On my first Carnival cruise aboard The Carnival Sunshine, I discovered a brunch obsession: Jerk Bacon Caesar Salad. The spicy, crispy, savory bacon paired with the classic tang of Caesar dressing felt absolutely perfect. It became my go-to brunch order. On a later winter cruise aboard the Carnival Breeze, my first mission on sea day was to confirm they still served that Jerk Bacon Caesar Salad — and then request a double portion. I finished the salad, promised myself I’d order it every brunch, and chatted with a friend about other ways to use Jerk Bacon — in sandwiches, other salads, soups, on baked potatoes, and more. That’s when it hit me: I could probably make my own Jerk Bacon at home.

Of course — that’s basically what I do.

I picked up a bulk bag of jerk seasoning at a Jamaican grocery during a port stop in Ocho Rios and used that at first. I also tried a locally sourced bulk blend, and both worked beautifully. Thank goodness for the globalization of spice blends — you don’t need to hop on a plane to Jamaica every time you crave Jerk Bacon (though you might feel like it once you try this).

Jerk Bacon is embarrassingly simple. Sprinkle jerk seasoning over bacon and bake it — my preferred method for cooking bacon these days. When the bacon reaches your desired level of chewiness or crispiness, it’s done. That’s it: spicy, crispy, satisfying Jerk Bacon.

Yes, I snuck in a terrible Jamaica pun. Forgive me — you’ll forgive me even faster after tasting this bacon.

Cook’s Notes

• Use thick or thin bacon according to your preference. Thin slices will crisp faster; thick slices take longer but are equally delicious.
• Jerk seasoning blends vary in salt content. Because bacon is already salty, taste the seasoning first: if it’s noticeably salty, use about 1/4 teaspoon per slice; if it’s salt-free or mild, you can add more to boost flavor. Generally, you only need to season the top side of each slice.
• Always bake bacon on a rimmed baking pan to catch grease. A half-sheet pan is ideal for a pound of bacon.
• Line the pan with heavy-duty foil for easy cleanup. Removing a piece of foil is far preferable to scrubbing bacon grease out of a pan.
• If you want reduced fat, place bacon on a cooling rack set over the foil so grease can drip away. I skip this to avoid extra dishes, but it’s effective.
• When the bacon reaches your preferred doneness, transfer it with tongs to a paper towel–lined plate or cooling rack to drain. Serve immediately or cool, wrap in paper towels, place in a zipper bag, and refrigerate for up to a week. To refresh, heat wrapped in a paper towel in 10-second microwave bursts until warmed and glistening.

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Jerk Bacon

Rebecca Lindamood

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Ingredients

• Thick or thin slices of bacon
• 1/4 teaspoon or more Jerk Seasoning see Cook’s Notes, per slice of bacon

Instructions

• Line a rimmed half sheet pan with heavy-duty foil. Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer and sprinkle each slice with at least 1/4 teaspoon of jerk seasoning. Put the pan in a cold oven, set the temperature to 325°F, and bake until the bacon is browned and reaches your preferred level of chewiness or crispiness, about 30 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate or cooling rack to drain excess grease.
• Serve immediately, or cool leftovers, wrap them in paper towels, place in a zipper-top bag with the air pressed out, and refrigerate for up to a week.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients and your preferred nutrition calculator.

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