Smoked Candied Bacon cooks low and slow for the perfect backyard appetizer, breakfast, snack or salad topper! All you need is 3 simple ingredients to make this sweet and salty Smoker Recipes.
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Take your bacon to the next level with this Smoked Candied Bacon. The Smoker enhances the bacons salty flavor by caramelizing in a brown-sugar glaze for a richness that taste amazing.
This sweet and smoky bacon is perfect served with Blackstone Pancakes Recipe or to top Grilled Mac and Cheese. No matter when you serve them, they are the perfect addition to all your backyard meals.
What's in this post: Smoked Candied Bacon
Why Smoke Your Candied Bacon?
If you have made our Candied Bacon Recipes then you already know how delicious the brown sugar and maple glaze makes your bacon. Smoking the candied bacon is a delicious twist that we recommend everyone trying!
It only requires few extra steps by adding the glaze throughout the smoking process to create the best flavor. They are easy to serve and we have served them for brunch and with our favorite smoker recipes.
Ingredients
- Bacon – We used thick cut bacon. Regular cut slice of bacon can also be used
- Maple Syrup – We recommend using pure maple syrup
- Brown Sugar – Make Homemade Brown Sugar
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Smoke Candied Bacon
- Step 1 – Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with foil and place a cooking rack on top of the baking sheet.
Step 2 – Lay the piece of bacon onto the wire rack in a single layer on the rimmed baking sheet.
Step 3 – Brush the top of the bacon with half of the maple syrup and sprinkle half of the brown sugar on top.
Step 4 – Place the baking sheet in the smoker. Close the lid and smoke for 20-30 minutes.
Step 5 – Carefully flip the bacon with tongs and brush with the remaining maple syrup. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top.
Step 6 – Smoke for an additional 20-30 minutes until the bacon is done to the crispiness that you prefer.
Step 7 – Remove the baking rack from the smoker, let the bacon slices cool on the rack or a plate lined with paper towel and then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
Smoked Candied Bacon
Ingredients
- 12 slices Thick Cut Bacon
- ½ cup Maple Syrup
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and place a cooking rack on top of the baking sheet.
- Lay the bacon onto the rack in a single layer.
- Brush the top of the bacon with half of the maple syrup and sprinkle half of the brown sugar on top.
- Place the baking sheet in the smoker. Close the lid and smoke for 20-30 minutes.
- Carefully flip the bacon with tongs and brush with the remaining maple syrup. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top.
- Smoke for an additional 20-30 minutes until the bacon is done to the crispiness that you prefer.
- Remove from the smoker, let the bacon cool on the rack and then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
Recipe Tips
- Cooking Bacon – Check on the bacon halfway through the cooking process. This bacon cooks quickly and will burn fast with the brown sugar on top. Each smoker cooks differently with different hot spots, so check on it and rotate the pan as needed.
- Baking Pan – You will smoke the strips of bacon on the baking sheet on top of a cooling rack. This helps for the bacon to fully cook evenly. Make sure to line the baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Flavor Variations
- Bacon Candy – Substitute ½ of the maple syrup with bourbon with the addition of chopped pecans. This makes a taste dessert or to top a wedge salad.
- Coffee Flavor – If you have espresso, add in ½ tsp of finely chopped espresso and mix in with the sugar mixture.
- Spicy – If you prefer the thick bacon to have a spicy flavor, add 1 tsp of cayenne pepper or sriracha sauce for a hint of spice. Paprika is also a great addition to deepen the smoky flavor.
- Sweet and Salty – Once the bacon is finishing smoking sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chopped pistachios.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you serve this candied bacon straight from the smoker, then it will be chewy. But as it sits it firms with a slight crunch.
If you prefer, this Pig Candy can be placed on a baking sheet and baked in a preheated oven at 275 degrees. Follow the recipe to flip and glaze until the bacon is fully cooked.
We recommend using thick cut bacon when making this Millionaire Bacon. Using thick cut allows it to smoke and to hold the glaze easily. You can use thin bacon, but it may not be able to hold the glaze.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Fridge – Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer – Place the bacon strips on a baking sheet to flash freeze. Once slightly frozen, place in a freezer safe container and it will last about 2 months. You can divide the layers with parchment paper to reheat individual servings.
- Reheating – To re-crisp the bacon, reheat in the air fryer or the oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.
More Easy Smoked Recipes
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Smoked Queso Recipe
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Smoked Deviled Eggs
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Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings
If you make Smoked Candied Bacon Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review. We love to hear from you!
The best sweet and savory snack! The best and easiest smoker recipe.