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

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.

What are the best spices for bacon? ›

Even though it doesn't necessarily come with a mild flavor, bacon is a total blank canvas. With the help of some extra ingredients and spices for your bacon, you can take its original savory, salty, and smoky flavor and enhance it with things like chili powder and coffee, Sriracha, maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey.

Why is it called candied bacon? ›

Candied Bacon, also known as Pig Candy, originally gained popularity in Washington D.C. from what I can tell. It was served to patrons as an alternative bar food snack and from there the bacon spread. It has a generous amount of brown sugar and maple syrup to give it is 'candied' taste and appearance.

Does sprinkling flour on bacon make it crispy? ›

You take strips of bacon and place them on a baking sheet, then sprinkle all-purpose flour on top and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes. I was surprised to find out how great this worked. The flour definitely helped to give the bacon a crispier texture and nicer color than the other methods I tried.

Can candied bacon be frozen? ›

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 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.

Can you eat bacon cold the next day? ›

Fully cooked, cold bacon is fine. Just as long as it hasn't been sitting out for an extended period.

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.

What is the secret to perfect bacon? ›

Lay out the bacon strips without overlapping in a cold pan. This helps the fat render slowly, for consistently cooked strips. 3: Cook over medium heat — again, good for even rendering. Turn the strips as needed until they reach the desired crispness, 8 to 12 minutes.

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.

Can you reheat candied bacon? ›

Reheating 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!

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.

How to make crispy bacon Jamie Oliver? ›

He cooks it in a frying pan, starting out from cold with a little drizzle of olive oil and gradually bringing the temperature up to medium-high so the fat renders out, placing something flat and heavy on top to ensure super-even crispy bacon.

How to make crispy bacon that melts in your mouth? ›

This is useful information no matter how you're cooking bacon: Whether it's on a stovetop or in the oven, going low and slow will produce bacon that's more likely to melt in your mouth, while higher temperatures will give your bacon more of a crisp-chewy dynamic.

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