• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop

Chili Pepper Madness logo

  • Recipe Index
  • RECIPES BY TYPE
    • BBQ/Grilled
    • Burgers
    • Chicken Wings
    • Chili
    • Curry
    • Dehydrator
    • Game Day
    • Hot Sauces
    • Jalapeno Poppers
    • Marinades
    • Pickling
    • Preserving
    • Quick and Easy
    • Salsas
    • Sauces
    • Seasonings
    • Stuffed Peppers
    • Tacos
  • COOKING TIPS
  • Pepper Info
    • Chili Pepper Types
    • The Scoville Scale
    • Hottest Peppers in the World
    • Growing Chili Peppers
    • Preserving
    • Health Benefits
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Buy Plants & Seeds
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes
  • Pepper Info
  • Chili Pepper Types
  • The Scoville Scale
  • Growing Chili Peppers
  • Preserving
  • Chili Pepper Health Benefits
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Cooking Tips
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop
  • About Us
×

Home » Sweet and Spicy Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon

Sweet and Spicy Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon

by Mike Hultquist · Jan 11, 2019 · 29 Comments

Jump to Recipe
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.

Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - Recipe

OK, just...WOW.

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

Go ahead. Take a bite. Feel your muscles go slack as the ultimate combination of sweet and spicy melts onto your tongue.

Am I being overly dramatic here? I think not, because, hey, #CandiedBacon. Yes!

Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - Stacked on a plate

The first time I heard of "candied bacon" was years ago, after I had graduated college. It sounded weird to me.

What did that mean? Candied? With bacon? Why would anyone want to "candy" something that is meant to be savory? And isn't it, I don't know, sacrilegious to adulterate the perfection that is bacon?

I mean, bacon doesn't need anything! It's BACON!

I have discovered, as you may now discover...I was WRONG.

Grabbing a piece of Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon

 

The addition of the sweetness to the bacon gives is 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 or even an 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!

Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - Ready to serve

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.

The process is simple enough.

How to Make Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - the Recipe Method

First, you'll mix together brown sugar, pure maple syrup, sriracha sauce and ghost pepper chili flakes in a bowl.

Mixing together the spicy ghost pepper mixture to make ghost pepper candied bacon

For the ghost pepper flakes, I crushed some ghost peppers that I had dehydrated from my garden. You can find dried ghost pepper flakes or powders online.

Crushing dried ghost peppers

Spread the bacon out over a baking sheet and rub them down with your sweet and spicy mixture. It helps to wrap the pan in aluminum foil first for easy clean up.

Covering a baking sheet with aluminum foil

Get both sides. Rub them down good!

Rub down the bacon with your spicy ghost pepper mixture

Bake them for 30 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked through and JUST starting to crisp up. They will crisp up a bit more after you remove them from the oven and they cool.

Cooling them on a wire rack helps them stay nice and crispy as the extra fats drip down.

Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - On a cooling rack

That's it. Enjoy the heck out of them.

I made a large batch and gave some to my next door neighbor. His son stole the last piece and said, "Who made this? This is the most flavorful, delicious meat I have ever had. I would to sell it at my workplace."

Well alright!

So there you go. Proof enough? I hope you will give it a try! Let me know how much you like it in the comments.

And see the Candied Bacon Recipe Video below.

Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - On a plate

Patty's Perspective

Yeah, what HE said! Candied bacon is so outrageously GOOD, it's almost likeyou can't have it in the house. I'll just eat it all! It really is THE ultimate garnish for Bloody Marys. Don't make a Bloody Mary without it.

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 is a list of recipes:

  • Sweet and Spicy Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon
  • Sweet Ghost Pepper-Pineapple-Pear Hot Sauce
  • Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
  • Ghost Pepper Chicken Curry
  • Ghost Pepper Chicken Wings
  • Fresh Ghost Pepper Salsa
  • Pineapple-Mango Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce
  • Homemade Ghost Pepper Chili Hot Sauce
  • Ghost Pepper Remoulade
  • Homemade Chili Powders

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.

Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - Recipe
Print

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.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon, ghost pepper, recipe, video
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Calories: 137kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 16 pieces
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 14 votes
Leave a Review

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 your oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spread the bacon out over a large baking sheet.
  • 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 the bacon for 30 minutes, or until is just getting crispy.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool. It will crisp up more in that time.
  • Enjoy!

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
Ghost Pepper Candied Bacon - Recipe
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.

Categories: Appetizers Tags: bacon, bhut jolokia, Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, game day and superbowl parties, ghost pepper, mikes favorites, sriracha, tailgating, video recipe

Primary Sidebar

ALL. SPICY. RECIPES. Hi, I’m Mike and I LOVE Spicy Food! Say goodbye to bland and boring food with my easy-to-follow recipes. Let’s get cooking!

More about me →

Mexican
Cajun
Sauces
Seasonings

5 ESSENTIALS FOR SPICY COOKING

Subscribe and receive my FREE email series with tips for spicy cooking and new Recipes

Order The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND / BOOKS A MILLION

Order The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND

Most Popular Recipes

  • Bang Bang Chicken
  • Pollo Guisado Recipe (Chicken Stew)
  • Creamy Fish Taco Sauce
  • Michelada Recipe - Spicy Mexican Beer and Tomato Juice Cocktail
  • Jamaican Jerk Seasoning - Taste of the Caribbean
  • Homemade Blackening Seasoning

Footer

NEVER MISS A RECIPE

Receive my "5 Essentials for Spicy Cooking" email series & new recipes

↑ back to top

About | Contact | Travel-Food | Stories | Privacy | Disclaimer | © 2022 Chili Pepper Madness

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OF MEDIAVINE FOOD