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

Can I omit the brown sugar and cayenne pepper?

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

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