Billionaire Bacon Brown Sugar (Print Version)

Thick-cut bacon coated in brown sugar and spices, baked until crispy and caramelized for a sweet-savory bite.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bacon

01 - 8 slices extra-thick cut bacon

→ Brown Sugar Coating

02 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
04 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
05 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on top.
02 - Place the bacon slices in a single layer on the wire rack, ensuring space between each slice.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika until evenly mixed.
04 - Generously sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over both sides of each bacon slice, pressing lightly to adhere.
05 - Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until bacon reaches a deep caramel color and crisp texture.
06 - Remove from oven and cool on the rack for 5 minutes to allow bacon to crisp further.
07 - Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms ordinary bacon into something so crispy and caramelized that people genuinely fight over the last piece.
  • Takes barely any hands-on time but delivers the kind of flavor that makes you look like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • Works as breakfast, an appetizer, or that thing you sneak from the counter while no one's looking.
02 -
  • The brown sugar will look like a lot when you apply it, but it melts and concentrates in the heat—trust the process and coat generously.
  • Rotating the pan halfway through isn't optional; without it, you'll end up with burnt edges on one side and pale sugar on the other.
  • Those last 5 minutes of cooling are when the magic happens—skip them and you'll have soft, chewy bacon instead of crispy candy.
03 -
  • Extra-thick bacon is worth hunting down at a decent butcher or in the specialty section—thin bacon won't give you the contrast between crispy and tender that makes these special.
  • Try swapping the brown sugar for maple sugar once if you want a subtler, more sophisticated sweetness, but regular brown sugar is perfection as written.
Go Back