I just made one pound using thick cut bacon, cane syrup and fresh made spicy rub. The verdict from the skeptical and somewhat jadded family: "We want this every morning!" Thanks, Jeff!
I have been a subscriber to Jeff’s smoking-meat emails and newsletters for about 3 years and have never once been disappointed with a recipe of his. I have done the bacon candy once or twice and there is usually no trace that it ever existed within minutes of me putting it out for the family. Ribs, salmon, brisket...you name it. They all turn out fantastic! Thanks Jeff! Gonna try the poor man’s burnt ends soon. Stay safe and stay healthy!
My mom and I won the dessert portion of a BBQ contest using this recipe served with a ice cream like mixture that goes really well with it. It was a huge hit. Thanks
Jeff; I have been making bacon candy for a number of years now and it is always a hit. I have even had people order some from me. I do not always add the maple syrup and just go with the brown sugar. One trick I learned early on was to take a small flour sifter and put the brown sugar in that and sift it out over the bacon. It comes out so even and it is really quick too. No need to press it in as it is so fine it just absorbs into the bacon fat so quickly. Secondly, I add more of you rub than you do as it gives a secondary bit to the taste when eating it. And one last thing, is that while it is still a little pliable I take kitchen shears and cut the bacon into squares and it makes it go a little father if there is such a thing with doing that with bacon and it is great on crackers with other meats or cheese sandwiched with it.
Hi Jeff. I’ve been following your recipes for a few years now and also purchased your rub a couple years back. I tried your candied bacon last year. As all your recipes, it came out fantastic and family and friends agreed. Thank you for your hard work, advice, and guidance. It’s greatly appreciated.
The spray bottle worked like a charm! I strained the liquid going into the bottle but probably not necessary. The bacon candy is beyond delicious! I usually share with my neighbors when smoking meat but not this time! It's all mine!!
I have made this style candy bacon with Brown sugar sifted onto a tinfoil covered rack with lil holes poked into tinfoil so grease can drip throu! Sift brown sugar on tinfoil then basket weave 8 rows of bacon both ways an sift brown sugar on basket weave an then mist spray maple syrup on top as well as just a few sprinkles of Red pepper flakes! My Treager cooks them At 250 for 30 min.
Made this yesterday. I can't even tell you how good it is!! Wonderful, wonderful. The only thing I did differently, which wouldn't effect the taste, is I layered two slices together because I thought the bacon was too thin. That said, it took longer to smoke than I expected but the wait was soooo worth it!! I won't layer the next batch. And....no leftovers.
Hi Jeff! My wife and I love your rubs! I have found that using a regular flour sifter to make your rubs works great! Does take a little effort but boy it comes out perfectly!!! I saw on your bacon that the brown sugar was "Lumpy" Please try a flour sifter to mix your rubs. I mean it works!!! Thanks for the videos and I have saved every one of your recipes and I think I have about a hundred. Thanks again!
I have made bacon candy before and it is delicious! Like slices of heaven on a plate! When smoking meat my family is always eager for a taste of the meat so I like to do this and have it ready early so they can have something to munch on.
Jonathan, If you're family is anything like mine.. you have to grab a bite before it comes in the house or you might not get any🤣 Thank you for the comments!
As always...another great video. Haven't seen one yet that I thought was either above or below my skill level. Thanks a bunch for doing these....the videos really help with on my smokin' adventures!
Brown sugar tip. We have found that the easiest way to spread the brown sugar is to let the brown sugar dry out first. We spread it out on a cookie sheet and let it sit for an hour or two. We don't have a sifter so we use a fine mesh strainer and then stir the brown sugar around in the strainer with a spoon. This creates a nice even coating of the brown sugar on the bacon. Gary & Marcia Warner
Excellent video Jeff !! 👍👍. And it’s sooooo good too. Those in doubt about his rubs and sauces should try the smaller bottles from his website, you will go back and purchase his rubs and sauces and any of his new mixtures he sends you the recipes free. Can’t beat a deal like that. Thanks Jeff for sharing with us. Fred.
It is amazing.. and addictive! Here's my salmon recipe page on the website: www.smoking-meat.com/tag/salmon I look forward to doing a salmon video soon as well.
I have not used the Texas rub on the bacon candy since I'm usually going for a sweet profile rather than something more savory. I have used the Texas rub when making regular streaky bacon from pork belly.
Jeff, this looks awesome and it is on my list for the next cook! I have a 22" WSM and see you have 2 rectangular cooking racks on this rig, and they fit perfectly. WIth my WSM I think I'd need to use both racks but the lower rack is always cooler than the top. Do you think I'd want t get WSM to 235 and rotate after an hour assuming that the lower rack will be 10deg cooler? Thanks!
Mark, I love these pans and if you watch my videos and read my website, you see that I use them ALL the time. They are stainless steel and perfect for the smoker. You can find them at smoking-meat.com/ss-pans-with-racks
We eat turkey bacon occasionally.. use to eat the Sizlean back in the day (if anyone remembers that). Sounds like a great reason to make another batch and see if the leaner types of bacon taste great as candy.. all in the name of science of course😋
A better video would have been to start with some pork bellies, then make the bacon candy. I've been making this for several years -- the pieces of bacon are better sliced twice as thick and half as long. It turns out like bacon candy jerky! What can be better? PS - try some red pepper flakes with the rub :)
I have not tried melting the brown sugar in the maple syrup before applying it to the bacon but I think it's worth a try. Let me know how this goes if you try it out.
Jeff thank you taking the time to do these videos. I notice you use those racks extensively and I wonder how you keep them so clean. The bacon candy must have made a gooey mess in the crevasses in the rack. Do you do anything special to clean them?
Tony, I use foil in the bottom and that helps to contain some of the stuff in the pan. Other than that, my pans and racks are stainless steel and I use a stainless steel scrubber to get off the tough stuff from the pans and racks along with a lot of elbow grease. Once I get them as clean as possible, I run them through the tough cycle in my dishwasher and they usually come out sparkling. In case anyone is interested, the pans/racks I use can be found at: www.smoking-meat.com/ss-pans-with-racks
@@tulsajeff Jeff here is an easier way to clean your racks, whether they're racks from your smoker or racks from your oven: lay the racks on a plastic kitchen garbage bag outside or on your garage floor. Spray them thoroughly with heavy duty oven cleaner. Turn them over and spray them some more. (The racks can be stacked one on top of the other.) After an hour or so, any built up grease and grime should easily come off simply by rinsing under your kitchen faucet and wiping with a rag or sponge. Extra stubborn baked on gunk may need a second application. Sparking clean when done. No need for any elbow grease or cleaning in your dishwasher!
You probably could.. although I have not tried it. You can also use a flour sifter on the brown sugar to disperse it more evenly and break up any lumps.
I've just discovered your videos and I'm anxious to try this bacon candy. My one questions is this....assuming there are leftovers, what is the best way to store it?
I'm not sure I've ever seen leftover bacon candy but, if I ever did, I would place it in an airtight container in the fridge and it should be good for 3 or 4 days. I bet it would even taste great cold😋
Carl, Yes I do. If you prefer to make it yourself, you can purchase the recipes at smoking-meat.com/order Let me know if you need further help with this.
Mine took about 2 hours total but you can cook it longer if you want the bacon a little more done. I do it a little different each time.. I sometimes flip them half-way through and do the maple syrup and brown sugar on both sides. Mixing it up keeps it interesting!
Jerry, That was Hormel Black Label Original with about 15-16 slices per lb. It's not overly thick but it's certainly not thin. I also like to use the big 4 pack regular bacon by Kirkland at Costco. Thank you for the tip.. I have not tried a sifter with the brown sugar but sounds like great idea!
I noticed some differences between the recipe and the video. In the recipe you added brown sugar before smoking as well as after one hour, and you also turned the bacon over at that time. You also did not mention mashing the brown sugar, when you added it in the recipe. I assume the video is more "up-to-date" than the recipe?
James, The video is definitely more up to date. I also tend to do it a little different each time. My hope is that people see how I do it and then perhaps do it that way once and then venture out and make their own experiments and changes to the recipes to make them their own.
I ended up just leaving it on the lower rack.. my temperature got up around 250 for part of the cook and it took a bit to get it back down to 225 where I wanted it. The upper rack would have been too hot and I didn't want the sugar to burn at all. Normally, I think it would be a great idea on the LSG or similar smoker.
@@tulsajeff Thank you for the quick reply. I have made pig candy (candied bacon) over the years. I love it. However, my family likes very crispy bacon. I just cannot get it too crispy without burning the sugar on the bacon. Bacon too thin just doesn't hold up. Oh well. I'll keep trying (darn it!) to make the perfect batch. Appreciate the reply and the video though! Cheers!!
That particular basket is made by Lone Star Grillz at lonestargrillz.com for some of their smokers.. I am certain it would probably work on many other smokers as well. It does a great job of concentrating and directing the heat from the firebox into the smoke chamber.
I just made one pound using thick cut bacon, cane syrup and fresh made spicy rub. The verdict from the skeptical and somewhat jadded family: "We want this every morning!" Thanks, Jeff!
I have been a subscriber to Jeff’s smoking-meat emails and newsletters for about 3 years and have never once been disappointed with a recipe of his. I have done the bacon candy once or twice and there is usually no trace that it ever existed within minutes of me putting it out for the family. Ribs, salmon, brisket...you name it. They all turn out fantastic! Thanks Jeff! Gonna try the poor man’s burnt ends soon. Stay safe and stay healthy!
You too and have a great week!
Ive made candied bacon for years and changed it up with different liquids, and it has always turned out great. This gives me another idea. Thanks
I missed the part where you eat it and say mmmmmmm. That's always my favorite part of your awesome videos.
Curtis.. my favorite part too😋 I'll have to get that next time😀
My mom and I won the dessert portion of a BBQ contest using this recipe served with a ice cream like mixture that goes really well with it. It was a huge hit. Thanks
Jeff; I have been making bacon candy for a number of years now and it is always a hit. I have even had people order some from me. I do not always add the maple syrup and just go with the brown sugar. One trick I learned early on was to take a small flour sifter and put the brown sugar in that and sift it out over the bacon. It comes out so even and it is really quick too. No need to press it in as it is so fine it just absorbs into the bacon fat so quickly. Secondly, I add more of you rub than you do as it gives a secondary bit to the taste when eating it. And one last thing, is that while it is still a little pliable I take kitchen shears and cut the bacon into squares and it makes it go a little father if there is such a thing with doing that with bacon and it is great on crackers with other meats or cheese sandwiched with it.
I need to try the flour sifter.. sounds like that could fix the clumping/uneven problem. Thanks for the feedback!
Do you sell yours still?
Hi Jeff. I’ve been following your recipes for a few years now and also purchased your rub a couple years back. I tried your candied bacon last year. As all your recipes, it came out fantastic and family and friends agreed. Thank you for your hard work, advice, and guidance. It’s greatly appreciated.
You are welcome! Have a great weekend!
I am so happy that you have a channel here now :) Thank you Jeff you are truly an inspiration!
Shibli, Thank you for the kind words.. I'm having a great time creating these videos!
@@tulsajeff I'm having a great time making and eating your recipes :)
I will make this recipe Tuesday and use a spray bottle for those left over juices and report back on how well that works.
The spray bottle worked like a charm! I strained the liquid going into the bottle but probably not necessary.
The bacon candy is beyond delicious! I usually share with my neighbors when smoking meat but not this time! It's all mine!!
Jeff, I did this bacon exactly as you did and it turned out phenomenal. You are right don’t let your friends try it because it disappears fast.
Gary, glad to hear it turned out great!!
I putting it in the Refrigerator tonight , going on my Green Mountain Grill tomorrow, can't wait!!!!
I have made this style candy bacon with Brown sugar sifted onto a tinfoil covered rack with lil holes poked into tinfoil so grease can drip throu! Sift brown sugar on tinfoil then basket weave 8 rows of bacon both ways an sift brown sugar on basket weave an then mist spray maple syrup on top as well as just a few sprinkles of Red pepper flakes! My Treager cooks them At 250 for 30 min.
Made this yesterday. I can't even tell you how good it is!! Wonderful, wonderful. The only thing I did differently, which wouldn't effect the taste, is I layered two slices together because I thought the bacon was too thin. That said, it took longer to smoke than I expected but the wait was soooo worth it!! I won't layer the next batch. And....no leftovers.
Sounds great!
Hi Jeff! My wife and I love your rubs! I have found that using a regular flour sifter to make your rubs works great! Does take a little effort but boy it comes out perfectly!!! I saw on your bacon that the brown sugar was "Lumpy" Please try a flour sifter to mix your rubs. I mean it works!!! Thanks for the videos and I have saved every one of your recipes and I think I have about a hundred. Thanks again!
John, I appreciate the tip! I will try a flour sifter on the brown sugar the next time I make a batch.
Nicely done video, Jeff. Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much!
As usual...a delightfully tasty recipe...easy 2 do...even easier to eat! Thanx, Jeff!!
My pleasure!
I have made bacon candy before and it is delicious! Like slices of heaven on a plate! When smoking meat my family is always eager for a taste of the meat so I like to do this and have it ready early so they can have something to munch on.
Jonathan, If you're family is anything like mine.. you have to grab a bite before it comes in the house or you might not get any🤣 Thank you for the comments!
Looks good Jeff. Can't wait to give this a try
Jeff-love it! A great quarantine activity for the weekend!!
I just picked up 2 pounds of thick sliced bacon and I’m going to try that tomorrow.
I’m interested in how you manage your fire with that basket, you should make a video on it
My neighbor loved it!
Thanks for the videos Jeff! Been a subscriber of your newsletter for a long time, and made your bacon candy. Turned out great!!
Awesome! Glad to hear it!
Gonna have to try this. I’ve had my LSG 20x42 for a year now. Great smoker.
I love the LSG smoker and I have had a blast using it for the last few weeks!
That looks delicious, I am looking forward to making it.
Have fun!
Looks awesome, plan on making this soon!
As always...another great video. Haven't seen one yet that I thought was either above or below my skill level. Thanks a bunch for doing these....the videos really help with on my smokin' adventures!
Glad to help, Brett!
Brown sugar tip. We have found that the easiest way to spread the brown sugar is to let the brown sugar dry out first. We spread it out on a cookie sheet and let it sit for an hour or two. We don't have a sifter so we use a fine mesh strainer and then stir the brown sugar around in the strainer with a spoon. This creates a nice even coating of the brown sugar on the bacon. Gary & Marcia Warner
Thank you for the tip, Marcia! I'll have to give that a try.
Man this looks good. I have a 2# pkg of thick cut bacon from Sam's, that has "candy" written all over it!
how did it turn out
Well I love it with honey. I think honey will be my go to instead of maple syrup. It was great
Glad to hear it turned out great!!
Excellent video Jeff !! 👍👍. And it’s sooooo good too. Those in doubt about his rubs and sauces should try the smaller bottles from his website, you will go back and purchase his rubs and sauces and any of his new mixtures he sends you the recipes free. Can’t beat a deal like that. Thanks Jeff for sharing with us. Fred.
Fred, it's always a pleasure hearing from you and I appreciate the recommendations! Enjoy the video!
That looks dangerously delicious. Do you have a smoked Salmon recipe that I haven't seen yet? Thanks Jeff. You are my Hero.
It is amazing.. and addictive!
Here's my salmon recipe page on the website: www.smoking-meat.com/tag/salmon
I look forward to doing a salmon video soon as well.
Awesome Jeff....Thank you
You are very welcome!
This is Great!! I'm gonna try this soon! Keep the videos coming!! Liked&Subed!
Awesome! Thank you!
Thanks Try it with sweet onions rings wrap with bacon same process
That sounds amazing.. I'll have to give it a try!
you might want to think about a basing brush (bacon looks good though
Mmmm bacon candy 🤤🤤 looks tasty
It was!
What was the rub that you used. Looks awesome 👌
Have you ever done this with the Texas rub
I have not used the Texas rub on the bacon candy since I'm usually going for a sweet profile rather than something more savory. I have used the Texas rub when making regular streaky bacon from pork belly.
Jeff, this looks awesome and it is on my list for the next cook! I have a 22" WSM and see you have 2 rectangular cooking racks on this rig, and they fit perfectly. WIth my WSM I think I'd need to use both racks but the lower rack is always cooler than the top. Do you think I'd want t get WSM to 235 and rotate after an hour assuming that the lower rack will be 10deg cooler? Thanks!
Subscribed!!!
Great!
Hey Jeff love your channel, can you please share where you got the metal pans with racks?? I really need and want some, thank you
Mark, I love these pans and if you watch my videos and read my website, you see that I use them ALL the time. They are stainless steel and perfect for the smoker.
You can find them at smoking-meat.com/ss-pans-with-racks
First-time viewer. Think I am HOOKED!!
Glad to have you on board.. I am producing videos every week so stick around and we'll make some great smoked food together!
Good stuff Maynard!! I dont eat pork but that looks fantastic. Maybe you can try turkey bacon that everyone seems to hate LOL
We eat turkey bacon occasionally.. use to eat the Sizlean back in the day (if anyone remembers that). Sounds like a great reason to make another batch and see if the leaner types of bacon taste great as candy.. all in the name of science of course😋
@@tulsajeff Sounds like a good excuse for a video to me
A better video would have been to start with some pork bellies, then make the bacon candy. I've been making this for several years -- the pieces of bacon are better sliced twice as thick and half as long. It turns out like bacon candy jerky! What can be better? PS - try some red pepper flakes with the rub :)
There are definitely many ways to do this and yes, starting from the actual pork bellies would be amazing!
Could one put brown sugar in left over maple syrup liquidfy then place on bacon?
Great vid will try this one.
I have not tried melting the brown sugar in the maple syrup before applying it to the bacon but I think it's worth a try. Let me know how this goes if you try it out.
Jeff thank you taking the time to do these videos. I notice you use those racks extensively and I wonder how you keep them so clean. The bacon candy must have made a gooey mess in the crevasses in the rack. Do you do anything special to clean them?
Tony, I use foil in the bottom and that helps to contain some of the stuff in the pan. Other than that, my pans and racks are stainless steel and I use a stainless steel scrubber to get off the tough stuff from the pans and racks along with a lot of elbow grease.
Once I get them as clean as possible, I run them through the tough cycle in my dishwasher and they usually come out sparkling.
In case anyone is interested, the pans/racks I use can be found at: www.smoking-meat.com/ss-pans-with-racks
@@tulsajeff Thanks Jeff!
@@tulsajeff Jeff here is an easier way to clean your racks, whether they're racks from your smoker or racks from your oven: lay the racks on a plastic kitchen garbage bag outside or on your garage floor. Spray them thoroughly with heavy duty oven cleaner. Turn them over and spray them some more. (The racks can be stacked one on top of the other.) After an hour or so, any built up grease and grime should easily come off simply by rinsing under your kitchen faucet and wiping with a rag or sponge. Extra stubborn baked on gunk may need a second application. Sparking clean when done. No need for any elbow grease or cleaning in your dishwasher!
Mike, thank you for the tip!
I wonder if it would work with honey and brown sugar. I don't want to go to the store and get maple syrup.
James, I think honey and brown sugar would work just fine.
Can you blend the brown sugar with the syrup before pouring to breakdown the lumpy brown sugar?
You probably could.. although I have not tried it. You can also use a flour sifter on the brown sugar to disperse it more evenly and break up any lumps.
Just what I need. Yet another way to put on weight!
It's the least I can do🤣 -- winter's coming!
Jeff, have you ever tried substituting raspberry syrup for the maple syrup, and still adding your rub, and the brown sugar?
Ed, I haven’t but man that sounds awesome to me… “raspberry bacon candy“!
When making the bacon candy do you fill up the water pan or just dry smoke?
I've just discovered your videos and I'm anxious to try this bacon candy. My one questions is this....assuming there are leftovers, what is the best way to store it?
I'm not sure I've ever seen leftover bacon candy but, if I ever did, I would place it in an airtight container in the fridge and it should be good for 3 or 4 days. I bet it would even taste great cold😋
Jeff, do you still SELL your RUB Recipe?
Carl, Yes I do. If you prefer to make it yourself, you can purchase the recipes at smoking-meat.com/order
Let me know if you need further help with this.
So this looks great, 225 degrees, but for how long?, also looks like you don't flip them either?
Mine took about 2 hours total but you can cook it longer if you want the bacon a little more done. I do it a little different each time.. I sometimes flip them half-way through and do the maple syrup and brown sugar on both sides. Mixing it up keeps it interesting!
Did you turn the bacon to get both sides? I saw a couple darker pieces, how do you make sure it doesn't get too black with it being in for 2 hrs?
Was that thick sliced bacon? About the brown sugar, I will use a small sifter when I make my "candy"..... on my pellet grill.
Jerry, That was Hormel Black Label Original with about 15-16 slices per lb. It's not overly thick but it's certainly not thin. I also like to use the big 4 pack regular bacon by Kirkland at Costco.
Thank you for the tip.. I have not tried a sifter with the brown sugar but sounds like great idea!
I noticed some differences between the recipe and the video. In the recipe you added brown sugar before smoking as well as after one hour, and you also turned the bacon over at that time. You also did not mention mashing the brown sugar, when you added it in the recipe. I assume the video is more "up-to-date" than the recipe?
James, The video is definitely more up to date. I also tend to do it a little different each time.
My hope is that people see how I do it and then perhaps do it that way once and then venture out and make their own experiments and changes to the recipes to make them their own.
Is the jerky sticky when its all done??
It's a little sticky because it's made with maple syrup and brown sugar but it's worth it;-)
So, did you finish the bacon on the top rack to get it crispier? Thanks for the video!!
I ended up just leaving it on the lower rack.. my temperature got up around 250 for part of the cook and it took a bit to get it back down to 225 where I wanted it. The upper rack would have been too hot and I didn't want the sugar to burn at all. Normally, I think it would be a great idea on the LSG or similar smoker.
@@tulsajeff Thank you for the quick reply. I have made pig candy (candied bacon) over the years. I love it. However, my family likes very crispy bacon. I just cannot get it too crispy without burning the sugar on the bacon. Bacon too thin just doesn't hold up. Oh well. I'll keep trying (darn it!) to make the perfect batch. Appreciate the reply and the video though! Cheers!!
How do you think it would do if you mixed that brown sugar with the leftover maple glaze and then added it?
Stephen, I've thought about that but haven't tried it. I really think it might work pretty well. Let us know if you try it out.
do you use thick bacon
I typically don't but you could if you wanted to. The bacon I use is about 15 slices per pound so, by most standards, it would be considered thin.
H3ll naw you don't want to waste Maple syrup. It is expensive af.
what size are your bakers racks? Where to but y some?
Stainless Steel Pans with SS Racks - www.smoking-meat.com/ss-pans-with-racks These are 19.6''x13.5''x1.2''
Where did you get the fire basket
That particular basket is made by Lone Star Grillz at lonestargrillz.com for some of their smokers.. I am certain it would probably work on many other smokers as well. It does a great job of concentrating and directing the heat from the firebox into the smoke chamber.
Can't wait to try this. I have been hoarding bacon on sale for months.
Mike, You're gonna love this stuff! My recommendation is to make a lot more than you think you want.. it will go SO fast!