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