Bacon Twists

You need to try this easy recipe for Bacon Twists! Made with just 1 ingredient, it's the perfect addition to your breakfast or brunch menu.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings slices

Calories 118

Author Dorothy Bigelow

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound bacon (14-16 slices; not thick-cut)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and a wire baking rack (optional, but recommended).
Using both hands, twist the bacon, starting in the middle and working out with each hand until completely twirled. Twist them a bit tighter than you would like them to be, as the twirls will loosen during cooking.
Carefully place the twisted bacon strip on the wire baking rack or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Repeat until all of the bacon is twisted, leaving a little space in between each piece.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then flip the bacon pieces and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until crisp enough for your liking. Twisted bacon cooked on a wire baking rack will crisp up more quickly, while those that are cooked directly on the sheet will need a little more time (and tend to be a bit softer).
Remove the cooked bacon twists and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess bacon grease.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Air fryer instructions: Cook at 350ºF (180ºC) for 11-14 minutes, working in batches of 4 twisted bacon slices at a time. Do not flip. The slices are long and need to be curved in order to fit into the basket, but they do shrink back and may straighten out a bit.

Candied bacon twists:

Whisk together 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Distribute the brown sugar and pepper mixture on both sides of each slice of bacon, pressing it in with your fingers.
Twist each slice into a tight spiral and place it on a wire baking rack (this is a must to keep the candied sugars from burning onto the bacon).
Bake as directed in the recipe, but be certain to line the pan with parchment OR foil as the sugars burn very easily with the extended oven time. There WILL be some smoking when you remove it from the oven.
Watch closely during the final 5-10 minutes and remove them when they are crisp enough for your liking.
Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Millionaire or Billionaire bacon twists: Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and ½-1 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes to the brown sugar mixture used for candied bacon. Prepare as you would “candied bacon twists” as directed above.

Storing leftovers: Transfer leftover (and cooled) bacon to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bacon may be reheated in an air fryer for several minutes, in a hot oven, or in the microwave. Re-drain on paper towels to help them crisp up. If you like crispy bacon the preferred reheating methods would be air fryer or oven.

Nutrition