Air Fryer Twisted Bacon

Air fryer twisted bacon is a fun and delicious treat for breakfast and so easy to make. Pair the air fried bacon with your favorite savory or sweet breakfast foods.

this recipe

Have you seen the viral twisted bacon on TikTok? Well, I can see why people love it!

When you twist bacon, it seems to be even MORE fun to eat and an even more delicious texture. How is that even possible?

Doesn't matter, but I'm doing it. And I love it. But I love to put my own "twist" on things. (Get it? Ha ha).

So I've been adding a bit of spice to my twisted bacon. And then cooking it in the air fryer. And ending up with the best breakfast item. Especially when paired with air fryer poached eggs.

Ingredients

• Bacon
• Smoked Paprika
• Ground Cayenne Pepper

How to make air fryer twisted bacon

First, mix together cayenne powder and smoked paprika in a small bowl.

Lay bacon strips on parchment paper or a cutting board.

Sprinkle one side of the bacon with the paprika mixture.

Twist and then place in air fryer basket. It's okay if the bacon is touching (depending on how many strips you cook), but don't overlap.

(Yes, I did put a piece of bread underneath my air fryer basket. This helps soak up the bacon grease and helps keep your air fryer from smoking as the grease drips down).

Air fry at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Remove bacon twists from the air fryer basket and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Plate and enjoy!

Yum! Spicy, smoky, and delicious.

Recipe tips

• Add a pice of bread to the bottom part of the air fryer basket to keep the bacon from smoking up your air fryer. The bread will absorb the bacon grease.
• Test to see if the bacon will fit in your air fryer basket. Depending on the length of bacon, you may need to cut your bacon strips in half.
• All air fryers cook differently. You may need more or less time depending on your specific air fryer and the thickness of your bacon. Thin cut bacon may be ready around 6-8 minutes.

How to keep bacon from smoking in air fryer

When bacon cooks in your air fryer, the grease dripping down can cause smoking in some air fryers.

To prevent this from happening, place a slice of bread in the bottom part of the air fryer basket. The bread will absorb the bacon grease, preventing smoking.

Customization ideas

For a less spicy version, only use ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne.

Don't have smoked paprika? Use chili powder instead.

For a sweet version, add some brown sugar to the paprika/cayenne mixture.

What to serve with the twisted bacon

Air fryer twisted bacon is the perfect accompaniment to other delicious breakfast foods!

The bacon twists would be delicious with air fryer poached eggs, air fryer breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs with spinach, or air fryer english muffins.

For a sweet pairing, try with air fryer french toast sticks, air fryer cinnamon sugar donuts, air fryer croissant french toast, bananas foster french toast, or raspberry dutch baby pancake.

More air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Honey Garlic Salmon
• Air Fryer Kielbasa
• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
• Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
• Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
• Air Fryer Crostini

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