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Sweet, salty, and spicy? My candied bacon recipe hits every craving! It's easy, quick, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Make it in the oven or air fryer and serve it on brunch, or wrap it up as a sweet holiday gift. It's called millionaire's bacon for a reason!
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Need a simple crowd-pleaser for breakfast or brunch? Try my Million Dollar Bacon! This candied bacon recipe is sweet, salty, and a little spicy.
It's perfect for family weekend brunches, as a crumbly topping for dinners like shrimp bisque, or even as a gift for the holidays. (Hint: it's a real winner on Father's Day!)
Use thick-cut bacon, coat it in my special seasoning for candied bacon, and bake it in the oven or air fryer. You'll have crispy, flavorful strips of candied bacon in no time!
Ingredients for Candied Bacon
| Ingredient | Notes & Substitutions |
|---|---|
| Thick-Cut Bacon | It is very important you use thick-cut bacon for this recipe, and not thin-cut. Thin-cut bacon will burn too quickly for candied bacon. Please also keep in mind that bacon is not always cut evenly, even in the same package. If a piece of bacon is too thin, it may burn. |
| Brown Sugar | You can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for this recipe. I wouldn't recommend using any other kind! |
| Black Pepper | I like to use freshly cracked black pepper for this recipe, but you can use pre-ground. |
| Cayenne and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes | This is where all of the heat in the bacon comes from, to contrast the sweetness. It's amazing! If you don't want any spice, you can leave it out, but I recommend giving it a try for the contrast it offers to the sweetness. |
FAQ
Reheat glazed bacon by microwaving it for about 10 to 15 seconds at a time. Place paper towels in between to get rid of any grease. Be careful - it heats up quickly and gets very hot!
Make your million-dollar bacon recipe up to 4 days ahead of time. It is perfect for gifting and reusing in recipes.
Store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can make it ahead of time and have it ready for an easy weekend breakfast appetizer! Or, you can store the leftovers and repurpose them by making a salad for lunch. There are so many ways to enjoy leftover bacon!
How to Make Candied Bacon in the Oven
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet pan with a silicone liner, parchment paper, or aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
- Lay thick-cut slices onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer until the sheet pan is full. Try to avoid overlapping slices if you don't have to. If you have an oven-safe wire rack, elevate the slices over the sheet pan - this helps circulate heat.
- Add brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes to a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the slices. Use your hands to pat the sugar down, making sure to cover it all.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until brown and crispy, up to 40 minutes. Once done baking, remove the sheet pan from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes to allow the caramelized sugar to harden. Serve, and enjoy!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, you must try my pork belly burnt ends! They are amazing.
Top Reviews
Have made this for Brunch and most recently Thanksgiving gathering. I'm always asked to "bring the candied bacon". Always HIT APPETIZER!! - Gayle
Tried it…loved it! - Rae
Made this birthday treat for a member of my deployed crew. It paired nicely with a rich double fudge mini layer cake with chocolate frosting. He gave it 😍😍😍😍 for the WIN! - Beverly
Made this for a Christmas party, huge hit. I used the thick bacon and did bake it on a rack. - Kathryn
See them all here→ or keep scrolling to the comments section below!
Air Fryer Instructions
My family is obsessed with this candied bacon recipe. They ask me to make it constantly, so often that I even came up with an air fryer bacon version to save some time! Note: Do not use parchment paper in the air fryer for this recipe. It will burn.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
- Place the bacon on a single layer, sprinkle the brown sugar mixture all over the bacon, and pat down.
- Spray the air fryer with olive oil, then add bacon and fry for 8 minutes, checking halfway through at 4 minutes to see if any of the bacon needs any rearranging to crisp up.
- Serve and enjoy!
Isabel's Tips for Making Candied Bacon
- Make sure to completely coat the strips with the sugar mixture to get the most texture and flavor out of it. Don't leave any spot uncovered!
- To avoid unnecessary cleanup, line your sheet pan with parchment paper, or a silicone liner. Trust me, you don't want to candy bacon directly on the sheet pan (it's a pain to clean!).
- Give the slices some breathing room. Don't overlap the slices too much, or they'll stick together.
- Elevating the slices over the sheet pan using a wire rack will allow air to circulate more evenly, so you'll have beautiful, crisp slices. This is the best way to cook bacon in the oven - trust me!
- All ovens are different. Candied bacon isn't a recipe you should step away from! If your oven runs hotter than mine, it could burn the bacon before the cook time is up. Keep an eye on it and check on it early to be certain it isn't burning.
TOP TIP—Let it cool before you eat it! It will be tempting because of how amazing it's going to smell and look, but trust me, let it cool first. This will allow the glaze to finish setting for that perfect candied texture. It takes about 10-15 minutes to harden.
How to Store Candied Bacon
- Cooling: Let the candied bacon cool completely after cooking.
- Storage: Place the cooled candied bacon in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.
- Refrigeration: Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating
When ready to eat, reheat individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds until warm or crisp, or briefly in the oven at 350°F (175°C) on a baking sheet.
What Bacon to Use for Candied Bacon
The type of bacon you choose for making this bacon candy recipe can vary based on personal preference, but I prefer regular, thick-cut bacon. Here are a few reasons why I recommend using thick-cut bacon.
- Texture: Thick-cut bacon tends to have a meatier and chewier texture than thinner bacon varieties. This texture pairs well with the sweet and crunchy candied coating.
- Flavor: Thick-cut bacon provides a robust and savory flavor that balances nicely with the sweetness of the candied coating.
- Sturdiness: Thick-cut bacon is less likely to become overly crispy or crumble when coated with the sugary glaze, making it easier to handle and enjoy.
- Caramelization: The thickness of the bacon allows for better caramelization of the sweet coating, resulting in a delicious combination of sweet and savory flavors.
What to Serve with Candied Bacon
Bacon Recipes
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders
- Bacon in the Air Fryer
- Split Pea Soup with Bacon
- Loaded Baked Potatoes Wrapped in Bacon
Candied Bacon Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Silicone liner or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Candied Bacon in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet pan with a silicone liner, parchment paper or foil. Lay the uncooked bacon sliced onto the pan.½ cup brown sugar,½ teaspoon cracked black pepper,¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper,½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the bacon slices, fully coating all of the slices. Using your hands, gently pat the sugar down onto the slices of bacon.1 pound thick-cut bacon
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Check at 30 minutes and if it isn't as crisp as you'd like, put it back in for the remaining 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the bacon from the baking sheet pan to a cooling rack and let cool for another 10 minutes.
Air Fryer Candied Bacon
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
- Sprinkle mixture all over bacon and pat down.
- Spray air fryer with olive oil, then add bacon and fry for 8 minutes, checking halfway through at 4 minutes to see if any of the bacon needs any rearranging to crisp up.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Always use thick-cut bacon in this recipe.
- Depending on the size of your baking sheet pan and the number of bacon slices in the package, you may need to use two sheet pans.
- Be sure to let the slices fully cool, this will allow the caramelized sugar to harden.
- All ovens are different. If your oven runs hotter than mine, you will want to check on the bacon early to ensure it isn't burning, and you may need to adjust the temperature or timing.
Gayle Baker says
Have made this for Brunch and most recently Thanksgiving gathering. I'm always asked to "bring the candied bacon". Always HIT APPITIZER!!
Isabel Laessig says
So glad everyone enjoyed it, Gayle! Thank you!
Rae says
Tried it…loved it!
Isabel says
This is wonderful to hear, Rae! Thank you!