This Pig Candy (or brown sugar bacon) is an irresistible and easy snack or breakfast side dish. It's a sweet and salty combination that is guaranteed to please!
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Cut the bacon in half.
Line a baking sheet with foil and then place a cooling rack on top. Spray rack with nonstick cooking spray.
Place bacon strips on top of the rack. Take a basting brush and brush hot sauce over the bacon.
No basting brush? Just shake a few drops on each piece and spread it out with a butter knife or the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle bacon with brown sugar and freshly cracked black pepper.
Bake for 10-20 minutes (how long you cook will depend on how crispy you want your bacon.)
Notes
You must only use thick cut bacon.
Use your favorite hot sauce. I used tabasco for this recipe but I think Sriracha would be a great alternative.
I cut the bacon strips in half but you can leave them whole. I think cutting them up helps them fit better on the wire rack.
This should be baked on a wire rack over a lined baking sheet otherwise it might get stuck when the brown sugar caramelizes. If you don't have a wire rack, you can use nonstick aluminum foil. It'll be a little messier but it will work in a pinch.
I haven't tried this in an air fryer but I'm sure it would work great.
If you don't like that kick of spiciness, you can absolutely leave out the pepper and hot sauce.