Bacon on a stick is fun to serve as a party appetizer, or for brunch buffets and holiday breakfast. These sizzling bacon sticks are so easy for your guests to pick up and enjoy, and I guarantee they’ll be a popular addition to your next breakfast or brunch gathering.
I also love to use these bacon skewers as a fun swizzle stick for garnishing Bacon Bloody Marys.
Don’t you love trying new cooking techniques with bacon? You might also enjoy making super crunchy flour dusted bacon, bacon lardons, wavy bacon, candied bacon lollipops, and cooking bacon on the grill.
Why You’ll Go Hog Wild for This Recipe
Easy to make: Bacon skewers are made from simple ingredients, they’re easy to assemble, and they cook in the oven until they’re golden brown with crispy edges.
Versatile: Bacon on a stick can be served for brunch, as a party appetizer, on game day, tailgating, finger food, as a swizzle for your Bloody Mary, or just for snacking!
Have it Your Way: Plain skewered bacon is yummy, but you can also brush it with a brown sugar glaze or maple syrup for “pig candy,” sprinkle with black pepper or cayenne for a spicy kick, or brush it with BBQ sauce before baking for a savory treat.
Recommended Bacon
Thick-cut bacon works best for this recipe, as it tends to shrink less and make for a nicer looking bacon swizzle stick skewer.
Thick bacon strips should be at least 1/8 inch thick, and generally a pound of thick sliced bacon contains about 12 to 16 slices.
If you need help choosing a tasty bacon, check out Food and Wine‘s Bacon Taste Test.
Equipment Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make these tasty bacon on a stick skewers:
- 9- by 13-inch baking dish
- 12 bamboo skewers
- baking sheet
- aluminum foil
- parchment paper
- paper towels
How to Cook Bacon on a Stick?
Fill a 9- by 13-inch baking dish halfway with room temperature water, and drop the bamboo skewers in.
Let them soak for an hour, which will prevent them from burning when you cook the bacon skewers.
Line a baking sheet with foil, which will keep it clean. Then cover it with a sheet of baking parchment paper, which will help your skewers cook evenly and keep the bacon from sticking to the pan.
How to Thread the Bacon on the Skewers
After some experimentation, I discovered the easiest way to thread the bacon on the skewers is to pre-fold the bacon accordion style, making a fold about every inch. Place the little folded bundle on your cutting board and press the pointed end of the skewer through the middle.
Then you can gently slide the bacon strip down the skewer until it’s spaced out the way you want it.
Arrange the bacon skewers on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in a 325 degree oven until crispy and golden brown, turning once. In our oven this took 40 minutes, but your cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your bacon.
Pro Cooking Tip
I like to use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the sharp points off the bamboo skewers after baking. This makes them safer for everyone to eat.
Variation: Add a Sweet, Spicy Bacon Glaze
For a delectable glazed bacon that you can serve with brunch or as an appetizer, simply mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 2 tablespoons maple syrup in a small bowl.
Brush the bacon with this mixture before baking, and baste it several times while it’s baking. Let the glazed bacon cool for at least 10 minutes on the pan before serving. You’ll love the sweet-salty-spicy flavor!
NOTE: If you make this glazed variation, by law you are required to call these appetizers “Sticky Bacon Stickies.”
How do I know bacon is done cooking?
Keep an eye on the bacon and check it every five minutes or so once it begins to brown. When it’s uniformly golden brown on both sides, you’ll know it’s done and ready to drain and enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Leftover bacon isn’t common, but if you do have some uneaten bacon skewers you can wrap then tightly and refrigerate them for up to 2 days.
To reheat, spread on a baking sheet and cook in a 325 degree F oven until they just begin to sizzle, about 8 minutes.
We Live for Your Ratings and Comments!
If you enjoy this recipe, we’d be thrilled if you clicked on the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and left a rating! We love reading your comments, too!
Here’s the full, printable recipe:
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new bacon recipes every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from BENSA
Bacon on a Stick
Equipment
- 9- by 13-inch baking dish
- 12 bamboo skewers
- baking sheet
- aluminum foil
- parchment paper
- paper towels
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-sliced bacon
Optional add-ons
- barbecue sauce
- maple syrup
- freshly ground black pepper
- ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Fill a 9- by 13-inch baking dish halfway with room temperature water. Soak the bamboo skewers for 1 hour. Just before using, remove from water and drain on paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit on top.
- Pre-fold a bacon slice accordion style, making a fold about every inch. Place the little folded bundle on your cutting board and press the pointed end of the skewer through the middle.
- Gently slide the bacon strip down the skewer until it’s spaced out but has a few ripples. Arrange bacon strips on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated until crispy and golden brown, turning once. Exact cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your bacon, but in our test kitchen oven this took about 45 minutes.
- Drain bacon on paper towels and serve.
Optional Add-Ons
- If you like, you can add extra flavor to the bacon sticks by brushing the strips generously with barbecue sauce or maple syrup before baking. Alternately, you can add a spicy kick by sprinkling the bacon skewers with freshly ground black pepper or lightly sprinkling with cayenne pepper.
Notes
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist, and any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.
Got questions? Just ask! I’m happy to help.
Have you made bacon on a skewer for a drink swizzle stick or snack? Do you have any tips to add? Drop a comment below!
If you post your creations on social media, tag #BENSABaconLovers so I can share! Thank you for your support. – Eliza
Save for Later
P.S. If you use Pinterest to save and share ideas, here’s a handy pin:
Leaving a comment here before I’ve actually tried the bacon, but would like to say the preparation worked well! I was worried the bacon would make a mess all over my oven and it did not. I cooked two pounds for our Bloody Mary Bar for football tomorrow with friends. Very nice to have this done ahead of time, as the game is at 10am. I wrapped them tightly in plastic and plan to reheat quickly before serving. I will note- I purchased very thick bacon and it took closer to an hour, but wasn’t a big deal as I was able to keep a close eye on it. Thanks for this method!
Amy, thank you for sharing your experience and I’m so glad you were happy with the recipe. I bet those thick-sliced bacon skewers will be SO tasty on your Bloody Mary Bar. Hope your team wins!
Hi! Can I prepare them ahead of time?
I would like to put them on the skewers tonight, so I just have to bake them in the morning.
Yes, you sure can. Just cool them to room temperature, cover (I like Press & Seal) and refrigerate. In the morning, you can reheat them in a 350 degree F oven until hot, 5 to 7 minutes or so. Great question! ~Eliza