Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe (2024)

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Sweet, salty, spicy, crispy, and oh so good. Give yourself a treat and whip up a batch of Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon. #trustme

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If you haven’t experienced Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon you are in a for a wonderful treat. If you have, you know how amazingly good this stuff is and how addictive it can be! I have spent a good deal of time (not that I’m complaining!) coming up with just the right recipe before I shared it with you because I wanted it to be just right. Keep reading for my can’t-stop-at-just-one Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe.

Have you ever had candied bacon?

The first time I had candied bacon, or carmelized bacon, was several years ago at a local restaurant with some girlfriends. I had never had it before but after the first bite I couldn’t stop myself. I came home and told my husband that I had some candied bacon and it was so goooood the look on his face was like, “You had what?!” It is a pretty catchy name and could lead to a little misunderstanding at first. I assured him it was just bacon and not some studly dude.

Make your own candied bacon

We went back to the restaurant together and he agreed it was damn good. I asked the waitress how they made it and she said with a mixture of spices and honey. I thought about it and decided honey was way too messy and expensive and that brown sugar would be a great substitute. Many trials later I am now ready to share my recipe for Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon. It’s sweet, spicy, and savory…and completely decadent and delicious.

We even put them on our burgers and our campfire s’mores last year at our Build Your Own Burger Bar. Let me tell you…dark chocolate, marshmallows, and bits of Man Candy Candied Bacon in an ice cream cone wrapped in foil and cooked over the fire for a few minutes is Heaven. Heaven I tell you!

How do you make candied bacon?

Start with making your sugar rub in a small bowl. It’s a mixture of brown sugar, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. The perfect mix is sweet and salty. You can also use maple syrup if you prefer the taste of maple.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

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How to Make Candied Bacon aka Brown Sugar Bacon

Take a package of bacon slices, cut the strips in half, and place them on a foil lined baking sheet or baking pan.

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Spread the sugar mixture over all the pieces of bacon, making sure to cover every spot. You really want to coat the bacon as much as you can with the mixture. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is a little bubbly. The bacon should be crispy but not burnt. You might need to bake for a few minutes longer. I suggest doing this in 2 minute intervals because the sugar will start to burn very quickly if left in too long.

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Let cool for a little bit and serve in a pretty glass…or just eat right from the plate like my family does. If you take some to a good friend you will really make their day. Right, Andrea?! I have a good friend that loves Man Candy and was all too happy to be my latest taste tester.

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As much as I love eating this all alone it really does taste good in a burger or in a salad.

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Yield: 48 pieces

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bacon
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp if you like it really spicy
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

In a medium bowl, pour all ingredients, except the bacon, together and mix well with a fork.

Take a package of bacon, cut the strips in half, and place them on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Spread the sugar mixture over all the pieces of bacon, making sure to cover every spot. If you have enough, turn the bacon over and coat the other side as well.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. The bacon should be crispy but not burnt. You might need to bake for a few minutes longer. I suggest doing this in 2 minute intervals because the sugar will start to burn very quickly if left in too long.

UPDATE: I have found that turning the bacon over after cooking for 10 mins works really well.

Let cool for a little bit and serve in a pretty glass...or just eat right from the plate!

Nutrition Information

Yield 48Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 59Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 9mgSodium 174mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 0gSugar 4gProtein 3g

Did you make this recipe?

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What else can you do with Man Candy?

Aside from eating all by itself it tastes great on a burger. Like really really good. It also tastes pretty darn awesome (according to my friends) on vanilla ice cream. I know it sounds a bit odd but it just works. #trustme. You can check out how we used my Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon in this Build Your Own Burger Bar party I threw for Father’s Dayfor some very special dadsas I mentioned above.

It also tastes great in my very favorite sandwich. Click the link or picture for the Turkey BLT Sandwich Recipe.

How do you like your Man Candy?

I hope you enjoyed myMan Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe. Have you ever had this before? I’d love to hear about your first time trying it. Tell me in the comments!

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Related

Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you refrigerate candied bacon? ›

The best practice for storing candied bacon is to keep it in the refrigerator. Before storing, let the caramelized bacon cool to room temperature. This helps keep condensation at bay when the meat is stored in the fridge, ensuring your delectable bacon stays crisp and delicious.

Why is it called candied bacon? ›

Also called millionaire's bacon and million dollar bacon, candied bacon refers to thick slices of bacon coated in a brown sugar and spice mixture and oven-baked until crisp and caramelized.

What are the best spices for bacon? ›

All that is needed are fragrant spices like cumin, smoky paprika, chili powder and black pepper along with a dash of cayenne pepper. Add slices of sweet onion, allow them to caramelize on top, and you will experience Heaven in your very own kitchen.

How long does bacon last in a Ziploc in the fridge? ›

Uncooked bacon

Unopened bacon may last roughly two weeks in the fridge and eight months in the freezer. Once the package has been opened, as long as it is well stored in a sealed container, uncooked bacon is good for a week. Sealed in an airtight plastic bag in the freezer, the bacon could last for about a month.

What happens if you leave bacon out of the fridge? ›

The general rule of food safety is to not let raw meat or cooked food sit out for more than 2 hours, and that rule applies to uncooked or cooked bacon. It's wise to be careful with uncooked pork products since they can harbor and grow bacterial pathogens like salmonella and trichinosis.

Why is it called millionaires bacon? ›

It's also known as the Million Dollar Bacon. We looked into why it's called that but we honestly couldn't find any origins. We think it's just because bacon is already delicious and the addition of the sweet and spicy flavor after you taste it, makes you say, “WOW! This tastes like a Million Bucks!”

What is pig bacon called? ›

Bacon can come from a pig's belly, back or sides ⁠— essentially anywhere that has an exceptionally high fat content. In the United Kingdom, back bacon is most common, but Americans are more familiar with “streaky” bacon, also known as side bacon, which is cut from pork belly.

What is really thick bacon called? ›

Bacon chops, sometimes called bacon steaks, are thick cut chops, which are taken from whole bacon loins. In other words, a bacon chop is basically a super thick cut rasher of bacon. It comes from exactly the same place, and is produced the same way, as the back bacon you put on your sandwich, it's just, well, thicker.

What is the secret to perfect bacon? ›

Always cook bacon on foil or parchment paper at 400°F. Cook regular sliced bacon for 14 minutes; thick-cut bacon for 18 minutes. If you cook less than a full sheet of bacon, check after 12 minutes. For extra-crispy bacon, bake it on top of a metal cooling rack set over the baking sheet.

Is there a spice that tastes like bacon? ›

I promised you a sneaky way to make everything taste like bacon and it's really as easy as a sprinkle or a tsp. (about 6 calories) of Smoked Spanish Sweet Paprika.

What makes bacon taste better? ›

Fat = Flavor

Generally speaking, the more fat on a strip of bacon, the better it will taste after it's cooked because more fat improves the flavors of the bacon as it cooks.

Is candied bacon perishable? ›

Much like traditional bacon, it is best to store candied bacon in an airtight container in the refrigerator. While regular cooked bacon lasts only four to five days when stored in the fridge, candied bacon will last a little bit longer — up to three weeks.

Does crispy bacon need to be refrigerated? ›

Take the bacon home immediately and refrigerate it at 40°F or below. For shelf-stable, cooked bacon, store the product at 85°F or below. Refrigerate after opening. Observe the manufacturer's recommended "use-by" date.

Does bacon up need to be refrigerated? ›

Refrigeration is optional for Bacon Up.

Bacon Up will change from solid to slushy to liquid (and back again) as its temperature rises (and falls). That's normal and does not reduce its quality. For long-term storage, we recommend keeping Bacon Up at temperatures below 80°F.

Do you refrigerate bacon jam after opening? ›

For safety, we strongly recommend that bacon jam be refrigerated for times suggested by the recipe (2-4 weeks) or that it be frozen for longer storage. Why is botulism such a big deal? Botulism is as serious as food poisoning gets.

References

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