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Just when you thought bacon couldn’t be any better, along comes this Air Fryer Candied Bacon recipe. It’s the perfect way to cook crispy bacon strips for a sweet and salty treat.
This is one of those air fryer bacon recipes that is sure to be your new favorite way to cook up those slices of bacon over and over again. When it comes to a fast and easy air fryer recipe, just go ahead and add this to your list of favorite foods.
Some people refer to this as millionaire’s bacon, but around here, we just call it addictive and delicious. Forget about adding strips of bacon to your baking sheets and then having to deal with that mess once it’s done cooking!
Try serving this candied bacon with a side of air fryer pancakes. So yummy!
This easy recipe proves why our favorite appliance is the air fryer because it provides easier cleanup for this candy bacon every single time! You’re just a couple of minutes away from enjoying the baked-on sugar flavor on these bacon slices. Get ready – you’re going to be hooked! Perfect with this fun charcuterie board or a fun twist for a Bloody Mary!
Ingredients:
- Bacon – For the best texture of this cooked bacon, thick cut bacon is going to work best. You can use regular bacon, but it’s pretty thin.
- Brown sugar – Just add a single layer on top of the thick-cut bacon.
- Optional: Red pepper chili flakes
How to make Air Fryer Candied Bacon
- Place bacon strips in a shallow dish with brown sugar. Toss bacon slices well, so both sides are coated with brown sugar.
- Place slices in the air fryer basket, working in batches, so they don’t overlap while air frying.
- Air fry at 380 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until bacon is crispy. Remove slices and place them on a cooling rack or on a plate to cool before eating.
I make this recipe in my Cosori 5.8 qt. air fryer or 6.8 quart air fryer. Depending on your air fryer, size and wattages, cooking time may need to be adjusted 1-2 minutes.
Variations
Make it spicy – If you love salty and sweet, why not add some heat? Cayenne pepper is a great way to kick up the flavor easily. Just don’t go overboard, it’s hot! (the good thing is that you can spice up a few slices of bacon without having to do them all!)
Use maple syrup – Covering a bacon piece or two with maple syrup is a fun way to make air fryer maple bacon!
Change up the seasonings – Candied bacon is great to make, but you can also try to add other seasonings, like McCormick’s, and create a whole new mixture. Adding red pepper flakes and garlic powder could be so yummy as well! Play around with the seasonings to see what you can make!
How to serve
It’s as simple as putting the strips of bacon on a wire rack or paper towel and letting them cool down enough to enjoy! If you want to pair this with eggs and pancakes or even make it a fun appetizer before a meal, all are great options for serving.
How to store
Once the cook time is done, let the bacon come to room temperature and then store the pieces in aluminum foil or in an airtight container. Any leftovers need to be kept in the fridge.
To reheat, you can heat it in the oven or microwave, or air fryer. To try to get the bacon crispy again, the air fryer will be the best method.
FAQs
You have to be sure that you give the bacon room in the air fryer. No part of the bacon, not even the side of the bacon pieces, should be touching. Place the bacon in a single layer in the air fryer basket, and you’ll get perfectly crispy bacon each and every time.
Absolutely. You can use any cut of bacon that you want. The biggest difference between regular cut bacon and thick cut bacon is that the regular cut will get crispier quicker. This is because it’s thinner. Thick cut bacon tends to have a balance of crispy outer edges with a juicy center, which is what makes this million dollar bacon priceless, in our opinion.
For the best results, the bacon needs to be thawed and ready to cook. Frozen bacon will release excess moisture, and the sugar mixture isn’t going to stick well to the outside of it. If all the sugar falls off during the frying process, you’re left with just plain bacon – which might still be yummy, but it’s not what we’re going for with this recipe!
MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES:
- Air Fryer Pickle Poppers
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Pineapple
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
- Air Fryer Twisted Bacon
- Air Fryer Bacon
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Air Fryer Candied Bacon
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Place bacon slices in a shallow dish with brown sugar. Toss bacon slices well so both sides are coated with brown sugar.
- Place slices in the air fryer basket, working in batches so they don’t overlap while air frying.
- Air fry at 380 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until bacon is crispy. Remove slices and place on a cooling rack or on a plate to cool before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have only tried air fryer bacon twice ( fairly new at air frying). I used too thin bacon and it curled up in a ball. We like crisp bacon. I put a slice of bread in the bottom of the pan – under the rack. It absorbs the grease. I do not save the grease as it’s not the heathest for you.
A reader suggested( I love the idea and do it) using the bacon grease to.make suet for the birds. Adding bird seed, dried fruit and nuts makes it a Win Win situation.
I will try this recipe using the sugar because I drizzled maple syrup over mine.
Thanks for the recipe
Do you preheat the air fryer?
Hi Carleen. I didn’t preheat the air fryer.