7 to 8 minute mark as bacon goes from cooked to crispy to burnt very quickly in the air fryer
- Enjoy bacon candy warm or at room temperature, tastes best when fresh
How to Make Easy Air Fried Candied Bacon
Coat each side of each piece of bacon with brown sugar and a dash of pepper.
Lay sugar coated pieces of bacon in air fryer basket and set on top of solid tray which will catch the drippings.
Add a tablespoon or two of water to the solid tray to help decrease smoke if desired.
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until bacon reaches desired crispiness. Set bacon on paper towels for a few minutes.
Bacon is best when enjoyed warm and fresh.
Extra candied bacon can be crumbled up to stir in this Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Ball or put on fresh green beans which can be a little bit quicker than making Bacon-Onion Green Beans.
Other Easy Brunch Ideas:
- Easy Egg & Sausage Casserole
- Everything Bagel and Sausage Casserole
- Egg, Sausage & Brioche Breakfast Casserole
- 34 Best Brunch Recipes
- Cranberry Duff Cake
- Raspberry Cream Cheese Croissant Bake
Air Fryer Candied Bacon
Author: JenniferIngredients
- 8 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix brown sugar and pepper in a bowl.
- Dip each slice of bacon and coat with brown sugar mixture.
- Lay in air fryer tray and repeat until tray is full.
- Add a couple tablespoons of water to solid tray to help prevent smoke while frying if desired.
- Set on air fry and 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Notes
- Allow bacon to out on the counter for about 30 minutes before frying to get closer to room temperature
- If beginning with heavily peppered bacon adding pepper may not be necessary
- Adding a couple tablespoons of water to the tray may help decrease smoke while bacon is frying
- Watch bacon closely after the 7 to 8 minute mark as bacon goes from cooked to crispy to burnt very quickly in the air fryer
- Enjoy bacon candy warm or at room temperature, tastes best when fresh