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Home / Recipes / Course / Breakfast / Million Dollar Bacon

Million Dollar Bacon

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DF GF

Author:

Kimber Matherne

Updated:

December 5, 2023

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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!

First Watch Million Dollar Bacon recipe served with eggs this Recipe

Table of contents

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  • Million Dollar Bacon – The EASY Way!
  • What to Serve with Million Dollar Bacon
  • Recipe Notes
  • Million Dollar Bacon Leftovers
  • More Easy Recipes
  • Million Dollar Bacon Recipe

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 for making Million Dollar Bacon- thick cut bacon, brown sugar, cayene pepper, black pepper, maple syrup

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.
Process photos for how to make million dollar bacon - 1. Line sheet with parchment paper and lay bacon in a single layer. 2. Mix together sugar and spices. 3. Spread sugar mixture over bacon and pat in. 4. Bake for 25-30 min or until bacon reaches desired crispiness.

Recipe Tips

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
Baked Million Dollar Bacon out of oven and cooled

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 Chicken
  • Million Dollar Pork Chops
  • Million Dollar Dip
  • Million Dollar Spaghetti
Million Dollar Bacon Drizzled with Maple syrup on a baking sheet

Million Dollar Bacon

By: Kimber Matherne
5 from 2 votes
This Million Dollar Bacon is the perfect combination of sweet and savory! Thick cut bacon is coated in a perfectly caramelized coating of sugar and spices to make the most delicious breakfast bacon.
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
10 slices
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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.
Last step!Share a picture on Instagram and tag me at @easyfamilyrecipes!

Recipe Notes

I like to check the bacon at 20 minutes of cooking and see how much longer it needs. The edges will start to get dark first. 
The bacon will continue to crisp up as it cools, but if you remove the bacon, and decide you still want it to be more crispy, you can put it back in the oven and let it cook longer.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 216kcal (11%), Carbohydrates: 7g (2%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 18g (28%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 30mg (10%), Sodium: 302mg (13%), Potassium: 104mg (3%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 7g (8%), Vitamin A: 38IU (1%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 10mg (1%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

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4 responses

  1. Isabella
    November 19, 2024

    Wao you made it just like the one from the First Watch. Even in the pictures it seem mouthwatering. I made Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich https://firstwatch-menus.com using the recipe from First Watch Cookbook and included the ingredients accordingly and it really tasted great.

    Reply
  2. Elisabeth Smith
    December 3, 2023

    5 stars
    Everybody loved this! We served it with the Hawaiian roll sliders. My son, who is usually pretty neutral on bacon, asked me to make more like this so he can reheat it and eat it before school.

    Reply
  3. Erin Levine
    November 16, 2023

    This bacon is to die for! I’ve never made bacon in the oven before this recipe but, now I do it all the time even when I’m not using this recipe.

    Reply
  4. Shannon
    January 28, 2022

    5 stars
    Just made this. Amazing!!!! Just like First Watch

    Reply
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I’m Kimber. Mom of 3 and home cook.

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