My candied bacon recipe combines salty bacon with sweet caramelized brown sugar and a little bit of spice and heat for the perfect addition to your Sunday brunch! You can also crumble them and add them to cookies, cupcakes or donuts.
Preheat oven to 400° F. Line one rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven-safe wire rack on top of the foil. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper, and set both aside.
In a shallow bowl (like a pasta bowl), whisk to combine light brown sugar, cinnamon and any other spices you might be including. If needed, break apart any clumps with your fingers.
Take each strip of bacon and press it into the brown sugar mixture, making sure to coat the entire strip on both sides. Place each coated bacon strip on the wire rack of your foil-lined baking sheet. Top with any remaining sugar, if desired.Note: You'll likely fit about 6 slices on the baking sheet, so if you're making 12 strips of bacon you'll do this in two rounds of baking.
Bake for 20 minutes until dark brown, firm and crisp. You may need additional time, as thicker slices will need longer to cook through.
When done baking, immediately use tongs to transfer each slice to your parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely.
Air fryer method
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
In a shallow bowl (like a pasta bowl), whisk to combine light brown sugar, cinnamon and any other spices you might be including. If needed, break apart any clumps with your fingers.
Take each strip of bacon and press it into the brown sugar mixture, making sure to coat the entire strip on both sides.
Arrange your slices of bacon in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer and how many slices you’re making, you may need to do this in multiple rounds. You can also cut each bacon slice with kitchen shears in half to make smaller strips.
Cook at 400°F for around 15 minutes until dark brown, firm and crisp.
When done cooking, carefully use tongs to transfer each slice to your parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Note: I like to use two overlapping sheets of aluminum foil on a rimmed baking sheet for cooking the bacon to ensure the grease doesn't spill out.Variation: Use a pastry brush to coat each slice with maple syrup before adding the brown sugar coating to make candied maple bacon.Bacon thickness: Thick-cut bacon slices will result in a more chewy result with crispy edges, while thinner slices will be more uniformly crisp (and better for crumbling). Both are delicious - it's just a matter of your preference.
Storage: Once the cooked bacon is room temperature, you can store it in an airtight container between pieces of parchment or wax paper in the refrigerator for up to 1 week - though mine has always been gobbled up long before then!
Reheating: You can reheat candied bacon in the microwave or in the oven. In the microwave, place the bacon on a microwave-safe plate and heat for up to 60 seconds (40 is usually good for me). In the oven, place the bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet and heat on the broil setting for 2 minutes. Reheat in an air fryer at 400°F like you did when you first made them, but only for 2-3 minutes.