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Candied Bacon (Air Fryer)

airfryer-candiedbaconI fell in love with this easy air fryer candied bacon recipe. Slices of bacon are basted with brown sugar, sprinkled with a bit of garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper. Air fried until candied, glossy, thick, and hard. Yes, bacon actually becomes thicker and harder and can stand on its own (a fancy way of serving in the glass jar) Cooks to candied delicious perfection in just 10 minutes in the air fryer.

12 slices bacon
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground
garlic powder (optional)

Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine olive oil with brown sugar, until becomes a wet paste consistency.

Rub bacon with brown sugar, using your fingertips or a silicone brush.

Place the bacon into the air fryer basket or tray and air fry for 4 minutes.

Flip each piece of bacon on the other side and add more sugar, garlic powder and pepper on top. Air fry for an additional 4 minutes or until bacon crisps up to your liking. 8 minutes for cooking both sides is about the right time. If you cook more than 8 minutes, be sure you check at every 1 minute or else it may burn.

Let cool on the paper towel. The bacon will become harder as it cools.

Serve on a plate or in the glass jar for a fancy presentation. I served mine in the wine glass and held it above the pool. Now I know why sometimes they call it Million dollar bacon.

Cook's Notes:

  • Bacon becomes much thicker after cooking and cooling.
  • Bacon becomes hard and candy-like or bacon jerky-like.
  • Do not let the bacon overlap or touch each other when cooking. Give them some space. Or else the bacon strips may stick to each other.
  • Bacon shrinks.
  • Seasoning the other side of the bacon is completely optional. For me, seasoning only one side of the bacon strip was just the right flavor for me. But you can experiment to your liking.

Experiment with some other flavour, swap out the sugar for:

  • Maple syrup
  • Pure honey
  • BBQ sauce
  • Brown sugar + cayenne pepper
  • Brown sugar + chipotle BBQ Rub