Candied Bacon

Candied bacon comes together in a flash with a few pantry staples. It has the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavor, with a touch of heat from cayenne pepper.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Cool Time 10

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 316kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Large baking sheet
Foil
Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

1 pound thick-cut bacon (450g)
¾ cup light brown sugar (165g)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange the bacon slices close together, but not overlapping, on the rack.
Combine the sugar, black pepper, and cayenne, if using, in a small bowl. Lightly pat the sugar mixture on top of the bacon slices to create an even coating.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even cooking, or until the bacon is bubbly and caramelized. (The exact bake time will depend on how thick the bacon is.).
Let the bacon cool on the rack for 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to parchment paper. Let cool completely before serving.( The bacon will crisp up as it cools.) Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.

Notes

Use thick-cut bacon. Thicker slices of bacon are more chewy, which works well with the crisp candy coating. They also have a stronger savory flavor, so the bacon candy doesn’t turn out to be overly sweet.
Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. This recipe can make a mess under the wire rack, and lining the baking sheet with foil eliminates it! No need to scrub sticky brown sugar off the baking sheet.
Place the bacon on an oven-safe wire rack, not directly on the baking sheet. Having air circulate under the bacon helps it cook evenly to crispy perfection and lets the rendered fat drip off the bacon strips.
Add red pepper flakes. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes in the brown sugar mixture turns this into a spicy candied bacon recipe!
Liberally and evenly coat the bacon with the sugar mixture. The bacon needs an even coating of the sugar and other spices to get good caramelization on each strip.
Watch the bacon while it’s in the oven. Cook time will ultimately depend on the thickness of your bacon. Once the bacon is bubbly and the brown sugar has caramelized, it is ready. This usually takes about 30 to 35 minutes at 375°F.
Let the bacon cool. It will not be crisp right out of the oven. But it will crisp up as the sugar hardens while it cools.

Nutrition

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