Method

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for about 4 minutes. A hot basket is what gets the bacon crisp fast instead of steaming it.
  2. Lay the bacon strips in a single layer in the basket. Don't let them overlap, or the middle strips will stay pale and floppy. If your basket is small, cook the bacon in two batches rather than stacking it.
  3. Cook at 370°F for 8 minutes, flipping the strips at the 4 minute mark. Watch the last minute or two if your bacon is thin, since thickness varies a lot by brand and cut.
  4. Move the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour off the rendered fat from the basket, leaving just a light coating.
  5. Crack the eggs into two small oven-safe ramekins or silicone egg cups, two eggs per cup. Season with the salt and pepper. Set the cups in the basket in place of the bacon.
  6. Cook at 370°F for 6 to 8 minutes, checking at 6 minutes. The whites should be fully opaque and the yolk firm all the way through, not glossy or wet-looking in the center. Check with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the egg: it should read 160°F, which is the USDA safe minimum for egg dishes.
  7. Return the bacon to the basket for the last minute of the egg cook time just to rewarm it, or serve it straight from the plate. Plate the eggs next to the bacon and scatter with chives.

Tips

  • Pat the bacon dry with a paper towel before it goes in the basket. Wet bacon spatters more and takes longer to crisp.
  • Ramekins vary in size, so if yours run large, add a minute or two to the egg cook time rather than guessing by color alone.
  • Don't skip flipping the bacon halfway. One-sided cooking leaves the underside soft even when the top looks done.
  • Basket air fryers run hot or cool depending on the model, so treat the times here as a starting point and check the eggs a minute early the first time you make this.

FAQ

Can I cook the eggs directly in the basket instead of ramekins? You can if your basket has a solid mesh or a liner, but eggs run through the holes of an open-wire basket. A small foil cup, silicone egg mold, or oven-safe ramekin keeps them contained and makes cleanup easier.

Can I use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon? Yes. Turkey bacon cooks faster and can burn at the edges, so start checking it around 6 minutes instead of 8.

Why did my eggs come out rubbery? They likely went a minute or two past done. Egg proteins tighten fast once they hit temperature, so pull them as soon as the thermometer reads 160°F rather than leaving them in for extra insurance.

Can I make the yolks runny? For food safety, egg dishes need to reach 160°F throughout, which sets the yolk. If you want a soft, spoonable center rather than a hard-cooked one, pull the eggs the moment they hit that temperature instead of continuing to cook them further.

Do I need to preheat the air fryer? It helps. A cold basket adds a few minutes to the bacon and can leave it chewy instead of crisp at the edges.