How to Make Candied Bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with one rack in the top third and another rack in the bottom third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with foil, and place an oven-safe wire rack on each. Lay out the bacon strips perpendicular to the lines on the wire rack, divided between the two pans and making sure they don’t overlap. Sprinkle the bacon strips with brown sugar and add some freshly ground black pepper. I like to use about 1 teaspoon of brown sugar per bacon strip, spreading it out along the length of the strip.

Bake the bacon in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. I recommend rotating the pans once during baking to ensure the bacon is cooking evenly. Start checking the bacon around 18 minutes, as some slices will cook faster, depending on the fat content and thickness of the slices. The bacon is done when the brown sugar is melted and the bacon is a deep brown color. Remember that the bacon will continue to crisp up as it cools, so don’t worry if it’s not completely crispy now.

Let the bacon cool right on the wire rack for a few minutes. The bacon will crisp up as it cools and as the melted sugar hardens.

Candied bacon can be kept in the fridge for a few days and reheats well in a skillet over low heat. I don’t think candied bacon is worth freezing, although if you made a huge batch you absolutely could. You could just want to make sure to freeze the strips individually so they didn’t stick together.