To make maple candied bacon, bake thick-cut bacon on a wire rack at 400°F for 15 minutes, then brush it with maple syrup twice over the next 8 to 12 minutes, until it's browned, crisp and glossy. Let it cool on the rack so the glaze sets.
The rack lets the fat drip away, so the bacon crisps instead of sitting in its grease. The maple goes on after the first 15 minutes, which gives it time to caramelize without burning.
What you need
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon (10 to 12 slices)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, set an oven-safe wire rack on top and coat the rack lightly with cooking spray or oil.
- Lay the bacon on the rack in a single layer. The slices can touch, but don't let them overlap.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the bacon has started to brown and much of the fat has melted into the pan.
- Stir the pepper and cayenne, if using, into the maple syrup. Brush about half of it over the tops of the slices.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Brush on the rest of the maple and bake 3 to 7 minutes more, until the bacon is deep golden brown and crisp and the glaze is bubbling. Watch closely at the end, since maple can go from glossy to burnt quickly.
- Loosen each slice from the rack with tongs while it's still hot, then let the bacon cool on the rack for 10 minutes so the glaze can set. It firms up more as it cools.
Which syrup to use
Dark is the pick. It's deep and robust and built for cooking, so you can still taste the maple through the smoke and salt. Serving it next to a stack of pancakes? Amber gives a softer, caramel-like sweetness, and the bundle gets you both. Whichever you brush on, make it pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
Tips
- Cook it crisp. Bacon is raw pork, so it needs to cook all the way. The USDA's safe minimum for whole cuts of pork, like chops and roasts, is 145°F with at least a 3-minute rest, but a slice of bacon is too thin to check easily with a thermometer. The USDA says bacon cooked crisp should have reached a safe temperature.
- Use thick-cut bacon. It holds the glaze and is less likely to burn. Regular bacon works too, but it cooks faster, so brush on the maple after about 10 minutes and watch it closely.
- Cool it on the rack. Paper towels will stick to the glaze.
- Making it ahead? Cook it all the way, then reheat it later. The USDA advises against partly cooking bacon and finishing it another time. Get leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F, and eat them within 4 to 5 days. Warm them on the rack in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.
- Easy cleanup. Let the grease cool and firm up on the foil, then fold the foil up and throw it away.
- Ways to serve it. Next to pancakes or French toast, crumbled over maple roasted Brussels sprouts, or tucked into a BLT. Make more than you think you need.
