Easy Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings are a simplified take on the original recipe, delivering the same bold flavor with far less fuss.
We just wrapped up a busy birthday stretch at our house. Fitting five kids’ birthdays into 86 days—alongside Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s—takes endurance and appetite. The last birthday in that run happens to be the first of the year, a detail my son gleefully reminds his brothers of: “Now you have to wait aaaall year for your birthday!” We let him enjoy the bragging rights because he always picks a favorite family meal—this year it was fried chicken—and because he adores both onions and bacon.
I’d seen versions online that brushed onion rings with sriracha, wrapped raw bacon that had been dredged in brown sugar, and generally created a messy, slippery challenge. Sriracha makes the onions slick and the sugar-coated bacon slides off—frustrating and time-consuming. I wanted the same sweet-smoky-spicy result without the kitchen chaos.
The streamlined technique was simple: mix cayenne into brown sugar, wrap plain bacon around the onion rings, then toss the wrapped rings in the spiced sugar and bake. This method eliminates the slippery handling while preserving all the flavor. The aroma of bacon and onions roasting together is impossible to ignore—my husband came downstairs asking what smelled so good and, after seeing the tray, couldn’t wait to dig in.
The result is crisp, salty, savory, and sweet bacon forming a caramelized shell around tender, fragrant onions. It’s undeniably crowd-pleasing—great game-day food, but equally welcome at a family lunch. The tray disappeared fast, and my crew has already requested these on the Super Bowl menu.
Cook’s Notes
- Vidalia onions are convenient because of their size, but any large, firm onions will work. Trim the root and blossom ends, peel, and cut into 1/2-inch slabs.
- Separate slabs into two-ring sections (two concentric rings together). Single, thin rings lack the structure to hold the bacon well. Save any small scraps in a bag for another use.
- Line your baking sheet with heavy-duty foil, parchment, or a Silpat for easier cleanup—the foil especially helps with sticky caramelization.
- Toothpicks are optional but useful for keeping the bacon from unraveling and yielding a neater presentation.
- The cayenne range lets you control heat: use the lower amount for a hint of spice, the higher amount for a noticeable kick. Adjust based on your taste.
- Place the prepared pan in a cold oven and then set it to 325°F. Starting cold reduces how much the bacon tightens and shrinks as it cooks, helping preserve your wraps.
- Halfway through baking, gently flip each ring to promote even browning. Slide a spatula underneath and use a fork or smaller spatula on top to support the ring while turning to keep them intact.
- Expect some caramelization and fat in the pan—this is normal and contributes to the candied, crispy edges of the bacon. A touch of char enhances texture and flavor.
- Serve with your favorite dip: smoked paprika-chipotle sauce, sriracha mayo, ketchup, or my favorite—bleu cheese dip. Bacon and bleu cheese are a classic pairing.
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Easy Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings
Rebecca Lindamood
15 mins
20 mins
35 mins
Ingredients
- 2 large onions — Vidalia or other large, stem and blossom ends removed, sliced into 1/2-inch slabs and separated into two-ring sections.
- 1 pound thick-sliced bacon — have an extra package on hand if needed.
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar.
- 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, to taste.
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic.
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion.
Instructions
- Line a half-sheet pan with heavy-duty foil, parchment, or a Silpat. In a shallow dish, use a fork to combine the brown sugar, cayenne, salt, granulated garlic, and granulated onion until uniform.
- Gently stretch a bacon slice to lengthen it, wrap it around an onion ring (overlapping by about 1/8 inch). If needed, use part of a second strip to finish wrapping. Secure with a toothpick if desired. Place the wrapped ring in the brown sugar mixture and flip to coat, pressing the sugar onto the bacon so it adheres. Arrange on the prepared pan.
- Repeat with remaining rings. Put the pan in a cold oven and set the temperature to 325°F. Bake 30 minutes, then carefully flip each ring and bake an additional 20–30 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and deep mahogany. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 63 g
Protein: 10 g
Fat: 30 g
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate values using the actual ingredients you use if you need precise nutrition facts.
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Originally posted January 7th, 2015.
