How long to cook turkey bacon in an air fryer

At-a-glance cooking parameters

Temperature

375 °F

191 °C

Total time

9 min

per single layer

Flip at

5 min

flip once

Internal temp

—

use visual cue

Turkey bacon air-fries in about 9 minutes at 375 °F (191 °C), flipped once at the halfway mark, until the edges are crisp. Because it's lean and renders almost no fat of its own, a light mist of oil is what crisps the edges — and turkey bacon stays paler and drier than pork, so judge it by crisp edges rather than waiting for a glossy pork-bacon look. Lay the strips flat in a single layer; they're light enough to lift in the airflow, so rest a rack on top if your basket pulls them toward the element. Most turkey bacon is cured and pre-cooked, so you're really crisping it to taste. It's the leaner alternative to Bacon — which is pork, renders its own fat, and cooks hotter and longer — and distinct from leftover bacon strips, which covers warming already-cooked strips back to crisp. 4 ways to make it: plain, cracked black pepper, maple-glazed, and everything-bagel.

Per serving

Approximate values for a single portion of turkey bacon (USDA baseline, cooked, includes light air-fryer oil spray).

Calories

60 kcal

Protein

8 g

Fat

4 g

Carbs

1 g

Turkey Bacon in popular air fryer brands

Adjusted for how each brand actually heats. Tap a brand name to see every food we calibrate for it.

How to tell it’s done

Done when the strips are browned and the edges are crisp while the centres stay slightly chewy. Turkey bacon is leaner and stays paler and drier than pork bacon — that's normal, so go by crisp edges rather than waiting for it to look like a glossy pork strip. Flip once at the halfway mark. Pull it as soon as the edges crisp; it dries out and scorches quickly once it passes that point.

Step-by-step method

1. 1

   Prep

   Bring ingredients close to room temperature. A light mist helps — turkey bacon is lean and renders very little fat of its own, so a quick spray of oil helps the edges crisp. Skip the oil and it tends to dry out and stay limp rather than crisping.

2. 2

   Season

   Season with Plain (the everyday default): just the strips as they come, cooked to crisp., Cracked black pepper: a grind of coarse pepper pressed onto the strips before cooking, peppered-bacon style., Maple-glazed: brush with a little maple syrup in the last 2 minutes for a sweet, sticky finish., Everything-bagel: a sprinkle of everything-bagel seasoning for a savoury, seedy crust..

3. 3

   Load

   Arrange 4 to 6 strips in a single layer; serves 2–3 for best convection airflow.

4. 4

   Cook

   Set the air fryer to 375 °F (191 °C) and cook for 9 minutes total, flipping once at 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Check & rest

   Check the visual doneness cue and serve immediately for best texture.

6. 6

   Store

   Refrigerate cooked strips airtight up to 4–5 days. Re-crisp at 350 °F (177 °C) for 2–3 minutes — see leftover bacon strips, where turkey bacon reheats on the same short profile as thin-cut pork.

Watch out for

• !Turkey bacon is light and lean — the strips can lift in the airflow and blow up against the heating element. Lay them flat, don't crowd, and rest a metal rack or trivet on top if your basket pulls them up.
• !It renders almost no fat, so a light oil spray is what gets the edges crisp; without it the strips stay pale and rubbery.
• !It cooks and dries faster than pork bacon — watch the last couple of minutes and pull as soon as the edges crisp so it doesn't scorch.
• !Most retail turkey bacon is cured and fully cooked or par-cooked, so you're crisping it, not cooking raw poultry — cook to the crispness you like.
• !Flip once at the halfway point so both sides brown evenly.

FAQ about turkey bacon in an air fryer

What temperature should I cook turkey bacon at in an air fryer?

Cook turkey bacon at 375 °F (191 °C). The convection air at this temperature cooks the food gently — higher temperatures dry it out or scorch the surface.

How long does turkey bacon take in an air fryer?

Turkey bacon takes 9 minutes total at 375 °F (191 °C). Flip the food once at 5 minutes so both sides cook evenly.

Do you need to flip turkey bacon in an air fryer?

Yes — flip turkey bacon once at 5 minutes. The side touching the basket grate develops a darker, more crusted surface; flipping evens out the cook so both sides match.

Do you need to preheat the air fryer for turkey bacon?

Preheating is optional for turkey bacon — most modern air fryers reach temperature in under 2 minutes and the food's total cook time already accounts for the ramp-up. If you do preheat, reduce the total time by 1–2 minutes and check earlier than usual.