Bourbon Brown Sugar Bacon – Oven-baked bacon is topped with bourbon and brown sugar to give you a yummy sweet and salty snack.

Earlier this week, I told you I’d have a double-dose of recipes that are perfect for Father’s Day this weekend. Because, well, father’s love breakfast too!

First, I gave you this incredible recipe for Pistachio Pancakes for a sweet and salty fix. And, what do ya know – I have another sweet and salty treat for you today.

This one is one of the easiest recipes you’ll find here at CPA but man, does it produce great results. It’s a recipe for my Bourbon Brown Sugar Bacon and only uses 3 ingredients: bourbon, brown sugar, and bacon. The 3 B’s, as I call them.

Before we get into the details, let’s just take a moment to look at its beauty.

Oven-cooked Bacon

Cooking bacon in the oven has changed my life. It’s not a new concept, by any means. But it’s one that I’ve only recently adopted because it’s (1) so easy, (2) virtually mess-free, and (3) produces a bacon that just melts in your mouth but also has a crisp to it.

I tried cooking bacon in the oven in the past but I think I was doing it wrong. First, I was broiling it, which meant I had to flip it halfway through so both sides would crisp. I was also using a rack to let the fat drip off which is probably healthier but made the bacon too dry and blah. It wasn’t until my brother-in-law’s girlfriend made us breakfast that I learned the RIGHT way to oven-cook bacon.

First, you only need to set the temperature to 350 degrees. Next, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil – multiple layers if you want little clean-up. Finally, just lay out the bacon flat and in one layer before baking for about 20 minutes. I rotate the baking sheet halfway through cooking but there’s definitely no need to flip it, too.

Once the bacon is done, it’s drained on paper towels and dabbed to remove excess fat.

Bourbon Brown Sugar Topping

To take oven-baked bacon to another level, it’s topped with a bourbon & brown sugar syrup AND more sprinkles of brown sugar. The result it almost candy-like, according to my husband. And I can’t disagree. The bacon turns shiny and slightly sticky and noticeably sweet.

To make the syrup, the bourbon and 1 cup of brown sugar are reduced over medium-low heat until it’s thickened up a little but, but not super syrupy like maple syrup. Then, it’s brushed over bacon before it goes in the oven. I do two coats for extra flavor.

Finally, the bacon get’s a sprinkling of more brown sugar for added texture and popped in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the bacon turns deep brown.

Tips & Tricks

1. Make sure you cook the bourbon & brown sugar mixture on medium-low heat so that it doesn’t caramelize too fast and turn solid.
2. I used regular bacon for this recipe. The thick-cut bacon just turned out too chewy for me. I wanted the bacon to be crispy and almost candy-like. So I insist you avoid thick bacon for this recipe.
3. When sprinkling on the brown sugar, it’s much easier to use your fingers. I tried using a spoon and the sugar just clumps together. It’s much easier to do a sprinkling motion with my fingers and ensure the brown sugar spread evenly over the bacon.
4. Bacon is done when it almost looks burnt. This was hard for me to accept that because, as a baker, I’ve been taught that food is done when it starts to brown. Not bacon! It’s done when it almost looks TOO done. Trust me.

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