This brown sugar bacon recipe (also known as Pig Candy or candied bacon) is such an addictive snack, because with each bite, you crack through a sweet, spicy shell.
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What is brown sugar bacon?
Brown sugar bacon is one of those delicious treats that are hard to stop eating.
Usually, it’s made with brown sugar and chili powder. Sometimes people add maple syrup or honey, too.
This recipe is just as easy, but instead of chili powder, I use my favorite hot sauce for pork – Moore’s Spicy Mustard Hot Sauce.
It has notes of mustard, vinegar, cayenne, sugar and black pepper.
Ingredients
Substitutions: If you can’t find the spicy mustard hot sauce, you can use 1 1/2 tablespoons spicy mustard, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and a couple dashes of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
How to cook brown sugar bacon
Start by setting up your grill with an indirect heat zone and a temperature of 300F degrees.
If you’re using a pellet grill, set the temp to 300F degrees, and be sure to line the pan under the grate with aluminum foil, because this cook is messy.
If you’re using a gas or charcoal grill, be sure to cook over indirect heat (the side without coals or the burners on).
Both cherry and pecan woods balance nicely with the spicy mustard hot sauce.
- STEP ONE: Mix the hot sauce in a small bowl with a half cup of brown sugar. Zap it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. This will thin the glaze out so it’s easier to spread.
- STEP TWO: Use a pastry brush or basting brush to spread the sweet spicy brown sugar mixture on both sides of the bacon strips, and place the bacon slices in a single layer on a wire rack.
- STEP THREE: Next, it’s time for a kiss of smoke. Place the entire cooling rack right on the grill, and smoke the bacon for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, it will still be a little pliable, but that’s okay. As the glaze cools, it hardens into sweet, spicy, salty, smoky candy that melts in your mouth.
How to serve brown sugar bacon
When it’s done smoking, remove the entire rack of bacon from the grill and let it cool over a baking pan.
Do not place the bacon onto paper towels or it will stick and you’ll end up with paper-coated bacon.
Once it’s cool, you can remove it from the rack and serve it on a plate or in a tall glass.
Storage
This brown sugar bacon is best when eaten right away. If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, but the sugars will start to melt and the bacon will become sticky.
If you’re going to refrigerate the cooked bacon. Store the pieces between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper in an airtight container.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Cooked bacon, whether candied or not, should be stored in the refrigerator. It will last for about 7 days. However, the pig candy coating will start to dissolve once it’s refrigerated and it won’t be so crispy.
Candied bacon is most often made with bacon, brown sugar and maple syrup. This recipe uses a spicy mustard sauce in place of the maple syrup, which makes it both sweet and savory.
You don’t have to have a smoker to make this recipe. You can also place the cooling rack over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake it in a 300F degree oven for 30 minutes.
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Smoked Spicy Mustard Brown Sugar Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon
- 2 tbsp Moore's Spicy Mustard Hot Sauce*
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat Grill: Heat your smoker to 300F degrees with indirect heat.Â
- Make Glaze: Combine the brown sugar and hot sauce in a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds to thin in out. Stir well.
- Brush: Place the bacon on a baking rack in a single layer. Brush the spicy honey mustard brown sugar on both sides of the bacon.Â
- Smoke: Place the rack in the smoker, and smoke for 30-40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon. The bacon will still be pliable, but will harden as it cools. Â
- Cool: Remove from the grill and let it cool on the rack over a baking sheet.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
LOVED this bacon. Made a version with smoked maple syrup too. Wondering if you think this could be refrigerated after, then given as a foodie gift the next day or so?
Thanks!
Oh yeah, your comp chicken thighs are the BOMB!!!!
Absolutely. The only down side to your plan is that your fiends are going to be asking you to make bacon all the time :)
Hi This recipe looks great. Please could you give us the recipe using ingredients that are obtainable outside the USA as we can’t get this mustard sauce. Thanks
You can try combining your favorite yellow mustard with a dash or two of hot sauce.