Bacon Up Some Candied Bacon Bites
Looking for something sweet and salty to round out a cheese board for a weekday meeting, I thought of the Bloody Mary I had at a happy hour in Minneapolis with Jamie. I don’t remember much about the Bloody Mary but the CANDIED BACON swizzle stick that served as a stirrer and edible garnish was delicious.
Candied bacon would be perfect for my cheese board but in bite-size pieces to go along with the cheese and crackers. In its simplest form, coat thick cut bacon pieces with brown sugar and bake, but no one leaves well enough alone. For this batch, I used brown sugar and chili powder. Next time I might use cayenne for spice, or smoked paprika for smokiness, chili pepper or black pepper…really whatever you like. Another riff, combine Siracha Sauce and brown sugar, coat the bacon with the sauce and bake as directed.
Note: Line the pan with foil before placing the metal rack on the pan for the bacon. You only need to spread the brown sugar and spices on one side.
20 minutes later-ta-da, candied bacon for breakfast, drinks, happy hour munchies, salads…anything and everything is better with bacon.
Candied Bacon
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1-11/2 teaspoon chili powder or 1 teaspoon black pepper, or smoked paprika, or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 20 slices of thick-cut bacon 1 pound
Instructions
- Step Preheat the oven to 400°. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place a wire rack over the foil.
- In a small bowl, whisk the brown sugar with the chili powder.
- Cut bacon into approximately 2-inch pieces. Arrange the bacon pieces on the rack and coat the tops with the chili sugar.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until caramelized and almost crisp.
- Allow bacon to cool completely on rack; remove from rack and serve. If bacon is made early, leave at room temperature before serving.
Notes
One Reply to “Bacon Up Some Candied Bacon Bites”
This sounds delicious!