Million Dollar Bacon
In honor of my sister Jenny—who absolutely loved Million Dollar Bacon—I thought it would be fun to share a homemade version this week. Sweet, savory, smoky, and just a little spicy, it's the perfect recipe to make for someone you love... or simply to savor together around the table.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound thick sliced bacon
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and place an oven-safe baking rack on top.
- In a shallow dish, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, water, black pepper, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Whisk together until sugar dissolves.
- Dip each slice of bacon in the glaze, coating it well, and lay on the baking rack.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan in the oven and continue cooking until the bacon is as brown and crispy as you like it. Exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of bacon. In our oven, total cooking time was about 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the bacon cool on the rack for 15 minutes. Blot excess grease with paper towels and serve.
Notes:
Watch while cooking so the bacon doesn’t overcook. If the outer strips cook faster than others you can rearrange them during baking or simply remove them from the pan when done and continue cooking the rest.
Million Dollar Bacon can be made ahead of time, covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To reheat, spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until hot, about 6-7 minutes.
