Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon

Thick-cut bacon is coated in a delicious mix of brown sugar and spice to create this amazingly tasty Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon. Serve it up as a perfect party pick-up to impress your guests, or alongside waffles or pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch treat.

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Several years ago I had the amazing opportunity to cook with Sister Schubert (yes, of the Parker House roll fame) at her home in Alabama. One of my favorite things she introduced me to was wonderfully sweet-and-smokey candied bacon. Smothered in brown sugar, sprinkled with pecans, and baked to crispy perfection, it was a true bacon delight. I just had to whip up a version at home to share with you here on The Kitchen is My Playground.

This Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon gets its sweetness and spiciness from a layer of brown sugar and chili powder that's sprinkled on part way through baking. A touch of cayenne and black pepper in the mix amp up the spiciness. -- But the heat level can certainly be adjusted to suit your personal taste.

Thick-cut bacon is coated in a delicious mix of brown sugar and spice to create this amazingly tasty Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon.

After layering the brown sugar-spice mixture onto thick-cut bacon slices, Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon also gets a good sprinkling of finely chopped pecans. The pecans can, however, be omitted for a perfectly delicious nut-free version, if you'd like.

Serve up a little platter of Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon as a perfect party pick-up to impress your guests (and their taste buds), for game day snacking, or alongside waffles or pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch bacon treat.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

• It's bacon! - And bacon is always something to love.
• A fun & unique way to enjoy bacon - Loading bacon with spicy brown sugar and baking it until crisp is certainly a fun and unique way to enjoy your bacon.
• Fabulous flavor - Brown sugar, chili powder, cayenne, and bacon combine to deliver up sweet-and-spicy deliciousness in every bite.
• Just 6 ingredients - It only takes 6 ingredients to whip up a batch -- and 3 of those 6 are spices you probably have on hand in your spice cupboard.
• Versatile - Serve up Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon as the perfect party pick-up to impress your guests, alongside waffles or pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch treat, or snack on it any time you choose.

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon Ingredients:

It takes just 6 ingredients to make a pan of Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon. To whip up a batch, you'll need:

• Thick-cut bacon - It's not candied bacon without the bacon! Sturdier thick-cup bacon forms the foundation for the sweet and spicy toppings. Do not substitute regular bacon -- it's too thin and not sturdy enough to handle the toppings.

• Brown sugar - The sweet element of the candied bacon topping.

• Chili powder - The main spicy element of the candied bacon topping.

• Cayenne pepper - Amps up the heat of the candied bacon's spicy element. Adjust the amount to meet your desired level of heat.

• Black pepper - Seasons and brings a little bite to the bacon's topping.

• Pecans - Finely chopped pecans add a nice textural crunch with the crispiness of the bacon. The pecans can be omitted, no problem, for a perfectly delicious nut-free version of this candied bacon.

How to Make Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon:

Making a pan of Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon is probably much easier than you think. -- Because it's truly not difficult at all. A little measuring, a bit of sprinkling, and a few minutes of baking is about all it takes.

To get started, stir together some brown sugar with a little chili powder, black pepper, and cayenne as the sweet-and-spicy candied element of the candied bacon. Set this aside while you get the bacon started baking.

Arrange thick-cut bacon slices in a single layer on a broiling pan. If you don't have a broiling pan, set a rack inside a jelly roll pan and use that instead. Bake the bacon for 10 minutes to partially cook it.

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle each bacon slice with some of the brown sugar-spice mixture, and then with chopped pecans.

Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the bacon is crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes more.

Then you're ready to enjoy the sweet and savory bacon deliciousness. -- Serve it up as an appetizer, a party nibble, for game day, or alongside waffles and pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch bacon treat.

But rest assured no matter when you serve it, your taste buds will know that Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon is one darn amazing bacon delight.

Check out these other super tasty bacon appetizers & snacks:

• Sweet-&-Spicy Bacon Crackers
• Bacon Crescent Bites
• Bacon-Cheddar Deviled Eggs
• Bacon Cheddar Puffs
• Bacon-Ranch Spinach Dip
• BLT Dip
• Bacon-Ranch Spinach Roll-Ups
• Bacon-Cheddar Ranch Dip
• More appetizer & snack recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

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Appetizers & Snacks

Southern

Yield: about 10-14 slices

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon

Thick-cut bacon is coated in a delicious mix of brown sugar and spice to create this amazingly tasty Sweet & Spicy Candied Bacon. Serve it up as a perfect party pick-up to impress your guests, or alongside waffles or pancakes for an extra-special breakfast or brunch treat.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 28 Min

Ingredients

• 1 lb. thick-cut bacon
• 1/4 c. light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 c. finely chopped pecans

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir until well mixed. Set aside.
2. Arrange bacon in a single layer on a broiling pan or a rack set inside a jelly roll pan. Bake at 425℉ for 10 minutes.
3. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle bacon slices with brown sugar mixture, and then with chopped pecans.
4. Return pan to oven and continue baking until bacon is crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes more.

TRACEY'S NOTES:

1. Before baking the bacon, line the inside of the broiler pan (or jelly roll pan) with aluminum foil for easier clean-up.
2. If you're serving the Candied Bacon as an appetizer/party food, we recommend cutting the bacon slices in half before baking.
3. The pecans can be omitted for a perfectly delicious nut-free version of this candied bacon.

Similar Recipes

BLT Dip

Sweet-&-Spicy Bacon Crackers

Bacon Crescent Bites

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