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

Man Candy Sweet Spicy Candied Bacon Recipe (1)

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

What is candied bacon made of? ›

What is Candied Bacon. Also known as Pig Candy, Candied Bacon is made by coating thick sliced of bacon in something sweet such as brown sugar, maple syrup, or caramel before baking until caramelized. It's fantastic crumbled on a salad or just served alongside a pint of your favorite beer.

Do I need to refrigerate candied bacon? ›

Candied bacon is perishable, so it should be stored in the refrigerator within 2 hours of making the recipe. You can store the cooked candied bacon in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Store it in an airtight container, such as a large zipper bag or plastic container with a lid.

What is billionaire bacon at Twin Peaks? ›

Also known as “pig candy,” candied bacon or millionaire's bacon, the version at sports-bar chain Twin Peaks features thick-cut hickory-smoked artisan bacon baked with brown sugar, red chile flakes, black pepper, smoked paprika and cayenne. Slow-roasting yields a candied, crispy bacon.

How do restaurants get bacon so crispy? ›

They cook it the best way possible, on a sheet pan in the oven. The bonus is while it takes longer to make this way, you can make more at once, the pieces are more or less flat and they come out crispy. Or they throw it in the deep fryer once it's done.

How long will candied bacon last? ›

Candied bacon can be kept in the fridge for a few days and reheats well in a skillet over low heat. I don't think candied bacon is worth freezing, although if you made a huge batch you absolutely could. You could just want to make sure to freeze the strips individually so they didn't stick together.

What ingredient to avoid in bacon? ›

The health risk of bacon is largely to do with two food additives: potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre) and sodium nitrite. It is these that give salamis, bacons and cooked hams their alluring pink colour.

How much sugar is in candied bacon? ›

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Sodium 577mg25%
Total Carbohydrate 14g5%
Total Sugars 13g
9 more rows
Feb 23, 2023

Is sugar cured bacon sweet? ›

As we said, sugar is usually added to bacon for a flavor boost. Sugar certainly adds a sweeter taste to any food it touches, and can amplify other flavors and aromas in the product as well. It can heighten more savory or umami facets of a food product like meat, while decreasing any pungent or unwanted flavors.

Can I reheat candied bacon? ›

When ready to eat, reheat individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds until warm or crisp, or briefly in the oven at 350°F (175°C) on a baking sheet. This is like candy – we love it! I use a thick sliced pepper bacon and it is so good!

Can I freeze candied bacon? ›

When four days just won't cut it, freezing your candied bacon is an effective way to extend its shelf life to three months or longer. Immediately after cooling, wrap portions in plastic wrap and then in foil, ensuring a tight seal.

How do you store homemade 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.

Who owns Millionaires bacon? ›

SLIDESHOW: Millionaire's Bacon at Sweet Maple in downtown Palo Alto on Feb. 9, 2022. Courtesy Sweet Maple. Owner Steven Choi's restaurant group, which is best known for Asian-influenced brunch, is in the midst of expanding throughout the Bay Area — upcoming locations include Cupertino and Mountain View.

Why is Twin Peaks so special? ›

Twin Peaks was ahead of its time, breaking TV norms with a mix of horror, comedy, and style. The series influenced modern television, blurring the lines between film and TV with its cinematic aesthetic. Twin Peaks introduced surrealism and a dark side to small town life, inspiring a wave of similar shows.

Who has the million dollar bacon? ›

If you see “Million Dollar Bacon” on a restaurant menu, you should definitely order it. It's a known item at a restaurant called First Watch, and it is amazing. All of the food there is amazing, but what really stands out is their take on candied bacon.

How does Hardee's make candied bacon? ›

Candied bacon is made in-house using Applewood-smoked bacon. It's then coated with caramelized brown sugar and finished with a hint of black pepper. We used a similar combination of flavors in our Candied Bacon Crackers.

How to make crispy meat wrapped in bacon? ›

You can wrap your food in raw bacon and then cook both together. If the main food is done first you can turn the food on its side so that the bacon is now touching the grate so that you can crisp it up. But make sure and this is important, to turn down that heat to about 375-400.

Why doesn't homemade bacon get crispy? ›

Bacon should always be put into a cold pan and heated from there. In addition, draining the fat is a requirement. It's difficult to get bacon crispy if it's sitting in liquid bacon fat. In a microwave or in an oven this isn't a problem (I put bacon on a draining pan in the oven), but you have to remove fat from a pan.

Is candied bacon shelf stable? ›

How long does candied bacon last? Once baked and cooled, candied bacon can be stored in the refrigerator (ideally with each piece wrapped in wax paper or aluminum foil, then stored in a sealed container) for up to one week.

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