These bacon twists are sweet and savory with caramelized brown sugar and a bit of heat from a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Buckle up for one of the best new methods of cooking bacon!
Why this recipe works
When we saw the viral TikTok trend for bacon twists, we knew we had to jump on board. With countless different recipes and additions, we landed on a delicious sweet and spicy combination of brown sugar and cayenne pepper to tickle the tastebuds. This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve jumped on the viral train, last year we tackled the smoked queso dip and dalgona coffee trend and we weren’t disappointed to say the least.
Caramelized brown sugar and a kick of heat with cayenne pepper is a mouth-watering combination to twist into tender-crisp oven-baked bacon. The results are sweet, spicy, and the perfect in-between of chewy and crispy bacon. You’ll understand exactly why twisted bacon went viral once you take a bite!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
BACON – We used thick-cut pork bacon, though you can just about any kind of bacon you prefer here. If you decide to use turkey bacon, your cook time will likely need to be reduced. Regular cut, thin cut, and thick-cut will all work for this recipe, but because we based our bake time off of thick-cut be sure to adjust the time in the oven accordingly (thin-cut will need less time in the oven, etc.).
How to Make Bacon Twists
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large baking tray with a piece of parchment paper.
EXPERT TIP – If you can’t find parchment paper that can withstand this temperature, you can use foil or a silpat baking mat to line your baking tray instead. You could also leave the tray unlined, but the caramelized sugar will likely be hard to scrub off. - Twist each slice of bacon as tightly as possible and arrange them next to each other on the prepared tray.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and cayenne pepper evenly on top of the twisted bacon.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the bacon and bake for another 10-20 minutes or until crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, absolutely. You can bake your twisted bacon as-is without any additional spices or seasonings and still get tasty results! After all, bacon is savory and delicious all on its own. Follow the directions for twisting and baking to make regular bacon twists.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy bacon twists as a snack, appetizer, breakfast, or whenever your craving bacon. They pair well with eggs and breakfast casseroles or served up as finger food for football games and parties. A dash of cinnamon will add warmth to these twists which are perfect for holiday breakfast. Feel free to play with the amounts of brown sugar and cayenne pepper to suit your tastes! This recipe yields bacon with a good balance of sweet and spicy flavors.
The original creator of the viral TikTok bacon twists is Abby from House of Keto. You can find her video here!
More Bacon Recipes
- Air Fryer Bacon
- Sheet Pan Breakfast Pizza
- Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
- Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
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Bacon Twists
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 2 pounds thick-cut bacon
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can drain off excess grease by transferring the cooked bacon to a wire rack placed over a baking tray or a paper towel-lined plate.
- Feel free to play with the amounts of brown sugar and cayenne pepper to suit your tastes! This recipe yields bacon with a good balance of sweet and spicy flavors.
- If you can’t find parchment paper that can withstand this temperature, you can use foil or a silpat baking mat to line your baking tray instead. You could also leave the tray unlined, but the caramelized sugar will likely be hard to scrub off.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large baking tray with a piece of parchment paper.
- Twist each slice of bacon as tightly as possible and arrange them next to each other on the prepared tray.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and cayenne pepper evenly on top of the twisted bacon.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the bacon and bake for another 10-20 minutes or until crispy.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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judy says
these came out great!! Can i freeze them or store in the fridge for a week?
Amanda Davis says
I would think the refrigerator would be fine. We haven’t tried it ourselves. If you decide to experiment with freezing them we would love to hear the results!
Tracey Capobianco says
These are the best! Easy to make and versatile!! They were gone as soon as they came out of the oven!! Spice level can be adjusted to you liking.
Dana Egan says
Tried this at home last Monday. They were awesome. Took a lil longer to get crispy – 20 min one side & 20 min the other. Might’ve used more brown sugar and more cayenne for more sweet n savory. Elevation might’ve been the cooking time issue. But they were DELISH! Going to make these on Sundays to go into my Ceasars specials at my pub!
Amy says
Any great tips on getting the bacon to stay twisted?
Lynn M Reed says
I tucked one end of the bacon under the side of the baking rack, twisted and tucked the other end on the opposite side. Worked great!
April says
I don’t have parchment paper. Anything else I can use?
Amanda Formaro says
If you have a silicone mat that would be best. Otherwise aluminum foil should work.
Kimberly says
Can you make this ahead of time?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes, allow to cool, wrap in foil and store in the fridge. Right before serving wrap loosely in paper towel and microwave for about 10 seconds.
Holly A Johnson says
Recipe is fantastic but I’ve had better luck myself adding the brown sugar half way through the cooking process. This is a great addition to my summer charcutterie boards and always goes quickly!
Jen says
Although I am sure this is a delicious recipe – 40 minutes is WAYYYY too long! Great way to turn a pound of bacon into charcoal strips. I’ll do this again at either a lower temp or MUCH less time. We didn’t get to eat any of this charred mess.
Amanda Formaro says
Were you using the convection option on your oven? Also, the recipe calls for thick cut bacon. If you used regular cut it will definitely burn.
Susan Plymel says
This is a real bell-ringer!! I have made this recipe several times – so easy and soo-ooo good!
Dawn says
Thanks Amanda! Loving this Bacon Twists. First batch was a hit. I may even serve it at parties as one of the appetizers. Now you need to invent a new machine “the bacon twister.”
It took way too long for me to twist the bacon.😀