How A Dash Of Soy Sauce And Honey Makes Bacon Even Better

On its own, bacon has a salty, savory flavor that's perfect for a brunch BLT or a breakfast bacon, egg, and cheese. But thanks to that flavor, it contrasts nicely with a little acidity and sweetness. To bring even more life to classic crispy bacon, enhance it with each of those flavor profiles by brushing some soy sauce and honey over it before it cooks. Between the richness, sweetness, and acidity, the glaze gives the bacon an epic flavor combo that seriously upgrades the meat. The best way to do this is to combine the soy sauce and honey into one sauce, then heat them in a pan while whisking, so the two ingredients can fully combine.

While it's common to cook bacon on the stove or on a griddle, for glazed bacon, it's actually best to cook the bacon in the oven on a wire rack over a sheet pan. This way, the fat will drip off of the bacon as it cooks, helping it crisp. Then, when it's time to apply the honey soy glaze, it sticks to the bacon rather than running off with the fat the way it would in a pan or griddle. You can also just arrange the bacon right on a sheet pan, but make sure you drain any excess fat before applying the glaze, clearing the pan of liquid. And, most importantly, don't apply the glaze too soon.

For the best result, brush the honey soy mixture onto individual bacon pieces with a silicone brush just before they finish cooking. The bacon should only need about five to seven more minutes in the oven by the time you add the glaze. This part is important — you want the sugars in the honey have a chance to caramelize, but leaving them for too long on high heat could result in the sugars burning, giving the meat an unappealing, bitter flavor. Since bacon needs a high temperature to crisp up — around 425 degrees Fahrenheit — you only want to expose the sugars in the honey to this heat for a short time.

If you want an even sweeter glaze, add a little brown sugar to the honey and soy sauce mixture. The brown sugar will caramelize similarly to the honey, giving the bacon an even richer flavor thanks to the molasses in the sugar. For more of a bite, add some garlic to create a garlic honey glaze (this is also tasty on salmon). Or, add in a fourth flavor altogether: spice. Use hot honey instead of regular, or add in just a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to give a nice balance of heat.