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    Home » Recipes » Seasonal Recipes » Candied Bacon

    Candied Bacon

    Published: Apr 6, 2023 Modified: Apr 20, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    It’s called Million Dollar Bacon for a reason! My Candied Bacon recipe is sweet and salty, with a kick of heat. Crispy, thick-cut bacon caramelized with a little bit of spice is a perfect pairing for brunch, topping avocado toast, or even as a holiday food gift!

    The best part, it is ready in the oven in under an hour, or in the air fryer in 8 minutes.

    A container of candied bacon ready to enjoy
    Jump to:
    • Candied Bacon Recipe
    • Candy Bacon Recipe Ingredients
    • How to Make Candied Bacon
    • Million Dollar Bacon in the Air Fryer
    • Candy Bacon Recipe Tips
    • Candied Bacon FAQs
    • Millionaire Bacon Equipment
    • What to Serve with Candy Bacon
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Candied Bacon Recipe

    If you haven’t heard about it already, you might be wondering what the buzz is about the so-called Millionaire Bacon. We’re here to tell you it’s worthy of that buzz!

    If you haven’t tried candied bacon yet, let me tell you, you are going to love it. It is rich in flavor and crave-worthy. I first gave it a try at my local First Watch and had to make it myself.

    Like the First Watch Million Dollar Bacon recipe, mine is sticky-sweet with a kick of heat. It’s a perfect addition to breakfast, brunch, or even an appetizer for a holiday meal.

    I served this with pumpkin bread with maple glaze icing. Thought it would be nice contrast. I was right! Everyone who tried it absolutely loved it! Thank you for a great recipe!

    Laurie on Pinterest
    four strips of candied bacon on a plate with two eggs

    Candy Bacon Recipe Ingredients

    • thick-cut bacon
    • brown sugar
    • cracked black pepper
    • cayenne pepper
    • crushed red pepper flakes
    ingredients for candied bacon on a table - thick-cut bacon, and a bowl of brown sugar, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and red pepper flakes mixed together

    How to Make Candied Bacon

    1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet pan with a silicone liner, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.
    2. Lay thick-cut slices onto the tray 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.
    3. Add brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes to a small bowl. Stir to combine.
    4. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the slices. Use your hands to pat the sugar down, making sure to cover it all.
    5. 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!
    cooked candied bacon on a lined sheet pan

    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!

    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

    Million Dollar Bacon in the Air Fryer

    1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pepper, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
      Candied bacon mix in a bowl
    3. Sprinkle mixture all over bacon and pat down.
      Patting candied bacon mixture onto bacon
    4. 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.
      Placing candied bacon on air fryer tray
      Placing candied bacon in air fryer
    5. Serve and enjoy!
    air fryer candied bacon on a plate with two eggs

    Candy Bacon Recipe Tips

    • 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 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!

    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.

    Candied bacon in a jar in front of starbucks pumpkin bread slices

    Candied Bacon FAQs

    What is Candied Bacon?

    Also called Millionaire’s Bacon or Million Dollar Bacon, or Pig Candy, candied bacon is made by coating slices of bacon in something sweet such as brown sugar before baking until caramelized. It’s a fantastic combination of flavors!

    How do you reheat candied bacon?

    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!

    Can this be made ahead of time?

    Make your million-dollar bacon recipe up to 4 days ahead of time. It is perfect for gifting and reusing in recipes.

    How to store candied bacon?

    Store it in an air-tight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can make it ahead of time, then have it ready to go 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!

    Candied bacon in a metal cup
    Candied Bacon

    This is like candy – we love it! I use a thick sliced pepper bacon and it is so good!

    Heather

    Millionaire Bacon Equipment

    It does not take much at all to make our glazed candied bacon recipe. You will need:

    • A baking sheet
    • Silicone liner, parchment paper, or aluminum foil
    • Cooling rack
    • Optional, but recommended: wire rack for baking sheet

    This is a baked bacon recipe or an air fryer candied bacon recipe – it’s great either way!

    After you bake it, let it cool on a rack to allow the sugar to caramelize and harden for that perfect, crispy, candied texture.

    What to Serve with Candy Bacon

    • Breakfast Casserole
    • Starbucks Egg Bites
    • Banana Bread Waffles
    • Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
    • Breakfast Potatoes
    package of bacon with completed candied bacon in a jar and Christmas box

    Made this for a Christmas party, huge hit. I used the thick bacon and did bake it on a rack.

    Kathryn

    📋 Recipe

    A container of candied bacon ready to enjoy

    Candied Bacon Recipe

    Isabel Laessig
    This Candied Bacon Recipe features crispy, caramelized strips of bacon with a hint of heat and is perfect for your next breakfast or brunch menu!
    4.74 from 175 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Resting Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast and Brunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 293 kcal

    Equipment

    • Baking sheet
    • Aluminum foil, silicone liner, or parchment paper

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound thick-cut bacon
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ½ tsp. cracked black pepper
    • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
    • ½ Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    Candied Bacon in the Oven

    • 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.
      ½ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp. cracked black pepper, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, ½ Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
      ingredients for candied bacon on a table - thick-cut bacon, and a bowl of brown sugar, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and red pepper flakes
    • 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
      fully coat the candied bacon with the ingredients
    • 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 full 40.
      Carefully transfer the bacon from the baking sheet pan to a cooling rack and let cool for another 10 minutes.
      cooked candied bacon on a lined sheet pan

    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.
      Candied bacon mix in a bowl
    • Sprinkle mixture all over bacon and pat down.
      Patting candied bacon mixture onto bacon
    • 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.
      Placing candied bacon in air fryer
    • Serve and enjoy!
      four strips of candied bacon on a plate with two eggs

    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. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 7gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 394mgPotassium: 149mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 359IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword candied bacon, candied bacon recipe, candy bacon, million dollar bacon, millionaire bacon
    Did you try this recipe?Tag #SundaySupper on social and leave a comment below!
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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

    » About Me

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emily Liao says

      December 19, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      Candied bacon is my favorite! Might just have to whip up this delicious recipe for the holidays 🙂

      Reply
      • Isabel Laessig says

        December 21, 2019 at 10:31 am

        This is the easiest recipe and it is just amazing. Let us know if you try it.

        Reply
    2. Anita says

      December 19, 2019 at 2:37 pm

      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. 🙂

      Reply
      • Isabel Laessig says

        December 21, 2019 at 10:32 am

        It really is outrageously delicious! Let us know how you like it.

        Reply
    3. Jen says

      December 19, 2019 at 2:46 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Isabel Laessig says

        December 21, 2019 at 10:33 am

        Easiest clean up ever if you line the pan with parchment paper! That is the best part about this recipe – literally mess free!

        Reply
      • Brenda Tarr says

        August 14, 2021 at 5:34 pm

        I appreciate this recipe very much! I don’t own a rack, and being able to create candied bacon without one seemed impossible, until I found this recipe.

        It took three tried until it turned out perfectly. The first batch, baked at 375, burned. The second batch, baked at 350, stuck. The third batch baked at 350, was turned at the 15, 30, and ,40-minute mark and came out perfectly.

        Reply
    4. Heidy L. McCallum says

      December 19, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      Wow is all I can say! This bacon was super yummy and flavorful. I will be making this again soon. Bookmarking.

      Reply
      • Isabel Laessig says

        December 21, 2019 at 10:34 am

        So glad you enjoyed it Heidi. Thank you for the feedbck.

        Reply
    5. Katherine says

      December 19, 2019 at 3:14 pm

      Oh wow – this is next level bacon! Perfect for a Christmas morning treat.

      Reply
      • Isabel Laessig says

        December 21, 2019 at 10:34 am

        Absolutely! So good with an egg casserole.

        Reply
    6. Dave says

      November 25, 2020 at 1:53 pm

      One question, by you coat both sides of the bacon with the mixture or just the top.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 25, 2020 at 4:11 pm

        Hi Dave! Fully coat the slices, so both sides. Please enjoy – this is one of our favorite recipes!

        Reply
    7. Bobbi Musel says

      May 08, 2021 at 6:10 pm

      Perfection!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        May 11, 2021 at 10:40 am

        Thanks so much, Bobbi!

        Reply
    8. Mary Harris says

      May 09, 2021 at 9:44 am

      Can I use 2 thinner slices, & leave 2 pieces together?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        May 11, 2021 at 11:32 am

        Hi Mary! Thank you for your question! You can use thinner slices, but we would still recommend laying them out one piece at a time. You will have to reduce the bake time to compensate for thinner bacon.

        Reply
    9. Thomasina Yates Leatch says

      December 06, 2021 at 11:00 am

      Can I use turkey bacon as well?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        December 06, 2021 at 12:24 pm

        Hi Thomasina! Absolutely! No need to change any part of the directions. However, I would make sure the turkey bacon reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer. Thank you!

        Reply
    10. David says

      March 30, 2022 at 4:04 pm

      Does this freeze ok?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        April 11, 2022 at 4:57 pm

        Hi David! I wouldn’t recommend freezing candied bacon. It does not freeze well, and ideally should be enjoyed the day you make it. Thank you for your question!

        Reply
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