Keto Air Fryer Bacon and Eggs

Air fryer bacon is the cleanest, easiest way to cook bacon — the fat drips into the drawer below the basket rather than spattering across your hob. Lay 3–4 rashers flat in the basket in a single layer (they can overlap slightly as they'll shrink). Cook at 400°F for 8–10 minutes for crispy bacon, 6–7 minutes for chewy. No flipping is required — the circulating air cooks both sides. Thicker-cut bacon may need 11–12 minutes. For streaky bacon (American-style), 8 minutes at 400°F is the sweet spot. Drain on paper towels after — there's usually more rendered fat than expected. The basket may smoke slightly if fat accumulates in the drawer; adding 2 tablespoons of water to the drawer before cooking prevents this.

Standard eggs can't go directly on the air fryer basket (they'd fall through and create a mess). Instead, use a small oven-safe ramekin or silicone cup. Butter the ramekin lightly, crack in 1–2 eggs, and season with salt and pepper. Cook at 325°F for 6–8 minutes for soft-set yolks (yolk still runny, whites just set) or 9–11 minutes for fully set yolks. The lower temperature is important — high heat toughens egg whites. Let the ramekin sit for 1 minute after cooking; eggs continue to set from residual heat. You can also scramble eggs in the ramekin, stirring at the 3-minute mark, for creamy air fryer scrambled eggs in about 6–8 minutes total.

To serve bacon and eggs simultaneously, start the bacon first. At the 4-minute mark, pause the air fryer, slide the ramekin with eggs onto one side of the basket or on a small trivet above the basket, and resume cooking. The bacon finishes at 8–10 minutes total; the eggs, which started 4 minutes later, need 6–8 minutes, so they finish at the same time. Alternatively, cook the bacon first (8–10 min), remove and keep warm loosely tented under foil, then cook the eggs at 325°F for 6–8 minutes in the now-clean basket. Most 3.5–5-Qt air fryers can fit a 4-inch ramekin comfortably alongside 3–4 bacon rashers.

Round out your keto air fryer breakfast with these zero- or very-low-carb additions: Sliced avocado (0g net carbs, adds healthy fat); Air fryer mushrooms at 375°F for 6–8 minutes with butter and thyme; Halved cherry tomatoes in a ramekin for 5–6 minutes (tomatoes are low carb in small amounts — 3g per 80g); A slice of full-fat cheese melted on top of the eggs in the last minute of cooking; Smoked salmon laid over the eggs after cooking (no additional air frying needed). Avoid toast, hash browns, baked beans, orange juice, and yoghurt with granola — all break keto macros significantly.