The Right Way To Make Candied Bacon For The Best Flavor And Crunch

Crispy, sweet, salty — candied bacon checks so many boxes. Whether you're whipping a batch up to take up valuable real estate on a charcuterie board that'll wow guests at a party or you're making candied bacon simply to enjoy on your own, you'll want to make sure you've got your technique down to create one crispy, flavorful bite after another. 

To get started, you'll make a sweet and flavorful paste with brown sugar, maple syrup, and some apple cider vinegar for a bit of acidity to balance out the sweetness. If you want to ramp up the heat, this is also the time to add a bit of spice or seasoning (more on that in just a moment). Once you've mixed your ingredients together, pour them over your bacon in a container. Take your time to make sure you're fully covering all sides of each slice to maximize flavor. Lay your bacon out on a parchment-covered baking sheet, pop it in the oven until it's crispy (it's the easiest way to cook bacon, candied or otherwise), and you're good to go. 

Now that you've got the basics down, let's take a look at how you can make your candied bacon spicy or super crispy — or both, if you're an overachiever.

Once you've mastered how to create candied bacon at home, it's time to customize your recipe to perfectly suit your tastes. If you like your candied bacon with a kick of heat, then open up your spice cabinet. Adding a heavy dusting of black pepper can add some spiciness, and coating bacon in brown sugar and chili flakes adds a ton of flavor. To that, you can also add a scoop of chili crisp, a chili oil that's tough to go without once you've tried it. Alternatively, you can sprinkle some on top of your candied bacon after it's done cooking to add a punch of heat — you'll need to keep some napkins on standby, but it's totally worth it.

If you like your bacon on the crispy side (I'm with you), don't make the rookie mistake of using thin slices for candied bacon. There's a good chance they'll burn before the sugar has the chance to create a caramelized coating. Instead, you'll want to use thick-cut bacon and make sure the air in your oven can completely circulate around each piece. Place each strip of sugar-covered bacon onto a rack that's positioned over a baking sheet, then transfer everything into the oven. Each slice of bacon will be enveloped in heat, allowing rendered fat to drip down onto the baking sheet below as each strip crisps up to perfection on the upper rack.