Sriracha Candied Bacon Grilled Cheese
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This Bacon Grilled Cheese recipe is sure to be your new favorite way to make grilled cheese! With sriracha candied bacon, sandwiched between melted cheddar cheese and buttery, toasted bread, this is the ultimate grilled cheese recipe!
What better way to kick off National Grilled Cheese Month than with a Sriracha Candied Bacon Grilled Cheese! Yes, the entire month of April is dedicated to sandwiches of melty, gooey cheese, layered between buttery toasty bread.
This recipe was inspired by something I saw at Trader Joe’s a couple of months back. This item was Sriracha Candied Bacon Jerky, and let’s just say that I was immediately intrigued!
I had made candied bacon before, after a magical experience at an Easter brunch, but never had I thought of adding Sriracha to the amazingness that is candied bacon.
Obviously I immediately went home and made Sriracha candied bacon. I then began to brainstorm recipes for which I could add this amazing new discovery to! With National Grilled Cheese Month coming up, I knew that a bacon grilled cheese must be made
It’s sweet, spicy, salty, melty, gooey, buttery, crunchy perfection in the form of a grilled cheese sandwich!
Ingredients
- Thick cut bacon – the time it takes to cook thick-cut bacon will result in perfect caramelization of the sugar on the outside of the bacon.
- Sriracha – toss this hot sauce with the bacon before tossing it in the brown sugar. This will help the sugar stick to the bacon and give it a spicy flavor to pair with the sweetness.
- Brown sugar – the perfect coating for candied bacon.
- Cheddar cheese – the first time I made this recipe, I made it with Cabot Smoky Bacon cheese. Since I haven’t been able to find that cheese in my stores, I now use sharp cheddar cheese to make this grilled cheese sandwich. You could also use Monterey jack cheese or mozzarella cheese. Both melt well in a grilled cheese.
- Sweet Hawaiian bread – I love the sweetness that this bread adds to the sweet, salty and spicy grilled cheese sandwich. But if you prefer a more traditional grilled cheese, you can use white bread or sourdough bread.
- Butter – you’ll want to use unsalted butter to cook the grilled cheese sandwiches. The bacon already adds enough saltiness to the grilled cheese.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare the candied bacon. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the bacon in a plastic zipper bag, add the sriracha and toss to coat. Add the brown sugar to the bag and toss to coat. Remove the bacon from the bag and lay the bacon strips across a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. This will allow the bacon slices to cook on both sides, without flipping it during the cooking process. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon from the oven, use tongs to move the bacon from the wire rack onto a cutting board. Cut each slice of bacon in half.
- Prepare the grilled cheese sandwiches. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Flip the bread over and place ¼ cup of shredded cheddar cheese on half of the slices. Place 6 half-slices of bacon on top of the cheese. Place ¼ cup of cheese on top of the bacon on each slice of bread. Sandwich the other 4 slices of bread over the cheese with the butter side facing out.
- Cook the grilled cheese sandwiches. Place each sandwich in a hot large skillet over medium heat and grill for 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove from the stove, slice in half and serve.
Recipe tips
- You can prepare the candied bacon ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge after it’s cooked and cooled, then use the bacon within one week. You do not need to reheat the bacon before making these sandwiches, as it will heat up as you cook the grilled cheese.
- You can also cook the candied bacon in an air fryer. Arrange the sriracha brown sugar coated bacon in a single layer in an air fryer basket. (You will have to cook the bacon in multiple batches.) Cook the bacon in the air fryer at 400°F for 14 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
- You can replace the butter with mayonnaise on the outside of the grilled cheese sandwich. Mayo has a higher smoke point than butter so you’re able to cook at a higher temperature for a super crispy sear. However, it won’t give you that same classic buttery taste.
What to serve with it
This bacon grilled cheese recipe is a great snack, or meal on its own, but it’s also delicious paired with a soup or salad for a classic meal. Try it with any of these recipes.
More recipes with bacon
Bacon is one of those magical ingredients that can go in almost any recipe throughout the day, from breakfast to dessert. Try out these other tasty recipes with bacon!
Sriracha Candied Bacon Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 slices thick cut bacon
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
- 8 slices sweet hawaiian bread, or white bread
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the bacon in a large plastic ziplock bag, add the sriracha and toss to coat. Add the brown sugar to the bag and toss to coat the bacon in the sugar.
- Remove the bacon from the bag and lay the bacon strips across a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy.
- Remove the bacon from the oven and use tongs to move it from the wire rack onto a cutting board. Cut each slice of bacon in half.
- To prepare the sandwiches, spread 1 tablespoon of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Flip the bread over and place ¼ cup of cheese on half of the slices.
- Place 6 half-slices of bacon on top of the cheese. Place another ¼ cup of cheese on top of the bacon.
- Sandwich the other 4 slices of bread over the cheese with the butter side facing out.
- Place each sandwich in a hot skillet over medium heat and grill for 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Notes
- You can prepare the candied bacon ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge after it’s cooked and cooled, then use the bacon within one week. You do not need to reheat the bacon before making these sandwiches, as it will heat up as you cook the grilled cheese.
Nutrition Facts
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3 Comments on “Sriracha Candied Bacon Grilled Cheese”
Hey Whitney, great to see you doing so well. I love your blog and have made quite a few of your recipes. I never knew how good Siracha was.
Best regards,
Ken Juen
We can’t get over this combo – it’s amazing, well done! 🙂 ~Rachael
Thanks so much Rachael! Seriously, as soon as that cheese arrived, I knew what had to be done 😉 Have a great weekend!!