This Million Dollar Bacon is sweet, savory, and one-million percent irresistible. Consider this recipe your early bird go-to for impressing guests or making weekend mornings extra special for the family with a quick and easy bacon upgrade.
This recipe was inspired by First Watch's take on candied bacon but with a delicious, smoky spice upgrade. Thanks to my tried-and-true temperature-time combo, you can count on bacon that's fully cooked through (you're welcome). But, the very best part? The crispy, candied edges.
My friend, who was a self-proclaimed Million Dollar Bacon hater, became a Million Dollar Bacon lover (at least when it comes to this recipe) after just one bite. Why? Balance -- the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, savory, and smoky. If your crew is already candied bacon fans, you might want to double the batch.
Serve Million Dollar Bacon alongside my stuffed French toast or mimosa bar for an all-in, impress-your-guest kind of brunch. Keep reading for more yummy pairings below!
Table of Contents
What Makes Million Dollar Bacon So Good?
The Rub | This recipe calls for a mix of brown sugar and savory spices like chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper, to name a few. This is our own special take on Millionaire Bacon, and it is the difference maker when it comes to a taking a good dish to a gourmet-level dish. This spice blend adds complexity of flavor to a typical two-note bite (sweet and savory).
Maple Glaze | A brush of maple syrup serves as the ultimate sweet and sticky glaze. This helps the candied bacon to crisp up on the edges and adds a beautiful sheen. This simple addition makes your Million Dollar Bacon extra irresistible.
Wire Rack | The wire rack is a difference maker when it comes to cooking bacon in the oven, especially candied bacon! The rack allows for air to circulate both over and under the bacon. Meaning, the bacon will actually cook evenly. If you don't yet own one of these, it's also called a "baking and cooling sheet" by some manufacturers. I use our cookie cooling racks, as they are oven-safe!
What You'll Need
Rimmed Sheet Pan | A rimmed sheet pan is especially important for Million Dollar Bacon because as it cooks in the oven, a lot of grease will drip down. The last thing you want is grease hitting your oven floor!
Aluminum Foil | I highly recommend lining your pan with aluminum foil thoroughly. Brown sugar and maple syrup can create a sticky mess that's difficult to clean.
Wire Rack | As mentioned above, a wire rack is essential for making sure your bacon cooks evenly all around.
Thick-Cut Bacon | You definitely want to use that cut bacon for this recipe. The bacon needs to be substantial enough to stand up to the flavor of the brown sugar, rub, and maple syrup. Also, the sugar needs to have time to properly caramelize. A thin, flimsy piece of bacon will likely burn before the sugar layer melts down into gooey perfection.
Brown Sugar Rub | This is a rub recipe I have used time and time again all over this food blog. It is so good. I rarely have to change a thing about it from one recipe to another. It consists of brown sugar (hello, caramelizing magic), chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. This combo is rich, smoky, and just spicy enough to elevate just about any cut of meat it touches, but especially bacon.
Maple Syrup | The maple syrup might seem like a sugar overload in combination with the brown sugar, but trust the process! It brings distinct cozy breakfast vibes to the table while simultaneously creating that gorgeous, signature Million Dollar Bacon gloss. Note, this is not the time for pancake syrup. We're talking real-deal, maple syrup.
How to Make Million Dollar Bacon
Ready Bacon on Wire Rack | Place an oven-safe wire rack over a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Then, your bacon strips atop the rack.
Brush with Maple Syrup | Add your maple syrup to a small bowl. Dip a basting or pastry brush in the syrup and add a light coating of syrup across the top of each piece of bacon. Clean the brush and the bowl and set aside. If you don't have a pastry brush, you can use a spoon to lightly drizzle the maple on top of the bacon instead.
Add Remaining Ingredients | Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate small bowl, then sprinkle evenly across the top of each strip of bacon. Pat down to get it to stick.
Bake | Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven. It's important to note that the sugar coating is dangerously hot when the bacon comes out of the oven. Don't touch it and definitely don't eat it until 10-plus minutes have passed.
Add Remaining Maple Syrup | Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the clean bowl and lightly dab the bacon with maple syrup using the clean brush.
Serve + Enjoy | Serve and enjoy a hearty breakfast next to baked eggs and toast with avocado spread. Or elevate brunch with this fancy bacon alongside quiche and egg bites. And, if you really want to impress, don't forget the bloody mary bar on the side.
4 More Bacon-Wrapped Recipes You'll Love
Million Dollar Bacon (First Watch Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
- 10 slices thick-cut bacon
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place bacon on an oven-safe, wire rack over a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Place bacon strips atop the rack.
- Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to a small bowl. Dip a basting or pastry brush in the syrup and add a light coating of syrup across the top of each piece of bacon. Clean the brush and the bowl and set aside.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate small bowl, and sprinkle evenly across the top of each strip of bacon. Pat down to adhere.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the clean bowl and lightly dab the bacon with maple syrup using the clean brush. Allow to cool (about 10 minutes), serve, and enjoy.
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