How To Air Fry Peameal Bacon For An Easy Breakfast

Shazam! This easy tutorial for air-frying peameal bacon for an easy breakfast addition is game-changing. It’s such an easy recipe for cooking bacon each and every time. The cooking time frees you up to work on the rest of your breakfast or brunch hands-free, which, in my books, is awesome. This easy air fryer bacon recipe is the best way to enjoy this thick-cut bacon.

If you’ve never had this back bacon, I want to tell you a few secrets. One its better for you than traditional bacon which has a much higher fat content. This cured meat is super tasty, with eggs as an economical choice. Right now, a pack of regular bacon in Canada can set a family back $8 or more. Ouch. But this peameal bacon, aka Canadian bacon, is far more economical. In fact, if you shop the flyers and sales,  you can often find it for $5 area. And because it offers denser meat you can slice yourself, it can be made for a few meals, not just one. So, this bacon is a good choice for anyone watching their waistline or budget. 

What is Peameal Bacon Or Canadian Bacon?

This cut is usually from pork loin, and the meat is then wet-cured and rolled in peameal (cornmeal). Because it is cut from the loin vs the belly it is lower fat resulting in much less bacon grease when cooking. 

If this is your first time working with this bacon the peameal may be throwing you off, but you can wash it off before cooking. However, it does crisp up nicely in the air fryer, adding a little extra texture and crunch to the toasty bits of bacon. 

Peameal bacon, cut from the pork belly, has a nutritional edge over American bacon. Its denser meat is full of protein, which makes it perfect for those following a keto diet. It’s also generally lower in salt than the wet-cure or pickling process, which allows for better control of the salt content vs. the curing of regular bacon. This is good news for those watching their salt intake. (It’s still best to check the label, as some brands might use more salt in their curing brine than others.)

Love bacon? Then you will love my bacon egg French toast breakfast sandwich on sourdough bread. Yum!

Why You Will Love Working With Peameal Bacon In The Air Fryer

Hands-Free. This easy air fryer recipe is super simple to prep, and then you’re free to work on other breakfast sides. 

Perfect Job. The air fryer perfectly crisps the bacon according to your preference. This tasty side is ideal for serving with your eggs or pancakes. Plus, using the air fryer means less mess to clean up.

Healthier Choice. Air frying the peameal bacon meals is not cooking in its own juices (fats). The air fryer tray will drain the excess grease, leaving you with only the tasty bacon pieces. 

Let’s Look At The Easy Method Of Air Frying Peameal Bacon

To start, you will want to decide whether you are cutting slices of bacon or cubing it. For this tutorial, I cubed it. If you slice it, simply be sure to leave enough air space around the bacon so that it heats evenly in the air fryer basket. 

Cubing the bacon is easy. Using a sharp knife, slice pieces of the bacon into half-inch thick slices. To fill one air fryer basket on my Ninja dual basket fryer, I sliced half the package of bacon up, leaving me with more for later. You can freeze the rest you’re not cooking right away to space out the bacon in your menu planning. Frozen peameal bacon will keep for up to three months in the deep freeze and thaw just as you would other meats. 

In the air fryer basket, simply make a single layer of sliced bacon or a thin layer of cubed bacon. I used one air fryer basket, it made enough bacon for four individuals to have a generous portion of the juicy Canadian bacon. This easy cooking method is my new favorite way to prepare this breakfast addition. 

If you thin cut bacon, you will want to adjust the cooking time. However, if you cube or thick slice it, you can follow these recommendations for the cook time. Using different temperatures on the air fryer will also result in a different outcome, so for the first time doing bacon like this, following these directions will ensure success. 

These cooking instructions are super easy, set the air fryer to air fry at 400F for 20 minutes. Start the time, and off you go to work on other things. However, pay close attention to the time because you will want to stop the air fryer after ten minutes of cooking. Then, open the basket and give it a shake to mix up the pieces of meat. This will allow the pieces that may have been on the bottom of the air fryer basket to be jostled to the surface, where they will be exposed to a more direct heat. 

I don’t know if you know this already, but the Ninja air fryer has a heating element inside, much like an older non-ceramic-top stove. That heat source can get raging hot, which is why the instructional manual often mentions shaking the basket. 

It’s worth noting that this methodology may change depending on the type of air fryer you have and possibly require less time for less meat. Again, I was using my Ninja dual-basket air fryer. For best results, cook the bacon for the entire twenty minutes. This will allow the bacon to crisp slightly while remaining juicy on the inside. If you want very crispy bacon, consider leaving it in the basket for an additional five to ten minutes. 

A Little On Air Frying Vs. Stove Top Cooking

When cooked in the air fryer, bacon will dry out more than in a frying pan’s traditional stovetop cooking method. However, you can use your stovetop or oven to make the same things whenever you see air fryer recipes. Many air fryers are on the market today, and they are ever-evolving; however, most run on a small heating element with fans to cook food. This is similar to direct heat from regular appliances. 

A note I would like to add is that air fryers generally have the added value of using less energy for high-heat cooking. They consume less energy than stovetops, where maintaining high heat across an open burner can lead to heat loss.

The upside to using an air fryer is that it’s set and forget for the most part. It offers an easy way to cook foods readily with little fuss. Air fryers also give college students a great way to cook food safely and conveniently in their dorms (if allowed).

Great Options Air Fried Peameal Bacon

Classic Breakfast Pairings

• With Eggs and Toast: Serve scrambled, fried, or poached eggs and toast for a hearty breakfast. This dish is sure to become one of your favorites.
• Breakfast Platter: Pair with hash browns, sautéed mushrooms, and roasted cherry tomatoes for a complete breakfast.
• Breakfast Skillet: Add slices to a skillet with home fries, peppers, onions, and cheese for a one-pan breakfast.

Brunch Ideas

• Eggs Benedict: Use as the Canadian bacon layer in a traditional eggs Benedict.
• Bacon & Cheese Quiche: Add to a crusted or crustless quiche along with Swiss or cheddar cheese.
• Breakfast Pizza: Layer on a breakfast pizza with scrambled eggs, cheese, and sliced bell peppers.

Sandwiches and Wraps

• Breakfast Sandwich: Layer on an English muffin with a fried egg, cheese, and avocado.
• BLT Twist: Substitute peameal bacon for regular bacon in a bacon sandwich, adding lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on toasted bread.
• Bagel Sandwich: Serve with cream cheese, tomato, and arugula on a toasted bagel.
• Wraps: Wrap in a tortilla with scrambled eggs, cheese, spinach, and a drizzle of hot sauce.

​Lunch and Dinner Ideas

• Peameal Bacon Club Sandwich: Use slices in a triple-decker club with turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise.
• Bacon & Cheddar Panini: Pair with cheddar cheese and grill until golden, melty, and delicious.
• Canadian Bacon Sliders: Use mini rolls, peameal bacon, a slice of cheese, and a dollop of mustard or aioli.
• Carbonara Twist: Dice and add to pasta carbonara instead of traditional pancetta or bacon.

Vegetable Pairings

• With Grilled Asparagus: Serve with lightly seasoned asparagus or green beans for a simple side.
• Over Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Dice and mix with roasted Brussels sprouts and drizzle with maple syrup.
• Stuffed Bell Peppers: Dice and add to stuffed bell peppers with rice, cheese, and Italian seasoning.

Kid-Friendly Ideas

• Bacon “Sticks”: Serve peameal bacon slices with dipping sauces like ketchup, honey mustard, or maple syrup.
• Mini Bacon & Cheese Quesadillas: Dice and add to mini quesadillas with melted cheese.
• Bacon Pizza Rolls: For a fun snack, roll up peameal bacon and cheese in pizza dough, slice, and bake.

So there you have it, a super simple way to cook bacon that the whole family will love using your air fryer.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy air-fried Canadian bacon? I would love to hear what you enjoy it with. Please rate this tutorial and comment below about how you enjoy this tasty bacon. And remember, as always, happy cooking!