Calling all bacon lovers! Take your regular bacon up a notch with this easy Candied Bacon recipe. This is one of my favorite things to order at restaurants, but it’s so easy and a lot cheaper to make at home! There’s simply nothing quite like the combination of sweet mixed with savory flavors. So when you want to do a little something extra special for breakfast or brunch, give this 3-ingredient candied bacon a try!
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What is Candied Bacon?
To make candied bacon, I coat strips of bacon in brown sugar and a little black pepper and then bake them in the oven until crispy. The sugar melts and mixes with the bacon fat to create a crunchy, caramelized coating that’s perfectly sweet and savory at the same time. You might also know this recipe as pig candy, millionaires bacon, or million dollar bacon. I also use the cooking technique as shown in our oven-baked bacon recipe to ensure the bacon is always crispy and always turns out amazing!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade candied bacon recipe:
- Thick Cut Bacon: I tested this recipe with both regular and thick cut bacon. You can certainly make it with regular sliced bacon; however, the thick sliced bacon holds up a little bit better to the weight of the sugar. I also found it doesn’t burn as easily, and it doesn’t stick as much to the metal wire rack.
- Brown Sugar: To create the candied coating on the bacon. Brown sugar is more than enough to create a delicious caramelized glaze, and I didn’t find it necessary to add any additional ingredients, such as maple syrup. This also keeps the recipe super simple, with only three ingredients!
- Black Pepper: I recommend using freshly cracked black pepper for the best flavor. Wanna add a little more heat? Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper!
Candied Bacon Recipe Tips!
- Don’t turn up the temperature! If the oven temperature is too high, the bacon might burn before the sugar has a chance to caramelize. Stick with 375°F, as I’ve written in the recipe, and you’ll get perfectly crispy and caramelized bacon every time.
- Use a wire rack for the best results. There are two main reasons for this: air circulation and drainage. I always place a wire rack on my baking sheet when making this recipe because it allows the heat to circulate and cook both sides evenly (without flipping the bacon!). And as the slices cook, the fat drips onto the baking sheet, leaving you with crispy and less greasy bacon.
- Line your baking sheet with foil. Any sugar drips WILL harden and stick to your baking sheet, so save yourself the hassle of scrubbing it later and line it with foil for easy cleanup.
- Keep an eye on it towards the end. As with any recipe involving sugar, things can go from perfectly caramelized to burnt very quickly. I check on the bacon around the 20-25-minute mark, and then every few minutes after that until I’m happy with the color and crispiness.
- Spray the wire rack with cooking spray. This will stop the bacon from sticking to the rack!
- Let it cool before serving. The sugar glaze will be very hot and needs time to harden, so resist the urge to eat it right out of the oven! Let the bacon cool for at least 5 minutes before serving to get that perfect crunchy texture.
Serving Suggestions
Candied bacon is a breakfast and brunch treat for me, so I like serving it with scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, or French toast. You can also chop it up and add it to deviled eggs, mix it into salads, and use it to top a breakfast pizza or crockpot mac and cheese. I also love it added to sandwiches, wraps, or burgers! Basically, any dish that could use a little sweet and savory kick will pair well with this recipe.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
This recipe for candied bacon is best served fresh, and it’s really easy to scale down if you don’t need 9 slices of bacon. But if you have any leftovers, let them cool before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. As the fridge is a humid environment, the bacon may become a little sticky, so I’d layer the slices between sheets of parchment paper to avoid them sticking together.
To reheat, pop the bacon in a preheated oven at 350°F for a few minutes. You can also use the microwave at 10-15 second intervals until heated through. Don’t forget to let it cool down a bit before eating—the sugar gets very hot!
Candied Bacon Recipe
Servings 9 slicesIngredients
- 9 slices thick cut bacon ($4.34)
- ½ cup brown sugar ($0.50)
- 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper* ($0.15)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, then place a wire rack on top to hold the bacon above the surface of the baking sheet. Spray the wire rack with just a little bit of cooking spray.
- Lay the strips of bacon across the wire rack so they are close, but not overlapping.
- Divide and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on top of each strip of bacon. Then add the freshly cracked black pepper on top of the bacon strips.
- Bake the bacon in the preheated oven, for 25-30 minutes, or until it has reached your desired level of crispiness. I let mine bake for 30 minutes.
- After baking let the bacon rest for at least 5 minutes so the melted sugar can harden a bit. Then carefully use tongs to remove the strips of bacon from the wire rack to a separate plate. Serve along with your favorite breakfast sides and enjoy!
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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how to make Candied Bacon – step by step photos
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, then place a wire rack on top to hold the bacon above the surface of the baking sheet. Spray the wire rack with just a little bit of cooking spray. Lay 9 strips of bacon across the wire rack so they are close, but not overlapping.
Divide and sprinkle ½ cup brown sugar evenly on top of each strip of bacon.
Then add 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper on top of the bacon strips.
Bake the bacon in the preheated oven, for 25-30 minutes, or until it has reached your desired level of crispiness. I let mine bake for 30 minutes. After baking let the bacon rest for at least 5 minutes so the melted sugar can harden a bit. Then carefully use tongs to remove the strips of bacon from the wire rack to a separate plate. Serve along with your favorite breakfast sides and enjoy!
