Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, then place a wire cooling rack on top. The rack allows air to circulate around the bacon, ensuring it gets crispy on both sides without sitting in rendered fat.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and let it fully preheat. Starting with a properly heated oven ensures even cooking and proper caramelization of the sugar coating.
- Lay the bacon strips in a single layer on the wire rack, making sure they don't overlap. Overlapping bacon will steam rather than crisp, and the sugar won't caramelize properly.
- Sprinkle or press half of the brown sugar evenly onto the top side of each bacon strip, covering the surface as uniformly as possible. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently press the sugar into the bacon so it adheres during cooking.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. The bacon will start to render its fat and the sugar will begin to melt and bubble.
- Carefully flip each bacon strip using tongs, then apply the remaining brown sugar to the second side. This two-sided coating creates that signature candied crust all over each strip.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, watching carefully during the last few minutes. The bacon should be deep golden brown with caramelized edges, and the sugar should be bubbling and glossy.
- Remove from the oven and let the bacon cool on the rack for at least 5 minutes. The bacon will firm up significantly as it cools, transforming from flexible to crispy with a candy-like coating.
Notes
Watch the bacon closely during the final minutes of baking because the sugar can go from perfectly caramelized to burnt very quickly. The bacon will continue to darken slightly as it cools, so remove it when it's just shy of your desired color. Store cooled candied bacon in an airtight container lined with paper towels for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 2 months.