This million dollar bacon recipe is the perfect addition to breakfast, brunch, burgers, and sandwiches - but it also makes for a delicious snack!
Featuring a sweet and spicy glaze, millionaire's bacon is a sure fire way to add a pop of flavor, texture, and heat to all of your favorite dishes.
Million dollar bacon (sometimes called millionaire's bacon) has been a popular feature at restaurants for many years. It adds a zip of spicy and sweet flavor to burgers, wraps, and salads - but also pairs perfectly with breakfast and brunch items like eggs, hash browns, and sausages.
Made famous by the restaurants First Watch and Twin Peaks, this spicy candied bacon has gained popularity throughout North America, and has earned an avid fan following.
Making It At Home
I wanted to create a version you could make easily at home - because who wants to get in the car and drive to a diner every time they are craving something salty, sweet, and spicy? I know I don't!
My recipe for million dollar bacon uses just 5 simple ingredients and can easily be made in your oven. The best part about making it at home? You can customize the flavors to your taste. So if you don't like a lot of heat, feel free to make some adjustments.
Psst... if you like things a little spicier, try my recipe for Billionaire's Bacon.
You Will Need:
- Bacon: Use a good quality bacon that you like the taste and texture of. You can use thick-cut, but in tests a regular cut works best and has the crispiest texture.
- Brown sugar: I like to use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar can be used if you like a stronger flavor.
- Crushed red pepper: This adds heat and flavor. Sometimes also called crushed chilies, this is a common ingredient that you probably have in your pantry.
- Cayenne pepper: For bacon with a kick! Feel free to skip it (or scale back) as desired.
- Black pepper: This can be freshly ground, or you can use it pre-ground for convenience.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Oven-safe wire rack (optional, but recommended)
- Parchment paper (or aluminum foil) - for easy clean-up
Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.
How to Make Million Dollar Bacon
Sometimes also known as pig candy, this spicy bacon is easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients. It has the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and salty. You're going to love it!
- Add the brown sugar, crushed chilies, pepper, and cayenne (if using) to a small bowl.
- Mix the brown sugar and spices together until well combined.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and a baking rack.
- Place the bacon slices on the wire rack in a single layer, ensuring the pieces do not overlap.
- Sprinkle ⅔ of the brown sugar mixture on top of the bacon slices.
- Bake in a 425ºF (218ºC) oven for 15 minutes. As the bacon cooks, the brown sugar and spice mixture will melt and "candy" the bacon.
- Flip the bacon over and sprinkle the remaining ⅓ of the brown sugar mixture on top of the bacon.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the bacon reaches your desired crispiness.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking rack before serving.
Without a Wire Rack
If you don't have an oven-safe cooking rack, you can still make this recipe - just line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil and spread the bacon on top of it. Then sprinkle with all of the brown sugar mixture and bake.
Keep in mind that the bacon won't crisp up because it will be cooking in bacon fat and brown sugar, but it still does taste quite delicious!
Storing Leftovers
- Allow the bacon to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight storage container.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- For the best results, re-crisp the bacon in the oven (350ºF/177ºC) for 5-10 minutes.
- It can also be reheated in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Expert Tips
- Skip the paper towels. Most bacon recipes require draining on a paper towel lined plate before serving, but recipes like this one that feature brown sugar (or maple syrup) are super sticky. This doesn't work well with paper towel, so instead I recommend that you allow the bacon to drain and cool on the baking rack for about 5 minutes. I've never had problems with excess grease doing it this way.
- Adjust to taste. This recipe calls for both crushed chilies and cayenne pepper. If you don't want your bacon to be very spicy, you can scale down those ingredients considerably to your taste. My recipe for candied bacon is great for those who prefer more sweet than spicy.
- No overlapping. For bacon that cooks evenly and crisps up nicely, place the bacon slices in a single layer. Ideally, they should not touch at all, but definitely make sure to avoid any overlapping.
Variations
- Billionaire bacon - Introduced by Snoop Dogg in his cookbook, this variation excludes the cayenne pepper, and uses a little more crushed red pepper flakes and pepper. It has quite a bit more heat, but can be adjusted to your taste.
- Millionaire bacon twists - Coat the bacon in ¾ of the brown sugar mixture on one side, then use both hands to form them into twists. Sprinkle on the rest of the rub, then bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for another 15 minutes - or until crisp.
- Thick cut - If you want to use thick-cut bacon, add about 2-3 minutes per side.
Ways to Use Million Dollar Bacon
- Burgers
- Sandwiches
- Salads
- Wraps
- Waffles or pancakes
- Eggs of any kind (fried, poached, omelettes, etc)
- To garnish a Bloody Mary cocktail
- Brunch buffet
- Game day snack
- With eggs and toast
- Crumbled into bacon bits
- With deviled eggs
- A sweet and spicy addition to baked potato soup or twice baked potatoes
Recipe FAQs
In testing both brown sugar and maple syrup were used, but brown sugar was the clear winner. Because of the high liquid content of maple syrup, it took a lot longer as it had to be "cooked down", which then caused the bacon to be overcooked. A small amount of maple syrup (1-2 tablespoons) works fine, although it does take some work to get the mixture to stick to the slices.
I haven't tested this recipe with pork belly, but I do think the sweet and spicy rub would work perfectly. I do think you would need to experiment with cooking times, and perhaps cut it into smaller pieces to help it cook and render more quickly.
If you have a cooling rack that is oven-safe, you can use it to bake your bacon in the oven. It's important that it is labeled as oven-safe, otherwise it won't work and could cause serious issues.
More Bacon Recipes
If you loved this recipe for Crock Pot Funeral Potatoes, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Million Dollar Bacon (Millionaire Bacon)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and place an oven-safe baking rack on top of the parchment paper.
- Place the bacon slices on the baking rack, keeping them evenly spaced with no overlapping.
- Add the brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to a small bowl. Stir well.
- Sprinkle ⅔ of the brown sugar mixture carefully on top of the bacon slices.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Use a fork to flip the bacon slices over, then gently sprinkle on the remaining brown sugar mixture.
- Return to the oven to cook for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bacon slices to cool on the baking rack for 4-5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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