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I know I know I know, I’ve been holding out you folks on the Man Candy recipes. It’s funny how a single basic ingredient, bacon, can literally go viral globally. Ever since introducing the Man Candy series I have lost count on how many millions of hits these recipes have had. These Man Candy recipes have been featured on countless websites, tv shows, blogs, food shows. You’ve tweeted, pinned, stumbled upon, googled and fell in love. Bacon lovers united, held hands (well okay just a single hand as the other was needed to stuff this amazing Man Candy Bacon in your mouth! LOL) and praised me for these things. Men wept in joy, dogs offered up their favorite bones in exchange for a piece and a statue was erected in my honor. Okay so fine, that stuff may not be true but men did weep. LOL
Just look at how damn sexy she is…
So I had been doing a ton of cooking with bourbon lately. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE bourbon with pork and chicken. It mellows and sweetens so beautifully. Now this recipe came about while I was making breakfast for Mr. Fantabulous. See while the man says he doesn’t like bacon (big fat fib there by the way!), he “requires” bacon with this breakfast every Saturday and Sunday morning. As I was cooking his bacon I was cleaning off my counter top. As I was wiping it all down, I picked up the bottle of bourbon (as I made bourbon glazed chicken the night before) and ‘heard’ the bacon sizzle. And just like clockwork, the eye brow got raised (I went into thinking mode), the wheels starting churning and away I went.
This recipe just seemed to create itself. It was as if the ingredients had a pow-wow and said “Okay troops, gather round.. it’s time to party on the bacon boat!” This baked up so amazing that literally I had to make 2 batches that day because we inhaled the first batch. Now to be fair the ‘we’ wasn’t just Mr. Fantabulous and I. We had company pop over and literally as soon as they walked in the door the first comment was “OHHHHHHHHH you have BACON!!!” LOL Yes, bacon is that magical!
Now I’ve made this recipe a ton of times and want an awesome trick with this recipe specifically? Coat one side of the bacon and wrap it around boneless chicken strips and bake! OMG! No seriously, O M G!!! I basted it a couple more times while the chicken baked. The flavor this infused into it was probably some of the best chicken I had ever had! Bacon and bourbon?! Dude, for real! This stuff is legit!
… you’re welcome <curtsey> LOL
Bourbon Brown Sugar Maple Bacon Man Candy IV
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Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon (I prefer thick cut)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 ounces Bourbon
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire cooling rack on top.
- Spray the rack with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add the brown sugar, bourbon, and maple syrup. Cook, stirring often until the mixture is reduced and because a thick syrup/glaze. ~about 15-30 minutes. Watch the heat so it doesn’t burn. If it starts to reduce too quickly, you should reduce the heat. Keep it warm once it’s reduced.
- Place the pieces of bacon on top of the rack trying not to overlap. Spoon or brush the syrup on top of the bacon. Place in oven and cook for 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the bacon. Spoon or brush the mixture on top of the bacon. Return to the oven and cook for 13 minutes.
- If the bacon is not crispy enough (remember it’ll crisp up as it cools), flip the bacon over, spoon any remaining spice mixture and bake for a few more minutes. OR you can broil for 1 minute each side but watch as this will burn.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool 1 minute on the rack and then using cooking tongs, and remove the bacon from the rack and plate.
I’m trying this for the first time for Thanksgiving. I read so many reviews, I might try this MY way. I saw a similar recipe in a holiday magazine. I will maybe combine the two versions. Can’t wait!
I’m trying this for the first time this Thanksgiving. I’ve read so many reviews, I might try it MY way. Can’t wait !
could you use the leftover syrup and swirl it through some vanilla ice cream? Crumble up the candied bacon and put it in the ice cream too? Going camping this weekend, and thinking Bourbon Maple Bacon Icecream would be a hit with the men since its supposed to be 98 degrees!!!
★★★★
Good suggestion – I think the left over syrup with some of the bacon pieces would be a great ice cream topping over Blue Bell Pecan ice cream.
Round one:
Cooking the glaze for “15-30 min” on medium heat is WAY off. After 7-8 min it was dehydrated enough that it became a crystallized, sticky sludge.
Second round:
I cooked this batch of glaze long enough to just melt the sugar and evaporate a portion of the alcohol (3-4min), then removed it from the heat. By the time the second coat on the bacon is needed the “glaze” was concrete in the bottom of the pan. Had to re-heat it again which caused it to dry out (not as dry as round one).
The bacon cooked up very nicely and had a good flavor.
★★★
This is always a hit at potlucks!!! This and my deviled eggs are always requested. The bourbon bacon is easy to make and tastes soooo good. I make it just as the recipe is written and it turns out perfect every time.
★★★★★
We’re going to pair the bacon with these Creole Shrimp Deviled Eggs Recipe on the DIYJOY website
I’ve made this twuce now and both times it was a huge hit! And yes OMG sooo good!
I made several of batches and the glaze seemed to start to set into hard surgar on top but scooping that off as I went helped.
Also I made a dipping sauce of:
For the dipping sauce I just use maple syrup, cayenne pepper ( lots for that heat punch), regular pepper and mix it up until it tastes good. The last time I added a little bit of honey.
Are the chicken strips pre cooked or raw?
No I did not make it, but I inhaled it last night at a Christmas party.
OMG! I have NEVER eaten ANYTHING like this…absolutely 😋 DELICIOUS.
★★★★★
Tee hee! Thank you so much Cindy!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Good recipe, but you’ll need 50% more sauce, and plan on increasing either the cooking time or temperature. 26 min a time 400 wont get it done.
★★★★
I wish I had read the comments first. I would not have cooked the syrup either. It does get hard while you’re waiting to turn the bacon. And if your not going to cook the syrup, why not just put the bacon in a large bowl, pour the syrup in and coat all the bacon completely at once using your hands?
★★★★
Lori,
I made two batches of this for a Halloween Party.
Great recipe, people ate it up… Figuratively and literally.
I did add some Sriracha to my second batch and it was great. The color was redder and it now had, salty, sweet and hot all together.
Thanks for a great recipe.
★★★★
Thank you so much Nick! Love the addition of the Sriracha too! I have a Sriracha version of the Candied bacon on the blog but I’m loving your thinking of adding it with the bourbon!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
1/2 Southern hot honey 1/2 maple syrup might be worth a try.
I used jalapeño bacon, it was yummy! I won’t cook the syrup next time, just toss the bacon in the syrup, then use the leftover syrup to baste with a basting brush. DELICIOUS recipe!