I’m still in full-blown holiday mode.
For a while I felt like I would never eat again. Then I made this bacon.
Cardamom is a funny thing. Straight from the jar it smells almost exclusively of citrus to me — like orange — which always surprises people. But when it’s baked into cakes, folded into frosting, swirled into brown butter, or added to savory dishes, it becomes warm and comforting: cozy as a soft sweater, like a mug of hot chocolate on a cold night. And the best part? It only improves when paired with bacon.
Yes, bacon.
I even checked what other people say about the scent of cardamom, and apparently I’m not alone in finding it oddly citrusy when raw, and wonderfully aromatic in recipes.
Crispy Cardamom Sugared Bacon
Makes 10 slices
- 10 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup, then place a wire rack on top of the sheet so the bacon can crisp all around.
On a large plate, combine the brown sugar and ground cardamom. Dredge each bacon slice through the mixture, gently pressing the sugar onto the surface without over-coating. Arrange the bacon strips in a single layer on the wire rack.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, flipping the slices once halfway through, until the bacon is crisp and caramelized. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the bacon and how crisp you like it.
Remove from the oven and let the bacon drain briefly on paper towels for about a minute to remove excess grease. Serve warm.
Tomorrow I’ll share a few tasty ways to use this cardamom-sugared bacon beyond snacking on it straight from the plate. For now, enjoy the sweet-spiced crunch — and try not to inhale it all at once.