Crispy Maple Whiskey Candied Bacon (Brown Sugar Glaze) -

Crispy Maple Whiskey Candied Bacon (Brown Sugar Glaze)

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: alcohol, bacon, savoury, sweet

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Marinate Time: 30

Total Time: 55

Servings: Bacon Strips

Calories: 369kcal

The ultimate sweet and savoury snack! Learn the secret cornstarch trick to making perfectly crispy, thick-cut Maple Whiskey Candied Bacon in the oven.

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Equipment

Ingredients

2 pounds thick-cut Bacon strips full sodium is best
½ cup Maple flavoured whiskey (see notes below) or Bourbon
2 Tablespoons pure Maple syrup
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ cups brown sugar packed
3 Tablespoons cornstarch

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Instructions

Marinate the Bacon: Pat the bacon strips dry with paper towels, then place them into a wide, shallow dish. Add the maple whiskey, maple syrup, ground cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper to the bacon. Gently massage the liquid mixture into the meat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Prep the Oven and Pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C) and move the oven rack to the middle shelf. Line a rimmed baking pan completely with aluminum foil and place a heatproof wire rack directly inside the pan.
Mix the Coating: Combine the brown sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add exactly half of this dry mixture to the marinated bacon in the shallow dish and gently mix it in to coat the meat.
Arrange the Bacon: Lay each coated bacon strip vertically on the wire rack without overlapping them. (Bake in batches if they do not all fit). Use a spoon or your fingers to sprinkle the remaining dry sugar mixture in an even, thin layer over the top of each strip.
Bake: Bake the bacon for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meat is browned and the sugar is bubbling and caramelized. (Note: Ovens vary. If your bacon is browning faster than the sugar can caramelize, drop the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and extend your baking time by 5 to 10 minutes).
Cool and Crisp: Carefully transfer the cooked bacon to a separate, clean wire cooling rack. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before serving. This crucial step gives the sugar a chance to harden into a crispy glaze as it cools! (If baking in batches, carefully change the aluminum foil in the pan to avoid burning the drippings to a smoking point).

Video

Notes

Change the Foil: If you are baking in multiple batches, take the time to carefully change the aluminum foil at the bottom of the pan between runs. Leftover drippings from the first batch will quickly reach their smoking point and burn in the oven!

I can’t find Maple-flavoured whiskey. What else can I use?

No problem! You can easily make your own by mixing ½ cup of regular whiskey with 2 extra Tablespoons of maple syrup or 2 teaspoons of maple extract. Standard Bourbon is also an incredible substitute that pairs beautifully with the brown sugar.

Do I have to use alcohol?

Not at all! Although most of the alcohol burns off during the baking process, you can easily skip the whiskey to keep this 100% kid-friendly. Simply increase the pure maple syrup or use maple extract, and consider buying maple-smoked bacon for extra flavour.

Why Thick-Cut Bacon?

Using thick-cut strips gives you a chewy interior and a perfectly crispy exterior. It provides enough cooking time for the thick fat to render and the sugar to caramelize without burning.

How should I store and reheat leftover candied bacon?

This bacon is always best enjoyed on the day you make it! However, if you have leftovers, wrap each strip individually in wax paper and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. To reheat, remove the wax paper and bake on a parchment-lined tray at 325°F (162°C) for about 10 minutes until the sugar bubbles.

Nutrition