Million Dollar Bacon is a little bit sweet, a little bit savory and completely irresistible! Thick cut bacon is crusted in our special blend of brown sugar and spices, baked to crispy perfection, and then drizzled with sweet maple syrup to finish it off! This is the perfect side dish for breakfast and makes a great snack anytime!
Million Dollar Bacon – The EASY Way!
The first time I went to First Watch was for a friend’s birthday and she ordered their Million Dollar Bacon for the table. It was gone in seconds! This unique twist on classic bacon, tastes a little like candied bacon but with a subtle kick.
So I did what I always do when I find an amazing dish at a restaurant, I got home and got to work figuring out how to make an at home version of the famous First Watch Million Dollar Bacon!
Although I have no insider info, and don’t know what their recipe really consists of we think this stuff tastes just as good as First Watch Bacon and maybe even better since you get to eat it hot and fresh right out of the oven at home!
Why I love this recipe
- Restaurant inspired– You know it is good when it is the star of the menu! This was inspired by First Watch Million Dollar bacon… if you know, you know!!
- Crowd pleaser– Perfect for the family, but will absolutely impress if you have company. Everyone loves Million Dollar Bacon!!
- Good as side or main– This can be a side dish to some eggs, a snack, or the star of the show!
- Easy to make– All you need is 5 ingredients and a baking sheet. SO EASY!
- Little clean up– Since the baking sheet is parchment lined, you can just fold it up and toss it when you are done
- Only a few ingredients– and they are everyday kinda stuff, not something you have to go on a scavenger hunt at the grocery store for.
- Feels special! When you want something a little special, this is calling your name! It feels more special than regular bacon but is just as easy to make!
What to Serve with Million Dollar Bacon
Since this dish has the classic bacon flavor, it will pair well with many of your favorite breakfast dishes such as our English Muffin Breakfast Casserole with Sausage. It is also perfect to make to bring to a brunch or potluck!
Serving Ideas
- Eggs– any way! Scrambled, fried, over easy, sunny side- whatever your favorite is.
- Toast– Or any breakfast bread. The bacon also pairs well with english muffins, bagels, and more!
- Omelettes
- Pancakes or Waffles
- Quiche– It goes especially well with our spinach artichoke quiche
- Casserole– Pair it with a casserole that doesn’t have meat like this green chile egg bake or for the bacon lovers, pair it with a meat filled casserole like the Bacon Breakfast Casserole
- Sliders — My sliders are always a huge hit, but these Breakfast Sliders are perfection!
- Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls– Only 3 ingredients!
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Recipe Notes
This Million Dollar Bacon recipe is as simple as promised! Just 5 ingredients and a sheet pan for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Thick cut bacon– I highly recommend using thick cut bacon in this recipe. The reason is that you need the bacon to be sturdy enough to hold up when cooking in the sugar spice mixture. Regular bacon can work, but you have to be really careful not to over-cook it and it doesn’t have the amazing texture that the thick cut bacon has after baking.
- Brown sugar– Light or dark will work, but I generally use light brown sugar.
- Spices– Black pepper and cayenne pepper mix together to give the bacon a little kick. You can adjust both of these spices based on personal preference. Up the spices to give more heat, or reduce or omit them to reduce the heat in the bacon.
- Maple syrup– Real maple syrup will give you the best flavor, but you can use whatever syrup you keep on hand if needed.
Recipe Tips
- Thick cut bacon is key– As I mentioned above, buying a good quality thick cut bacon is key for the Million Dollar Bacon to come out truly amazing. Both the flavor and texture are impacted by using a thicker cut. The bacon needs to be able to hold up while the sugar caramelizes on the surface without over browning.
- Pat the sugar mixture in– Once you mix the sugar and spices, you sprinkle it over the bacon, then pat it into the bacon. This helps it to stay in place as it cooks instead of just melting off.
- Cook directly on the parchment– In some bacon recipes you bake the bacon on a wire rack to keep it out of the grease as it cooks. In this recipe, I recommend cooking it right on the parchment. The magic happens as the bacon cooks and the grease melts it continues to fry the bacon, helping it it get crispy and lock in the caramel flavor into the bacon.
- Cool on rack– Once the bacon gets to your desired crispiness, you can take it out of the oven and carefully remove it from the baking sheet. With regular bacon, often you let it cool on paper towels, but you won’t want to do that with the Million Dollar Bacon.
Use a cooling rack to remove it from the grease and allow it to cool. The reason is that the sugar will caramelize and be sticky. If you cool on paper towels, paper plates, etc, the sticky caramel will harden as it cools and stick to the paper. It can be very hard to remove from the paper when this happens- and no one wants to eat paper bits stuck to the bacon!
Million Dollar Bacon Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this Million Dollar Bacon recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers and place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Reheat bacon in the microwave, oven, or in a skillet.
More Easy Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my Easy Breakfast recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Jalapeno Popper Breakfast Casserole
- Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole
Also make sure to check out my other Million Dollar Recipes!!
Million Dollar Bacon
Ingredients
- 16 oz thick cut bacon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine.
- Spread the sugar mixture over the bacon slices. Pat each slice to pack the sugar into the bacon.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the bacon reaches your desired crispiness (see note.) Then move the bacon to a cooling rack.
- Drizzle the bacon with maple syrup before serving.
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