Air Fryer Crispy Prosciutto

This is a 5-minute recipe for air fryer crispy prosciutto (Parma ham). The crispy prosciutto can be eaten on its own as a snack but my favourite way to enjoy them is to crumble and sprinkle them over salads, soups and pastas. These prosciutto crisps can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for weeks. Check out the detailed step-by-step photos in this post.

More Parma Ham (Proscuitto) Recipes:

• Parma Ham Pasta
• Simple Prosciutto Toast
• Crispy Prosciutto, Poached Egg & Avocado Salad

I know people may think that due to the compact capacity of an air fryer, it is more ideal to make crispy prosciutto in an oven. But I beg to differ – one can increase the capacity of the air fryer by adding racks to make a second (or third) layer. The baking time in the air fryer is less than half of the oven. And there is no need to preheat the air fryer. Therefore, the air fryer is my preferred choice over the oven when making a modest batch of prosciutto (1-2 packets) at one time.

STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS – Air Fryer Crispy Prosciutto (Parma Ham)

This was my packet of prosciutto aka Parma ham. I used up the last 4 slices for this tutorial.

Spread out 2 slices of prosciutto on the crisper plate of the air fryer. You can also fold the slices slightly to squeeze in 1-2 more slices.

This step is very important. Weigh down the prosciutto slices with a bbq wire mesh (pictured above) or a shallow steam rack (trivet). If you don’t, the prosciutto slices will fly all over inside the air fryer and then shrink into a ball after baking.

To increase the yield of crispy prosciutto made with each batch of air frying, use a mid-level steam rack to make a second layer.

Repeat the process – add the prosciutto slices and weigh them down with a mesh like before.

By the way, if you want to make a third level, I recommend to take out the third level prosciutto 2 minutes early, as they will be very near to the heating coils directly overhead. 

Air fry at 200°C (392°F) without preheating for 5 minutes.

Pull out the air fryer pan immediately. Despite the appearance, these prosciutto slices are baked to crispy perfection without any burnts.

This was the first level prosciutto slices, also baked to crispy perfection.

From the next batch onwards, reduce the air frying time from 5 to 3 minutes. Add on more time for the third rack if needed.

The good thing about putting the prosciutto slices on the crisper pan versus putting them directly inside the air fryer pan (which you can) is that the excess oil can drip through the holes, making the crispy prosciutto drier and less oily.

Once the air fryer prosciutto cools down, store them in an air tight container to keep in the fridge. They will retain the same crispness even when eaten straight out of the fridge.

Sprinkle crumbled prosciutto over soups or eat them on their own …

… or garnish a salad with either crumbled or large pieces of the air-fried prosciutto.

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Air Fryer Crispy Prosciutto (Parma Ham) Recipe

I’m using an air fryer with a 20cm inner crisper plate. Do adjust the slices of prosciutto per level according to the size of your air fryer.

Check out the detailed step-by-step photos on the previous page.

Serves: 4-8 slices

Prep Time: 1 min

Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

• 2-4 prosciutto slices per rack

You Also Need:

• fitting bbq mini wire mesh or shallow steam rack (to weigh down the prosciutto)
• a mid level steam rack (if you want to make a second layer)

Directions:

1. Air-fry. Place prosciutto (Parma ham) slices one layer on the air fryer crisper plate. Use a fitting bbq wire mesh or a shallow steam rack to weigh down the prosciutto. You can use a mid-level steam rack to make a second layer of prosciutto slices, weighing it down again with a mesh or shallow rack. Air fry at 180°C (356°F) (without preheating) for 5 minutes. Pull out the air fryer pan immediately (to avoid the prosciutto from burning). Work in batches, reducing the next batch by 2 minutes as the air fryer is already hot.
2. Storage. Cool the crispy prosciutto on tempura paper to drain the excess oil, then store them in an air-tight food container where they keep well for more than 2 weeks. Eat the crispy prosciutto on their own as snacks, or crumble them to smaller pieces to be sprinkled over salads, soups & pasta.

Cooking Note(s):

1. My air fryer (a Ninja MAX XL) has a 20 cm round crisper plate. It can sit 2 slices of prosciutto spread out, or 3-4 slices partially folded.
2. Should you make a third level of prosciutto, it is highly recommended to take out the third level prosciutto 2 minutes early, as they are very near to the heating coils directly overhead. You can add on more time if needed, but you can’t risk burning them.
3. If you are sprinkling the crispy prosciutto over soups, make your soup slightly less salty as the prosciutto will add saltiness to the soup.

Ingredients Used: prosciutto