Name: Sweet and Spicy Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 pound thick cut bacon; 3 tablespoons brown sugar; 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup; 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce; 1 teaspoon crushed ghost pepper flakes

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Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon is the best of both worlds - sweet and extra spicy! Made with ghost pepper chili flakes, sriracha sauce, brown sugar and pure maple syrup, this bacon is anything but bland. Beware... it's incredibly addictive and one of the best bites you will ever experience!

Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon Recipe

Okay, just... WOW. This recipe is no joke. It's seriously one of the tastiest bites I've had in a while, and DANG! I've had a lot of bites. Truly, there's something about candied bacon that, after a single bite simply overwhelms your other senses. It forces your brain to center solely on the pleasure of your taste buds, forgoing all other sensory input.

Go ahead and take a bite if you don't believe me. Feel your muscles go slack as the ultimate combination of sweet and spicy melts onto your tongue in the most mouthwatering melody ever! Am I being overly dramatic here? I think not, because every time I've served this spicy candied bacon to friends, it gets more compliments than I can handle.

Why Make Sweet and Spicy Candied Bacon?

It's perfect for spice lovers. Made with both crushed ghost pepper flakes and sriracha sauce, this easy candied bacon recipe is ideal for those who like some serious heat.
Makes for a unique appetizer. I like to serve it in smaller parties as a starter. People walking in the door are greeted with hellos, drinks, and candied bacon. Wouldn't you love to enjoy a nice piece of candied bacon upon arrival? I sure would!
Hello, brunch! Your homemade bloody mary just got so much better.

The addition of subtle sweetness to the bacon gives it a dessert-like quality, though it's not quite dessert. Surely you can serve it as a dessert, and I am adding this to our Spicy Desserts Recipes Category, but it's more of a snack, appetizer, or spicy bloody mary garnish.

It's also extremely portable, so bring it along for tailgating parties, concerts, walks in the park, pretty much anywhere you want to make friends quickly.

Ingredients for Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon

Bacon
Brown sugar
Maple syrup
Sriracha sauce
Crushed ghost pepper flakes

This list of ingredients is just how we like it - short and sweet!

How to Make Spicy Candied Bacon - the Recipe Method

Mix together brown sugar, pure maple syrup, sriracha sauce and ghost pepper chili flakes in a bowl.

Preheat your oven to 375°F and arrange the bacon on a wire rack set over a foil lined baking sheet.

Brush on the sweet-spicy mixture, then bake 25-30 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the sugar is bubbling and caramelized. (Check around the 20-minute mark.)

Cool for 5-10 minutes to firm up.

Boom! Done! Extra spicy ghost pepper candied bacon is in the house! Time to eat it up.

Recipe Tips

Use foil. It helps to wrap the pan in aluminum foil first for easy clean up.
Don't over-bake. The bacon strips will crisp up a bit more after you remove them from the oven and they cool.
Use a wire cooling rack. Cooking and cooling the bacon on a wire rack helps it stay nice and crispy as the extra fats drip down.

Storage Information

Once your ghost pepper bacon cools to room temperature, you can transfer it to an airtight container and keep it stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Try Some of My Other Ghost Pepper Recipes

I love cooking with ghost peppers and have a number of spicy ghost pepper recipes to share with you. Here's a list of a few of my favorite bold recipes:

Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - Stacked on a plate

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Sweet and Spicy Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon Recipe

This candied bacon recipe is sweet and extra spicy, made with ghost pepper chili flakes, sriracha sauce, brown sugar and pure maple syrup. Beware. It is super addictive, one of the best bites you will ever experience.

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bacon, ghost pepper, recipe, video

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Calories: 137kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: pieces

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4.95 from 18 votes

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Ingredients

1 pound thick cut bacon
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon crushed ghost pepper flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top.
Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the rack.
Mix together the brown sugar, maple syrup, sriracha sauce and ghost pepper flakes in a large bowl.
Rub each bacon slice down with your spice mixture. Get them good and coated!
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the sugar is caramelized. (NOTE: Check it at 20 minutes to make sure it isn’t done, but it usually takes 25-30 minutes.)
Cool for 5-10 minutes. The bacon will firm up as it cools.

Video

Notes

Heat Factor: Medium. Despite using ghost pepper flakes, the sweet really balances it out. Use extra ghost pepper flakes or powder to up the heat factor.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 137kcal Carbohydrates: 5g Protein: 3g Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 18mg Sodium: 212mg Potassium: 69mg Sugar: 4g Vitamin A: 50IU Vitamin C: 0.6mg Calcium: 7mg Iron: 0.2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

This recipe was updated on 1/8/19 to include new photos and video. It was originally published on 8/4/17.