Candied Bacon Candied Bacon (aka pig candy)

Below is a recipe that I have adapted over time and think this will give you a result your family and friends will rave about. It is the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and a little spice. You can serve this as an appetizer or as an accouterment.

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

cool 5

Total Time 35

Course Appetizer, Condiment

Cuisine American, Southern

Servings

Calories 275 kcal

Equipment

2 Cookie Sheets
2 Cooling Racks
1 Tongs
1 Rectangle Shaped Bowl For dipping the bacon
Parchment Paper
Aluminum Foil

Ingredients

1 lb Thick-Sliced Bacon I prefer applewood smoked
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2.5 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbs Black Pepper Course
1.5 Tsp Cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Gather your ingredients
Set the oven racks to the middle of the oven as cooking too low or too high will not yield the desired result.
Prepare the cookie sheet by placing the parchment in the bottom, with a small layer of aluminum foil over the parchment, then place the cooling rack directly on top of it. If you are making the full pound you will need a second pan also set up and or plan your time to make these in batches.
Decide if you are serving whole strips or if you are serving a half or quarter strip. (For a tall drink you will need a full strip, but for a bite as an appetizer, a full strip may be a bit much.) Cut the raw bacon to the size needed.
In a large bowl combine the brown sugar, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and black pepper
Add a few slices at a time and coat well with the sugar mixture
Lay the coated slices out on the cooling rack, do not crowd them, give them room to brown and crisp up properly.
Place in the oven and check after 10 minutes to see if they are ready to flip, if not give them 3-5 more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven do not try to flip in the oven or you will have a mess.
If you see any bare spots you could carefully spoon a tiny bit of the mixture on top of the flipped bacon or you could sprinkle some of the ground black pepper for a spicier taste and a more textured effect.
Place them back in the oven for 15- 20 minutes more, until browned. Do not let them overcook. They will harden when cooling. Below are some pictures of the placement of my bacon on the various rack and differing amounts of time. The bottom rack burnt the sugars on the bacon at 30 minutes, however the top rack at the same time with the lower quality bacon cooked just fine. In the second test with better quality bacon, the top rack seemed slightly under cooked. That is why the middle rack is perfect.
Remove from the rack after 5 minutes and let cool on a plate for approximately 10 minutes before handling

Video

Notes

Picture this bacon crumbled sitting on top of a wheel of warm brie cheese.

I like to make the candied bacon an option for my brunch guests on the Bloody Mary bar.

It makes a great accompaniment to a Bourbon cocktail or even adds just a little extra something in a glass of apple cider. Speaking of apple cider and bourbon, I used a quarter of a slice of this candied bacon on top of my Halloween Apple Cider Bourbon Jello Shots. That sure did make the adults trick or treating happy this year.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1004mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 226IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 0.4mg

Keyword Spicy, Sweet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Tried this recipe? Click on the Stars at the top of the recipe