Air-Fry Store-Bought Bacon Pieces
As a big fan of salads , mac and cheese , and other dishes that taste better with a piece of bacon, I usually keep a bag of real but store-bought bacon pieces on hand. They’re usable—it’s bacon, after all—but they come out of the bag sticky and dull, without any of the texture we associate with freshly toasted bacon. But with an air fryer, you can fry them up and serve them up without anyone knowing they’re from a plastic bag.
You’ve probably noticed that the air fryer does a great job with fatty foods: the intense heat causes the fat to move and form grooves, while the aggressive air circulation removes moisture and ensures that every inch comes into contact with some of that heat. That’s why it’s such a great appliance for reheating a piece of fried chicken or preparing pre-fried and frozen convenience foods.
Bacon is quite greasy, even pre-cooked, store-bought. Throwing these pieces into the fryer awakens the fats and re-fries the meat, giving the bacon pieces a crispier texture and better flavor. (Cold fats don’t wrap around the palate like warm fats.)
How to fry bacon slices in a deep fryer
Set the fryer to 400℉, remove the basket and put a handful of bacon pieces straight into the basket. Let the fryer heat the pieces for a minute or two until you can smell the bacon. Take a look and give the meat pieces a taste. If they are tasty and crunchy, take them out and sprinkle them with something. If they are still a little stringy, wait another minute until they have the desired texture. Serve immediately with lettuce slices, pasta, or anything else that calls for the flavor and texture of crispy salted pork.