Nothing turns heads at a Texas tailgate or weekend cookout faster than a tray of warm, sizzling candied bacon—especially when it’s topped with fresh jalapeño rings and smoky-sweet Texas flavor. This recipe takes basic bacon to ultimate crowd-pleaser status by combining thick-cut strips, a sticky BBQ glaze, pre-made candied bacon seasoning, and fresh jalapeños. It’s effortless to pull off, requires zero advanced kitchen tools, and delivers a sweet, salty, smoky, and spicy bite every single time.
Why This Recipe Works for You
- Foolproof Crunch: Placing the bacon on a wire rack over a foil-lined pan keeps it out of the fat and lets heat circulate, so the coating turns crisp instead of soggy.
- Balanced Heat & Sweet: The molasses and brown sugar in the BBQ sauce and seasoning help mellow the heat from the jalapeños, so you get a mix of flavors without burning your mouth.
- Shortcut-Friendly: Using pre-mixed candied bacon seasoning with your favorite BBQ sauce saves time but still gives you great flavor.
Why These Ingredients Matter
- Thick-Cut Bacon: Thin bacon cooks too fast and can burn before the sugars melt and caramelize. Thick-cut bacon keeps its shape and has enough fat to blend with the sweet rub.
- Texas Heat Pepper Jelly: Adds an extra kick of sweet heat and helps create an extra-glossy, sticky glaze that grips the bacon.
- Fresh Jalapeños: Sliced fresh jalapeños add a crisp bite and just enough acidity to balance the bacon’s richness and the glaze’s sweetness.
- Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauce: This sauce acts as the sticky base for your seasonings and jalapeños. Its natural sugars caramelize in the oven, creating a glossy, crispy finish.
Perfect Pairings
- Drinks: Try an ice-cold Texas blonde ale, a crisp hard cider, or sweet tea with lots of fresh lemon slices.
- Eats: Pile these strips on a smoked brisket burger, mix them into deviled egg filling, or serve them with creamy potato salad at your next barbecue.
Ingredients
- Thick-cut bacon
- Candied bacon seasoning (or sweet BBQ rub)
- Your favorite sweet & smoky BBQ sauce
- Texas Heat Pepper Jelly
- Fresh jalapeños, thinly sliced into rings
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Set Up for Success: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, then place a wire cooling rack on top. Lightly spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Season the Bacon: Lay the thick-cut bacon strips on the wire rack in a single layer. Sprinkle half the candied bacon seasoning on top and press it gently into the meat so it sticks.
- Glaze and Top: Combine the Texas Heat Pepper Jelly with BBQ sauce, then brush the seasoned strips. Press 3 or 4 fresh jalapeño rings into the sauce on each strip. The sauce will help hold the peppers in place while baking.
- Bake and Flip: Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, flip each bacon strip, and repeat on the other side: add the remaining seasoning, combine the Texas Heat Pepper Jelly with BBQ sauce, then brush the seasoned strips, and top with more jalapeño rings.
- Caramelize: Put the pan back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon is fully cooked and the glaze is bubbling and dark caramel in color. Watch closely at the end, since the sugars can burn quickly once the water is gone.
- Cool and Set: Take the bacon out of the oven and let it rest on the rack for 5 to 10 minutes. This lets the glaze cool and harden into a crisp shell. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The Pro Cooking Tip: Always chill your sliced jalapeños in cold water for 10 minutes before adding them to the bacon. The moisture helps keep the pepper skin from shriveling in the oven and keeps their bright green color.
Whisk Wisdom
- The Method Logic: Raising the bacon on a wire rack lets hot air move underneath while the fat drips away. This dry heat bakes the sugars onto the meat instead of letting the bacon cook in its own fat.
- The Ingredient Science: The sugars in the BBQ glaze and pepper jelly melt during baking and react with the amino acids in the bacon fat. This creates rich, nutty flavors that turn plain pork into candied bacon.
- The “Aha!” Moment: Don’t move the bacon straight from the oven to a paper towel. The hot sugar glaze will stick to the paper towel and make a mess. Let it cool on the wire rack so the glaze sets properly.
Cowboy Candied Bacon with Jalapenos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb thick-cut bacon
- 4 tbsp Good Ol' Boys Candy Bacon Rub
- ⅓ cup your favorite sweet & smoky BBQ sauce
- 2-3 fresh jalapeños, thinly sliced into rings
- 2-3 tbsp Texas Heat Pepper Jelly
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, then place a wire cooling rack on top. Lightly spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Lay the thick-cut bacon strips on the wire rack in a single layer. Sprinkle half the Good Ol' Boys Candy Bacon seasoning on top and press it gently into the meat so it sticks.
- Brush the seasoned strips with BBQ sauce. Press 3 or 4 fresh jalapeño rings into the sauce on each strip. The sauce will help hold the peppers in place while baking.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, flip each bacon strip, and repeat on the other side: add the remaining seasoning, brush with BBQ sauce, and top with more jalapeño rings.
- Put the pan back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon is fully cooked and the glaze is bubbling and dark caramel in color. Watch closely at the end, since the sugars can burn quickly once the water is gone.
- Take the bacon out of the oven and let it rest on the rack for 5 to 10 minutes. This lets the glaze cool and harden into a crisp shell. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
(Note: Nutritional values are calculated accounting for standard fat rendering during baking on a wire rack).
Nutrition
Serving: 2stripsCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 11gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4.5gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 580mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 14g
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