Best 20 Caramelized Bacon Recipes

CALF'S LIVER WITH BACON, CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND SHERRY

Steps:

• In a large glass baking dish, add liver and milk and let soak for 20 minutes.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon and butter and cook until fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve 3 tablespoons fat in skillet. Reserve remaining fat.
• Cook onions with salt and pepper, to taste, in bacon fat in skillet over moderate heat for 10 minutes or until caramelized. Transfer onions to a bowl and add bacon. Set aside.
• Pat liver dry and discard milk. In a large zip-top bag, add flour, Essence, salt and pepper. Working in batches, add liver and shake to coat. Set aside on baking sheet until ready to cook.
• Add 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat to skillet over high heat and add liver; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Turn liver over, remove pan from heat, add sherry and beef broth, return pan to heat and shake and flambe. Cook on second side for about 2 minutes or until cooked through. Serve liver with pan sauce, topped with onions and bacon.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

MAPLE GLAZED SWEET POTATOES WITH BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Toss the sweet potato chunks, olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl, and spread the sweet potatoes out onto a large rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast in the preheated oven until browned and tender, about 40 minutes; stir after the first 20 minutes.
• Cook the bacon until crisp and brown in a large skillet over medium heat, about 10 minutes; transfer bacon to a bowl, but leave the grease in the skillet. Cook the onions in the bacon grease until browned, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, and cook the onions until very soft, brown, and sweet, another 10 to 15 minutes. Stir often. Mix the onions with the bacon in the bowl, and set aside.
• Pour the maple syrup into the hot skillet with the thyme, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil the syrup until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the roasted sweet potatoes and onion-bacon mixture into the skillet, and stir to coat the vegetables with maple glaze. Transfer to a serving dish.

CHEESY CARAMELIZED ONION BACON DIP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the bacon on a sheet pan fitted with a wire rack. Roast the bacon until crispy, about 20 minutes.
• Pour the bacon fat from the sheet pan into a large skillet and warm over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute, then sprinkle in the garlic powder, ground mustard, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browned, soft and caramelized, 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Stir together the cream cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, Worcestershire, 1/2 cup Cheddar, 1/2 cup Swiss and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt until completely combined. Stir in the warm onions.
• Cut the top of the boule off and hollow out the center. Place the boule on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Save the scooped out chunks of bread and cut the removed top into pieces to dip later.
• Fill the boule with the onion mixture and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheeses, holding back a tablespoon of each. Cut the bacon into 2-inch pieces and arrange them like the rays of the sun around the perimeter of the dip, then sprinkle the remaining cheese in the middle, overlapping the bacon to make an extra-cheesy center. Broil, watching closely to prevent burning, until the bacon is crisp and the cheese is melted beneath, about 2 minutes. Serve warm with crudites and reserved chunks of bread and use the bread bowl/bacon for dipping!

BAKED BRIE WITH MAPLE CARAMELIZED APPLES AND SPICED PRALINE BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Lay bacon on the prepared baking sheet. Mix pecans, brown sugar, chili powder, and sea salt together in a bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the bacon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crisp, and browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Chop bacon into rough pieces.
• Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Saute, stirring only every 60 to 90 seconds, until apples are tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Mix in remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup and cinnamon. Transfer to a bowl.
• Cut a round of parchment paper slightly larger than the round of Brie cheese. Place the Brie cheese on the parchment paper; place onto a baking sheet. Top with the cooked apples to make a big mound.
• Bake in the hot oven for 5 minutes. Add bacon-praline mixture on top of the Brie. Continue baking until top is bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter using a large spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary.

CARAMELIZED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a shallow bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Dip bacon slices in the brown sugar mixture to coat, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Bake 8 minutes in the preheated oven, turning once, until dark golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

PIZZA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, FIGS, BACON AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• At least 45 minutes before cooking, preheat the oven and pizza stone to 550 degrees.
• Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the onions, thyme and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions begin to wilt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and turn a deep, golden brown, about 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and transfer the onions to a small bowl.
• Place the bacon in the pan and set over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl.
• Place the pizza dough on a heavily floured surface and stretch and pull, using your hands or a rolling pin, into about a 14-inch round. Place on a lightly floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Cover with the toppings, careful not to press on the dough and weigh it down: the caramelized onions first, then the figs and bacon, and finally the Gorgonzola, leaving roughly a 1/2 inch border. Shake the pizza peel slightly to make sure the dough is not sticking. Carefully slide the pizza directly onto the baking stone in one quick, forward-and-back motion. Cook until the crust has browned on the bottom and the top is bubbling and browning in spots, about 7 minutes. Drizzle with a little olive oil and some cracked black pepper. Serve hot. Makes 1 pizza.

CARAMELIZED BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleaning) and place a wire baking rack on top.
• Combine the brown sugar and pecans in a food processor and process until the pecans are finely ground. Add the salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and pulse to combine. Add the maple syrup and pulse again to moisten the crumbs.
• Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise and line up the pieces on the baking rack without touching. With a small spoon, evenly spread the pecan mixture on top of each piece of bacon, using all of the mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is very browned but not burnt. If it's underbaked, the bacon won't crisp as it cools.
• While it's hot, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool. Serve at room temperature. (The caramelized bacon can be made early in the day and stored at room temperature.)

CARAMELIZED MAPLE APPLE PIE WITH CANDIED BACON CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place bacon on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crisp, 10 to 20 minutes.
• Line a 9-inch springform pan with pie crust pastry; refrigerate.
• Combine apples and lemon juice in a bowl and toss to coat.
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat; add maple syrup and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until mixture is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Carefully add apples and stir well to coat. Cook until apples just start to soften and get a bit of color on them, about 5 minutes. Return the apples to the bowl leaving behind the sweet syrup.
• Stir vinegar into sweet syrup; simmer until syrup is reduced and consistency of maple syrup, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour syrup over the apples. Cool for 10 minutes.
• Combine flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor; pulse until crumbly. Break bacon into pieces, add to food processor, and pulse until combined with the crumble.
• Tip apples into the pie crust in the springform pan. Fold dough over part of the apple filling to form an edge. Crimp the edges between your fingers. Top the apple filling with the crumble. Brush crust with cream and top with white sugar.
• Bake pie in the preheated oven until the juices bubble and the crust is deeply golden, about 1 hour. If the crust starts to brown too quickly turn the oven down to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

CARAMELIZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CRANBERRIES AND BACON

Steps:

• In a large pot, over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Generously salt the water and add the Brussels sprouts. Cook the sprouts until medium tenderness has been reached, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, in a large saucepan over medium heat fry the bacon until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from the pan to a plate lined with a paper towel. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
• Leave the bacon fat in the pan and add the red onions and 3 tablespoons of the butter. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar and brown sugar and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
• Drain the Brussels sprouts from water and add to pan with the onions. Stir to coat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir in the reserved bacon and cranberries. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, and transfer to a serving bowl to serve.

MY MOM'S FRIED CHICKEN LIVERS WITH BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
• add onions and 1 tsp salt.
• Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are deep brown and caramelized.
• While onion is cooking, fry up bacon in a large skillet.
• Cook all the bacon and drain on a paper towel, leave drippings in the pan.
• Mix flour, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper.
• Dredge livers in flour, making sure to coat evenly.
• Cook livers in bacon fat until all sides are brown and crispy. You may have to do this in batches.
• Serve with bacon and onions.

CARAMELIZED ONION-BACON BURGERS

Steps:

• Place 1/3 cup barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Crumble beef over barbecue sauce and mix well. Shape into four patties., In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain. In another skillet, saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown., Spread buns with remaining butter; set aside. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear. Top with cheese. Grill 1 minute longer or until cheese is melted., Place buns, cut side down, on grill for 1-2 minutes or until toasted. Spread buns with barbecue sauce; serve burgers on buns with onion and bacon.

SAUTEED CABBAGE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON AND CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the shallots in a small baking dish, toss with 1 tablespoon canola oil and the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning a few times, until golden brown and caramelized, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then thinly slice.
• Put the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil to the pan. Return to the stove over medium heat and heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the cabbage and Brussels sprouts, season with salt, pepper and the red pepper flakes, and cook until the vegetables are soft and light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and the shallots. Transfer to a platter and top with the crisp bacon.

CHICKEN, BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONION PASTA BAKE (COOKING FOR 2)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. In 7-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package to al dente; drain.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook and stir 1 minute. Beat in milk, salt and pepper with whisk; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; beat in Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses. Add cooked pasta, chicken, bacon and browned onions; gently stir to combine. Transfer to same 7-inch cast-iron skillet.
• In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle over top of pasta mixture. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND BACON PULL-APART BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is golden brown, about 9 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the onions to the skillet and cook, covered, stirring occasionally and scraping up the stuck bits on the bottom of the pan as needed, until the onions release their juices and are caramelized, golden and soft, about 30 minutes. (If the onions begin to brown before they soften, stir in a tablespoon water, lower the heat and return to cooking.)
• Combine the butter, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the onions until the butter melts and becomes saucy.
• Meanwhile, with a large serrated knife, shave 1/4 inch off the bottom crust of the bread.. Make 1-inch wide crosshatch cuts on the top of the bread, three-quarters of the way through to the bottom. Put the bread on the prepared baking sheet.
• Spoon 3/4 of the onion mixture into all of the slits. Mix together the Gouda and mozzarella in a small bowl, then stuff three-quarters of the cheese inside all of the slits. Spoon the remaining onion mixture on top, followed by the remaining cheese. (The bread will be very stuffed and messy.) Cover the bread loosely with foil and bake until the filling is warm and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a platter or cutting board and top with the bacon and parsley. Serve immediately.

CARAMELIZED BACON TWISTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil., In a shallow bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut bacon strips crosswise in half; dip in sugar mixture to coat. Twist 2 or 3 times, then place in prepared pan. Bake until browned and crisp, 15-20 minutes. Freeze option: Freeze cooled bacon twists in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper. If desired, reheat in a microwave oven or on a foil-lined baking sheet in a preheated 350° oven before serving.

CARAMELIZED BEER-ONION AND BACON BURGERS

Steps:

• In 10-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the beer. Stir remaining beer into onions. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Cool.
• Meanwhile, roughly chop 4 slices of the cooked bacon; set aside. Roughly chop half of the onion mixture; stir into chopped bacon.
• In medium bowl, stir chopped onion and bacon mixture into beef. Add salt and pepper. Shape beef mixture into 4 large patties, thinner at center and thicker at edges for even cooking.
• In 10-inch skillet, heat remaining bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook 8 minutes for medium-rare, 10 minutes for medium, 12 minutes for medium-well, turning once. After turning, add reserved 1/2 cup beer to burgers, then top burgers with cheese. Cover skillet to melt cheese.
• Place burgers on bun bottoms; top with lettuce leaves, tomato slices, and remaining caramelized onions. Cut remaining 4 slices bacon in half; crisscross 2 pieces on top of onions on each burger, and cover with tops of buns.

CARAMELIZED ONION PIZZA WITH GORGONZOLA, BACON AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings. Set bacon aside.
• Add oil to bacon drippings in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Stir in 1 teaspoon rosemary, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking 15 to 20 minutes or until onion is a deep golden brown, stirring frequently.
• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Place pizza crust on 12-inch pizza pan. Top with onion. Add cheese and walnuts; bake 7-10 minutes or until cheese melts.
• Remove from oven; top with 1 teaspoon rosemary, reserved bacon and arugula.

ALSATIAN PIZZA WITH BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• 1. To make the pizza dough, in a bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Pull the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times, then form into a ball. Oil a second bowl, put the ball in the bowl, and turn to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free area. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1¿1 1/2 hours.
• 2. While the dough is rising, in a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and stir to coat. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and stir once more. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• 3. At the same time, in a second sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• 4. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Brush and oil the grill grate.
• 5. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface, then divide in half. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 half into a round 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) in diameter and about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Repeat with the second half.
• 6. Slide 1 round onto a baker's peel or a rimless baking sheet dusted with cornmeal, and then carefully slide the round off the peel onto the grill directly over the fire. Repeat with the second round. Cook the crusts until the underside is well marked, about 2 minutes. Using the peel, transfer the crusts, grilled side up, back to the work surface.
• 7. Top each crust with half the onions, half the bacon, and then half the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Using the peel, return the topped crusts to the grill, cover the grill, and cook until each crust is firm and browned at the edges and the cheese has melted a bit, 4-6 minutes.
• 8. Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board and sprinkle with the thyme. Cut into wedges and serve at once.

CARAMELIZED ONION AND BACON DIP

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet. Add the olive oil. When it shimmers, add the onions and salt and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden in color, 45 minutes to I hour; add a little water if needed to prevent sticking. Add the vinegar during the last minute of cooking. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a small skillet until it has rendered its fat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; reserve the fat in the pan if you will be frying the shallots.
• Let the bacon cool.
• Stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onions, and bacon in a large bowl.
• For the optional garnish, add the vegetable oil to the skillet with the bacon fat and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the shallots, lower the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain the shallots on a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Garnish the dip with the fried shallots, if using, and serve.

PASTA WITH FRIED EGGS, CARAMELIZED ONIONS, AND BACON

Steps:

• Sauté bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings; add 3 teaspoons oil and maintain heat. Add onions; sauté until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid in bowl. Return pasta to pot; add onions. Cover to keep warm.
• Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium heat. Crack eggs into skillet; fry until whites are set but yolks are still soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach, cheese, eggs, and bacon to pasta; toss until egg whites are torn into shreds and spinach wilts. Add pasta cooking liquid to moisten. Season with salt and pepper; serve.