LifestyleFood & DrinkFoodFood experts say one kitchen cupboard favourite helps enhance the flavour of bacon13:34, 05 Jun 2026Most people believe the key to the best tasting bacon is all about how it's prepared, but the answer is actually far simpler than that. Culinary experts say one common ingredient already lurking in countless kitchen cupboards could entirely transform the breakfast favourite.‌The mystery ingredient is brown sugar. According to a host of chefs and recipe creators, a gentle dusting can help produce a sweet, caramelised coating that perfectly balances bacon's inherently salty and smoky character.‌Food website Cooking Clarified described brown sugar bacon as a "crispy, smoky spectacular" and said the sweet-and-savoury pairing is incredibly hard to resist. The recipe suggests covering bacon with brown sugar before baking it in the oven until it reaches peak crispness.‌Brown sugar has emerged as an essential component in so-called "Millionaire Bacon" or "candied bacon" recipes, which have surged in popularity across restaurants and on social media platforms in recent years.Daily Express US previously reported on the trend, with chef Amy Doe claiming: "You'll never eat bacon the same way again."‌According to Amy, the sweet coating helps elevate bacon "to the next level" by harmonising salty, savoury and sweet notes. Her recipe blends brown sugar with black pepper and red pepper flakes before roasting the bacon in the oven.Culinary experts say brown sugar works especially well due to its molasses content, which produces deeper caramel notes compared to ordinary white sugar.Recipe developers at Dulcet Scintilla explain that the molasses helps generate a richer flavour while allowing the bacon itself to remain the star of the show.‌Meanwhile, food publication Mashed reported that brown sugar bacon delivers the "perfect combination of salty, sweet and spicy" when combined with complementary seasonings. The outlet observed that the sugar caramelises during cooking, helping to build a more complex flavour profile.The technique is equally popular amongst professional chefs. Epicurious features a two-ingredient recipe consisting solely of bacon and brown sugar, describing the outcome as a classic that delivers maximum flavour with minimal effort.Article continues belowFor those keen to try the method at home, numerous recipes suggest sprinkling brown sugar over bacon before baking it on a rack in the oven. According to PBS Food, cooking the bacon on a rack promotes even browning while allowing excess fat to drain off.While tastes vary, advocates of the technique argue that the sweet and savoury contrast is precisely what makes it so compelling. As one bacon enthusiast put it in a popular Reddit forum: "Brown sugar on bacon is a game changer, sweet, salty, perfect."Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌RedditFoodHome Cooking Made EasyExpert Adviceproperty newsFood industryFood and drink