Air Fryer Diced Bacon
Air fryer diced bacon turns into crisp, savoury pieces after 8 minutes at 180°C, with no fat spitting across the hob. The basket lets the fat drip away, so the pieces fry in the heat of the air rather than sitting in a pool of grease. You end up with a handy topping for salads, pasta, soup and jacket potatoes.
- Total
- 14 min
- Prep
- 3 min
- Cook
- 11 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 165kcal
How long to cook air fryer diced bacon
Plan on 8 minutes at 180°C for 1cm pieces, plus 3 minutes to heat the air fryer first. Smaller dice crisp in the last minutes and thick-cut pieces take a little longer, so check from 6 minutes onwards and take the basket out when the bacon looks deep golden. The bacon carries on crisping as it cools on the kitchen paper, so it is better to take it out a touch early than to let it darken too far. A standard 4–5 litre basket holds 250g in roughly one layer. If you are cooking double the amount, work in two batches so the air can get all the way round each piece.
Air fryer diced bacon, step by step
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Heat the air fryer Set the air fryer to 180°C and heat it for . Spread the diced bacon out on a board and, if it is very lean, toss it with the oil so it does not stick.
- Cook Tip the bacon into the basket in a single layer, with the pieces not piled up. Cook for , shaking the basket well after so the pieces brown evenly.
- Check and finish The pieces should be deep golden and crisp at the edges. If you like them crunchier, give them another and keep watching, because small pieces catch quickly.
- Drain Lift the bacon out with tongs onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to soak up the fat. Use straight away, or leave to cool before adding to a cold salad.
What to do with the crisp pieces
Stir them through salad, scatter them over soup or jacket potatoes, or fold them into scrambled eggs. They also make a good addition to chicken salad with bacon, and they go very well tossed through air fryer diced potatoes. For whole rashers, see air fryer bacon.
Common problems and fixes for Air Fryer Diced Bacon
- The pieces are crisp on the outside but chewy in the middle.
- They are piled too deep in the basket. Spread them in one layer, or cook 500g in two batches and add 8 minutes per batch.
- The pieces stick together and brown unevenly.
- Separate the lardons before they go in and shake the basket at the halfway mark. Lean bacon needs the teaspoon of oil.
- The air fryer smokes.
- Fatty bacon drips onto the hot drawer. Pour off the fat after cooking and wipe the drawer before the next batch, and do not tip hot fat down the sink.
Frequently asked questions about Air Fryer Diced Bacon
Do you need to add oil to diced bacon in the air fryer?
No, streaky or smoked lardons make their own fat. Only very lean back bacon needs a teaspoon of oil to stop it sticking.
Which bacon works best?
Streaky bacon or smoked lardons crisp most evenly because of their fat. Dice back bacon into 1cm pieces and expect it to be a little chewier.
Can you cook thick-cut diced bacon?
Yes. Pieces 1.5cm or bigger need 10–12 minutes at 180°C instead of 8, still shaking halfway.
How do you store cooked bacon pieces?
Cool them, then keep them in an airtight tub in the fridge for up to 2 days. Warm through in the air fryer at 180°C for 2 minutes until steaming hot.
How did you like the recipe?
4.7 / 5 · 23 ratings
