Food expert issues warning not to cook bacon in your air fryer

• Brenda Peralta said that fat can drip down the appliance and produce smoke
• READ MORE: 7 foods you should never cook in an air fryer, according to experts 

A dietitian has urged people to think twice about using an air fryer to cook bacon.

When compared to deep frying or throwing meat on the pan with oil, air fryers are considered to be a healthier option. 

But Brenda Peralta, who is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator based in Costa Rica, said she’d advise against using the gadeget to crisp your bacon.  

‘It is a fatty food, and when it is cooked in an air fryer, the fat can drip down and cause smoke or splatter,’ she told Yahoo. 

It’s common for the bacon fat to splash across the appliance’s heating element, causing a cloud of smoke with a powerful odour.

Brenda Peralta, who is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, has urged people to think twice about using an air fryer to cook bacon (stock image)

This can also prevent the bacon from cooking evenly – running the risk of food poisoning.

Meanwhile, excess smoke can cause unwanted smells in your home. 

Cooking bacon in an air fryer can be problematic due to its fattiness and size.

Brenda said that bacon strips are also tricky to remove from the device because they can easily fall apart.

‘A bacon strip is a small and delicate food, and it can be difficult to flip or remove from the air fryer basket without breaking it,’ she explained.

Additionally, the fryer basket often isn’t big enough to accommodate a large quantity of bacon – making it an inconvenient technique for those who are cooking for a group. 

When compared to deep frying in oil, air fryers are considered to be a healthier, safer and more convenient option

Nevertheless, air fryers are without a doubt the must-have kitchen gadget at the moment, with celebrities from Sir Mo Farah to Drew Barrymore confessing their love for them. 

The appliance uses hot air rather than hot oil to cook foods, offering a quick and healthy alternative to deep-fat fryers.

While many of us use our devices to cook frozen treats such as chips or chicken nuggets, there are a range of surprising foods that work an absolute treat in the air fryer.

‘Air fryers can be useful for quickly cooking and crisping up frozen foods,’ Which? said, but added that you can ‘get away with cooking almost anything’ in the device.

Annual sales figures from Lakeland show sales of air fryers were up 1,175% on last year – when they were already soaring in popularity – as households continue their efforts to save energy on standard ovens.

The retailer said: ‘In previous years, their popularity could be attributed to consumers seeking healthier cooking options and fast cooking times.

‘However, with the cost-of-living crisis continuing, air fryers have a renewed appeal as an efficient alternative to oven cooking.’

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