It’s called Millionaire Bacon for a reason! Our million dollar candied bacon recipe is sweet and salty, with a little kick of heat. Crispy thick-cut bacon caramelized with a little spice is the perfect pairing for brunch, a charcuterie board, or even as a holiday food gift!
This glazed bacon deserves to be called “million-dollar bacon”! Your Sunday brunch recipes and breakfast for dinner ideas are about to get elevated to a whole new level!
This post is sponsored by Perdue Farms, all opinions are my own.
I first had the chance to try candied bacon, also known as Millionaire’s bacon, at a local First Watch. It was magical! Candied bacon is crispy, caramelized bacon with a punch of heat, making it a perfect brunch idea
Enjoying the bacon at First Watch got me thinking about all of the ways I could incorporate this delicious and easy appetizer recipe into my life as much as possible.
Brunch, a holiday breakfast, a charcuterie board… there are so many options! Let’s dive into how to make millionaire’s bacon.
What is Millionaire Bacon?
Millionaire bacon, or Millionaire’s bacon, is a popular side dish using pig bacon that gained its popularity in San Francisco. Hoyul Steven Choi, co-owner of the San Francisco restaurant Sweet Maple, trademarked the name, and its popularity has grown in restaurants across the country.
So, Millionaire bacon is basically just another name for candied bacon! And boy, does it earn that name. This bacon is rich in flavor and, frankly, addictive.
You will want to find every reason to make it as much as possible!
What kind of bacon is best for Millionaire Bacon?
You want to use bacon slices that are sturdy enough to handle the sugar on it. I love using COLEMAN NATURAL® Uncured Hickory Smoked Bacon without any nitrates or antibiotics. This all-natural bacon is delicious!
I really enjoy feeding my family this bacon because it is sourced from farms that believe in a crate-free environment, feed animals an all-vegetarian diet and never ever use added growth promotants, hormones or antibiotics.
This delicious, no-antibiotics-ever, uncured fresh pork bacon is all-natural with no added nitrates or nitrites and smoked with hickory wood for that classic sizzling bacon flavor.
Where to Buy the Best Bacon
You can stock up on delicious, all-natural Hickory Smoked Bacon and more – like chicken, beef, and pork chops – at Perdue Farms’ new direct-to-consumer website!
Perdue Farms is more than just the chicken you know and love. They have a full line of top-of-the-line premium protein products and brands, including the COLEMAN NATURAL® bacon used in this recipe.
What I love most about Perdue Farms’ brands is not only the diversity of their product, but that they are the #1 supplier in the U.S. for organic chicken, and are a leader in premium, antibiotic-free, non-GMO, and certified humane brands.
Perdue Farms really cares about the quality of the product they’re putting out, and you can taste it in every bite!
They work directly with small family farmers, and now aim to bring their brands directly to your door! What could be better than your favorite brands delivered right to you?
Candied Bacon Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
One of the best parts about making this candied glazed bacon is that it requires very few, very simple ingredients.
How to Make Candied Bacon
This candied bacon recipe requires you to cook the bacon in the oven. Cooking bacon in the oven is quite easy in addition to being less messy! If you ask me, it’s the best way to cook bacon.
Millionaire bacon recipe:
- First, preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Next, line a baking sheet pan with a silicone liner, parchment paper, or foil. You want to avoid having the bacon stick to the sheet pan.
- Lay the slices of bacon onto the tray until the sheet pan is full. Depending on how many slices of bacon you have and the size of your sheet pan, you may need to use two pans. See below for tips on cooking bacon in the oven.
- Add the brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the bacon slices and use your hands to pat the sugar down onto the bacon, making sure you cover all of the bacon.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until brown and crispy.
- Remove sheet pan from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then, carefully transfer the bacon slices to a cooling rack and let them cool for another 10-15 minutes. This will allow the caramelized sugar to harden.
- Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for up to four days.
Recipe Tips for Cooking Bacon in the Oven
If you want to make the best-candied bacon, we recommend the following tips for cooking bacon in the oven:
- The best texture & flavor: Completely coat your bacon with the candying mixture to get the most flavor and texture out of your candied bacon.
- Easy clean up: To avoid any unnecessary mess from candying bacon, line your sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Give Bacon some room: Make sure not to overlap the bacon too much or the bacon pieces will stick together.
- Elevate while cooking: Place the bacon on an oven-safe wire rack over the bacon sheet to allow air to circulate. By doing this, your candied bacon will come out even crispier!
And, last but not least, be sure to follow our step on allowing the bacon to cool before you eat it. This ensures the glaze finishes setting, and the bacon will be much more enjoyable once it’s done the cooling. Trust us!
How to Store Candied Bacon
We recommend storing candied bacon in an air-tight container for up to four days in the refrigerator. This means you can easily make this candied bacon recipe ahead of time and have it ready to go for an easy weekend breakfast appetizer!
Or, you can store leftovers and repurpose the candied bacon with a salad for lunch later in the week, or crumbled over a baked sweet potato. There are so many ways you can use your leftover candied bacon!
Can you make Millionaire’s Bacon ahead of time?
Our candied bacon recipe is the perfect make-ahead addition to any meal. Make it ahead of time, store it, and serve for your own meals or at a party. It is the perfect party appetizer.
How to Reheat Candied Bacon
You can reheat the bacon by microwaving it in short intervals (about 10 to 15 seconds). Using paper towels in between to get some of the greases.
Be careful as the candied part of the bacon will get very hot quickly.
What to Serve with Million Dollar Bacon
The possibilities for incorporating candied bacon really are endless. Tasty glazed bacon goes with just about everything, after all!
Below are a few breakfast and brunch ideas that we think would go great with Millionaire bacon. Imagine topping a Bloody Mary with candied bacon – YUM!
- Starbucks Egg Bites
- Holiday Charcuterie Board
- Blueberry French Toast Bake
- Fluffy Pancake Recipe (Japanese Soufflé Pancakes)
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole with Crescent Rolls
Candied bacon goes well with dinner, too! We love pairing it with our easiest dinners, like:
- Picanha Steak
- Bacon Macaroni and Cheese (replace bacon with candied bacon!)
- Mushroom Swiss Burger
- Poached Egg Burger with Caramelized Onions
You can also try making your very own bacon jam recipe using Millionaire’s bacon. We bet it would be delicious!
Holiday Food Gifts
Candied bacon makes an excellent holiday food gift, too. Pack it into a festively decorated jar and hand them out for the holidays! Everyone loves a tasty treat like this for a gift.
📌 Pin our Candied Bacon Recipe to save for later!
And try more Easy Christmas Dinner Ideas!
Whether you’re looking for a new breakfast side dish, brunch recipe, or a way to put a twist on your favorite dinner to wow your guests, this candied bacon recipe will not disappoint!
The flavor combination of the caramelized sugar with the element of heat is a foodie dream come true. This is our absolute favorite bacon recipe!
Did you try our candied bacon recipe? Leave us a comment and a rating below! We love to hear from you.
Candied Bacon Recipe
🥘 Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet pan with a silicone liner, parchment paper or foil. Lay the uncooked bacon sliced onto the pan.
- 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, fulling coating all of the slices. Using your hands, gently pat the sugar down onto the slices of bacon.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the bacon from the baking sheet pan to a cooling rack and let cool for another 10 minutes.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Emily Liao says
Candied bacon is my favorite! Might just have to whip up this delicious recipe for the holidays 🙂
Isabel Laessig says
This is the easiest recipe and it is just amazing. Let us know if you try it.
Anita says
Oh my, be still my heart! These bacon look outrageously delicious! They remind me of Chinese pork jerky, except this is way easier to bake. I’ll be needing these in my life ASAP. 🙂
Isabel Laessig says
It really is outrageously delicious! Let us know how you like it.
Jen says
Love that you can make this in the oven! Worst part of bacon is the clean up. My boys are going to go crazy for this!
Isabel Laessig says
Easiest clean up ever if you line the pan with parchment paper! That is the best part about this recipe – literally mess free!
Heidy L. McCallum says
Wow is all I can say! This bacon was super yummy and flavorful. I will be making this again soon. Bookmarking.
Isabel Laessig says
So glad you enjoyed it Heidi. Thank you for the feedbck.
Katherine says
Oh wow – this is next level bacon! Perfect for a Christmas morning treat.
Isabel Laessig says
Absolutely! So good with an egg casserole.