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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.
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Candy Bacon
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 candy 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
Candy Bacon Recipe Ingredients
- 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!
How to Make Candied Bacon
- 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.
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
Air Fryer Instructions
- 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!
Millionaire 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.
Isabel's Top Tip
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.
What is Candied Bacon?
Also called Millionaire's Bacon and 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!
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 Store Glazed 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.
This is like candy - we love it! I use a thick sliced pepper bacon and it is so good!
Heather
What Bacon to Use
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 Glazed Bacon
Made this for a Christmas party, huge hit. I used the thick bacon and did bake it on a rack.
Kathryn
Candied Bacon Recipe
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.
Kelvin says
The taste is great and the general procedure works, but if you try cooking it at 375 for half an hour it will be burnt to a crisp. Either cut the time or cut the heat if you don't enjoy eating charcoal.
Em Beitel says
Hi Kelvin! We're glad you enjoyed it! This is what works for our oven and we have never had an issue with burnt bacon, but of course, every oven is different. We always advise keeping an eye on it.
Kjelstad says
I really think that it depends on how thick your bacon is too
D. S. says
Who doesn't like bacon. I put steak bacon in my smoker and use Mesquite and smoke it first. Then use a disposable pie pan and mix brown sugar with water and a little molasses, and very lightly spice. Don't want to overpower the taste of the bacon. Steak bacon is about 1/4" thick. I cut the pieces in half, after it's done and refrigerate them. Wrap them in parchment, and it can be frozen. But candied bacon has to be shared with people, because it's an excess of goodness, that is only a treat. Serve at room temperature.
Em Beitel says
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Vikki says
I’m wondering if it would work if you start baking this in a cold oven? …that’s how I normally cook my bacon. Thanks…I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Em Beitel says
Hi Vikki! I honestly have not tried it this way myself, so I can't be sure, but would love to give it a shot or to know how it goes if you try it out. I hope you enjoy it!
Betty says
What a great treat! Sharing with friends coming for lunch. Recipe worked exactly like written and checking @ 30” I gave it another 10”. Addictive 🤣
Em Beitel says
So glad you enjoyed it, Betty! Thank you so much for giving it a try and leaving us a comment!
Shoshanna says
I made two batches of this for my daughter's birthday party. Same oven, same bacon, same time, 3 differently-sized baking sheets. The bacon on the full sheet burned both times, but the ones on the smaller ones came out perfectly. Just thought I would share in case anyone else finds useful.
Em Beitel says
Thanks very much, Shoshanna! We hope everyone enjoyed it!
Laurie says
My sister gave me about 2 pounds of heavily peppered bacon that she didn't like. I googled for some ideas on what to do with it and ran across your recipe! I had all ingredients on hand so I made it last week. YUM!! I left out the pepper from the ingredients as the bacon already had a coating of coarse ground black pepper on it. And, unfortunately, I didn't measure the remaining ones... soooooo, mine was a bit... ok, VERY spicy! LOL But I figure this way, it will slow me down from eating the entire 2 pounds in one day!
This stuff is so addicting!!! I baked mine on parchment paper for about 22 minutes (really, who times stuff like this? I just keep peeking in the oven and deciding how much time to add.)
I let it cool and now have it stored in a 9x13 Tupperware container in the fridge, with parchment paper between layers.
Em Beitel says
This is awesome, Laurie! We're so glad you enjoyed it and found a use for the peppered bacon! It sounds like it turned out absolutely delicious!
Toni says
Would this recipe work for turkey bacon?
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Toni! Absolutely. If you give it a try, let me know. Thank you!
Tina Staton says
I am pretty sure I made this before, and it was fantastic. But just did it and my 30 minutes my bacon was burnt to a crisp! Lowering my oven temp and backing for less time this batch
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Tina! I'm so glad you enjoyed it the last time you made it. I'm not sure why it would have come out burned this time, but I've been advising everyone to check in on the bacon sooner to account for temperature difference between ovens. Thank you!
Rhonda says
Sounds delicious! I would like to make it ahead of time for a bridal shower. Do you have to reheat it or would allowing it to come to room temperature still be good? The shower is not at my house so I will have to take it to the event. Can’t wait to try it!!
Isabel Laessig says
Hi Rhonda! No need to reheat! This bacon is delicious room temp, too. Enjoy, and have a great party!
Shantel says
I made this today and it was AMAZING! Used THICK cut bacon and followed exactly, 30 minutes was perfect for my oven. Will definitely be making again!
Isabel Laessig says
Thank you Shantel! I am so happy you enjoyed it! I love this recipe.