Candied Whiskey Bacon

Candied Whiskey Bacon is seriously a perfect brunch food recipe. This fancy take on classic bacon will liven up any brunch menu with its memorable sweet and spicy flavor!

I recently had the pleasure of being a bridesmaid. With that coveted title came a lot of other responsibilities I wasn’t entirely prepared for. One of those responsibilities is the bridal shower. None of the bride’s family came out to offer to throw her a bridal shower. The task then became the duty of the bridesmaids. Together, we put together one amazing event!

Everyone contributed what they knew and I knew that the brunch menu had to be delicious! I took to Pinterest to find some of the latest and greatest brunch menu ideas. While miniature everything is adorable, I felt we also needed some real sustenance to go with our bubbly. While traditional bacon seemed like a good idea, I wasn’t keen on getting popped with grease while wearing my party clothes or having the whole house smell like bacon or worse, having the house be all smokey because the heat was turned up too high because I’m in a hurry! So the bacon idea was scratched.

Until I saw a pin for candied whiskey bacon.😲

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The light bulb turned on upstairs.💡 I realized Candied Whiskey Bacon was a great option because it can be made in advance! Since the bridal shower was being held 30 minutes from my house at 10 am, I knew I didn’t want to be up at dawn cooking. Just getting myself ready and getting the car packed up would take up all of my available morning time so bringing dishes that were ready to be served was important to me.

I started doing lots of research on different recipes and how they made their versions.

After compiling what I learned I created this recipe. Not a huge fan of spicy foods myself, I cut down the amount of black pepper pretty significantly compared to other recipes. Even with the reduced pepper, this candied whiskey bacon still has a nice kick to it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 shot of whiskey
• 1 pound of Bacon

I’ve broken the recipe down into 5 easy to follow steps. I even have pictures so I promise you won’t get lost (😂 You won’t. It’s that easy!)  There is also a recipe card you can print and use in the kitchen with you if that’s more your style. This candied whiskey bacon is so easy to make you’ll wonder why you haven’t made it more often. So let’s get started!

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Step 1 of 5

Step 1: Gather Ingredients (Mise-en-plas)

Measure out 2 teaspoons of black pepper, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1 shot of whiskey (any kind will do!) I like to measure out each ingredient separately before I begin the recipe. This method is called ‘mise en place’ which is French for ‘everything in its place’. Doing this simple step, in the beginning, ensures that I stay organized and focused throughout the recipe.

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Step 2 of 5

Step 2: Preheat Oven & Mix Glaze

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Don’t forget this step, like I’ve done. A million times. 🙈

First, mix together the brown sugar and black pepper. Next, add the shot of whiskey to the sugar mixture and mix well to fully combine.

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Step 3 of 5

Step 3: Get ‘Yo Bacon Ready! 🥓

Using the largest cookie sheet you own, fully line the sheet with tin foil. You want to make the cleanup as pain-free as possible!

Place a metal cooling rack inside your foil-lined baking sheet.  Finally, neatly drape your strips of bacon across the cooling rack. I opted for maximum space utilization and lined them up whichever way they would fit!

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Step 4 of 5

Step 4: Brush On Whiskey Glaze

Using a silicone basting brush evenly coat bacon strips with the whiskey sugar glaze.

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Step 5 of 5

Step 5: Cook for 20 Minutes and Allow to Cool

Bake glaze-coated bacon in the oven for 20 minutes at 350ºF.

Once bacon has fully cooked, remove from rack using tongs and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Enjoy warm or make in advance, like I did!

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Let me tell you how this went.

Someone walks up to the food display. *They take a look at what options there are.* Quickly they start to realize that basically, everything requires a plate. They aren’t totally sure if they’re ready to commit that. The party is just starting and there’s a lot of Hellos to do, you’ll need your hands to be free.🙋 Then they see the bacon. Oh, it’s so easy to grab and easy to eat. Bacon it is.

They take a bite and realize it’s not normal bacon. There is a slightly horrified look on their face for being initially misled and then they taste it. It’s delicious.

They ask “what’s on this bacon?!”

You say it’s candied whiskey bacon. They continue eating it until the entire platter is gone.  👏

Although this candied whiskey bacon was served cold it was a huge hit. In fact, it was the first item to go! Who doesn’t love bacon? Unless your a vegan or vegetarian. But you wouldn’t be reading this, now would you? 😉

What’s on your brunch menu? I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe. Let me know in the comments below!

So now it’s your turn! If you try this, tag me at @goldengluegun

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