Candied Bacon
If you’re ready for an out-of-this-world candied bacon experience, this is the recipe for you! Buckle up, because TDon’s crazy cajun candied bacon is taking things to the next level.
Ingredients:
• 1 LB thick cut bacon
• 1 CUP packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 TBS TDons Original, All Purpose Blend (or more if desired)
• 1/2 TBS fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 TBS crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 TSP cayenne
TDon’s candied bacon ingredients
TDon’s candied bacon ingredients mixed
TDon’s candied bacon prepared on foil lined baking sheet with rack. Cut strips into 1/3s for easier handling.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Prepare a foil-lined baking sheet with a wire rack
In a bowl, mix the ingredients together until throughly blended
OPTIONAL - Cut bacon into 1/3s for easier handling
Add the bacon to the bowl, tossing throughly to coat bacon pieces on all sides
Place the bacon flat on the prepared foil lined baking sheet with wire rack
OPTIONAL - apply more of the mixture to the top to create a “crust”
Bake for 30–40 minutes or desired crispness
Immediately transfer bacon strips to a cooling rack lined with parchment paper
Enjoy after it cools off a bit! The finished candied bacon will keep for 3-5 days in a sealed container. You can also experiment with the amount of TDon’s, sugar, black pepper, red pepper, and cayenne to your own liking. We added a full tablespoon of TDon’s on one batch and used less sugar for more heat and less sweet, but we think the proportions listed above in the ingredients work well!
Noteworthy:
• Some bacon pieces contain more fat, they will cook differently
• WATCH the baking process—you might want to pull some pieces off sooner than others
• Full strips take longer and cook less evenly
• Bacon strips cut into 1/3s are easier to handle
• Bacon that was set out to room temp will affect cook times! Keep an eye on it! We used bacon straight from the fridge.
OPTIONAL: (for extra crispy) After removing the bacon from the original baking process, put it back on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake 5-8 minutes more. This will turn out more like brisket burnt ends (*see notes below). Immediately slide the parchment paper with bacon onto a cooling rack and let it set until cool and crisp (at least 5 minutes) when done.
BE PATIENT: You might have to experiment to get it just right. It took us a good long while to get each slice to the desired crispness and consistency. Some full strips of bacon took 30 minutes, then another 8–10 minutes as noted above.
Full strips of bacon are more challenging and take longer, depending on the inherent fat content and original temperature you put them in the oven. Bacon varies from package to package. We cut the strips into 1/3s and found that cook time was more consistent and we did not have to twice bake. But, when you get full strips just right, they are beautiful and delicious!
Like anything else that takes time, this crazy, cajun, TDon’s candied bacon recipe is worth it! Enjoy as a snack or savory, sweet treat.
News from the community:
• Adding chocolate shell topping to the finished, cooled candied bacon is amazing!
• Be fearless and put the candied bacon on top of your favorite, warm chocolate chip cookie!
• Try our candied bacon with jalapeño peanut brittle and prepare yourself for a wonderfully intense flavor experience
