If you season, cure, and smoke ground venison and pork fat, you can make venison bacon, which is sweet and smoky sheet bacon.
This recipe has been on my to-do list for a long time. People who like to hunt really like venison bacon, but I could never find a recipe for how to make it. I could only find ready-made cure mixes that I had to buy. For people like me who are proud to kill their own animals and make everything from scratch, that wasn’t okay. So I set out to create this recipe.
Venison bacon is made from ground meat instead of a whole cut of meat like pork belly in regular bacon. It is also sometimes called “formed ground bacon.” It is prepared and cooked like venison sausage, but loaded with bacon seasonings and thinly sliced.
Alright folks, gather ’round because today we’re gonna be tacklin’ a question that’s been on the minds of backyard grillmasters everywhere – just how long do you need to smoke venison bacon to get that perfect balance of smokiness, tenderness, and crispy edges? I’m hear to put your curiosities to rest and provide a full break-down of the ideal smoking times and temps for craftin’ up the best dang venison bacon this side of the Mississippi.
Now I know venison can be a tricky meat to work with. It’s lean and easy to dry out if you ain’t careful. But with the right technique, it can be transformed into mouthwatering smoked bacon that’ll have your tastebuds buckin’ like a wild bronco at a rodeo. The key is keeping a close eye on that internal temperature andadjusting your smoking times accordingly. Ain’t no room for guesswork when it comes to smokin’ up slices of venison heaven!
Choosing the Right Cut
First things first, you gotta start with the right cut of venison. For bacon, you’ll want nice even slices from the backstrap, hindquarters, or tenderloin. These areas tend to be the most evenly shaped and will smoke up the most uniformly. Stay away from heavily exercised muscle areas like the shoulders or legs – they can get unpleasantly chewy when smoked up.
I recommend slicin’ your venison into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick pieces. This’ll help the smoky flavor penetrate all the way through the meat. Ain’t nobody got time for unevenly smoked bacon!
The Magic of Marinades
Now it’s time for the fun part – infusing your venison with flavor! Creating a marinade is like cooking up a magical potion that makes your meat sing. I like using a combo of brown sugar, salt, spices, and maple syrup to give my venison a sweet, savory punch. Let your venison soak up all that goodness for at least 2-4 hours. Overnight is even better to really let those flavors seep in deep.
Firing Up Your Smoker
Once your venison is infused with flavor, it’s time to work your smoking magic. Set up your pellet grill or smoker to 225°F using a combo of hickory and applewood pellets The hickory brings that classic bacon smokiness while the applewood gives it a touch of sweetness
Place your venison directly on the grill grates and let ‘er rip! Now comes the most critical part – monitoring that internal temperature
Smoking Temps and Times
Here’s where things get tricky. Venison is lean and can overcook quickly if you ain’t paying attention. You gotta keep a close eye on the internal temp of the thickest part of your venison. For sliced bacon, you want to smoke the venison to an internal temp of 140°F. This’ll keep it nice and tender.
For thicker venison bacon slabs, aim for an internal temp of 150-160°F. If it goes over 165°F, you risk it drying out. No one likes chewing on jerky when they’re expecting tender, juicy bacon!
So how long exactly will it take to reach the ideal internal temp? That depends on a few factors:
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Thickness of the cut – The thicker the cut, the longer it’ll need to smoke. Plan for 1-2 hours for sliced venison bacon. Slabs may need upwards of 3 hours.
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Temperature of the smoker – The lower the temp (within reason), the slower it will cook. Keep that smoker around 225°F for ideal even smoking.
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Type of smoker – A pellet grill tends to smoke faster than an offset smoker. Factor that in to your cook time.
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Weather conditions – Cold or windy days will increase cook time. Summer heat will decrease it.
My advice? Start checking the internal temp after about 1 hour of smoking those bacon slices or 2 hours for slabs. Use a digital instant read thermometer to monitor it closely until you dial in the ideal time for your particular smoker setup.
Once you hit your target internal temp, crank the heat up to 300°F+ to crisp up the bacon edges if desired. I like mine with a little char!
Let It Rest, Then Slice and Serve
When your venison bacon is cooked to perfection, take it off heat and let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing into it. This helps the juices redistribute evenly. Then grab a sharp knife and slice that beauty up into savory strips, slabs, or diced chunks.
However you slice it, smoked venison bacon takes burgers, breakfast tacos, and BLTs to the next level of mouthwatering magic. It also makes for one mighty fine snack all on its own! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
Well folks, there you have my complete guide to smoking venison bacon to perfection. It may take some trial and error to nail down the ideal timing for your particular smoker, but once you master it you’ll be cranking out bacon that’s sure to be the star of the show at any cookout or campfire feast. Now get out there, fill up that smoker, and make some magic with that venison! Just be sure to save a few slices for this ole’ grillmaster. I’ve worked up quite an appetite putting together this here guide for y’all!
Equipment Needed for Venison Bacon
There are affiliate links in the list of things you need to make venison bacon that let you quickly and easily buy the same things I use from Amazon.
- Stick smoker—You can use a regular oven to make deer bacon, but smoking it will make it taste better. It is best to use an electric smoker for making any kind of sausage because it lets you control the temperature more precisely as you raise it gradually during the cooking process.
- Deli Slicer: Once the bacon is done smoking, you can use your chef knife to cut it into thin slices, but a deli slicer is much faster and easier to use. You can also use it to cut my smoked rump roast recipe into thin slices.
- Meat Grinder: You will need to use a meat grinder to grind your deer brains into bacon that is already formed. Read my How to Butcher a Deer tutorial for tips on how to grind deer meat.
Most likely, you don’t keep a few of the things you need for venison bacon on hand if you don’t usually make bacon or sausage.
- Curing—The meat needs to be cured because it will be cooked at very low temperatures for a long time. The cure stops dangerous bacteria from growing in the meat while it cooks, making it safe to eat. You can buy a lot of different cures. Always read the label to make sure you use the right amount.
- Dairy-Free Dry Milk Powder: You can get this at any grocery store. It is added to sausage to keep it together, keep the moisture in, and stop it from shrinking while it’s cooking.
- Brown Sugar—Smoky and sweet is the classic bacon pair. The brown sugar gives the meat a great sweetness and makes a sticky glaze on the outside. Feel free to add/substitute maple syrup as well.
- Ground Venison—I use a mix of ground venison and pork fat to make venison bacon. Somewhat less than 80% lean meat and 20% fat is a good starting point, but you can go as high as 30% fat if you want to. Make sure you don’t lose more weight than you need to, or your bacon will taste dry and lack flavor. If you had a butcher process your deer meat, you can ask them what fat ratio they used.
Does Venison Bacon Taste Like Bacon?
Venison has a distinctly different flavor than pork which will be reflected in the bacon. However, venison bacon does have the same traits as traditional bacon – wonderfully sweet, smoky, and salty!.
VENISON BACON – How to Make Deer Bacon
FAQ
How to tell when venison bacon is done?
How long does it take to smoke bacon?
Can you smoke bacon at 200?
How do you smoke venison Bacon?
Place the meat onto a smoker or grill and smoke at 200-225°F for 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove the meat from the smoker and allow it to cool before slicing and serving. When it comes to making venison bacon, there are a variety of tips and variations that can help you create a unique and delicious flavor.
How long does it take to cook bacon in a smoker?
Smoke the bacon at 200 degrees F until the internal temp reaches 150 degrees F using an instant-read meat thermometer. (With my electric Masterbuilt smoker, this took about 2 1/2 hours.) Remove the bacon from the smoker and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Slice the bacon on a meat slicer or on a cutting board with a sharp knife .
How do you cook venison Bacon?
Keep in mind that different cuts of meat may require different cooking times and techniques. Consider using a brine: Brining your venison bacon can help keep it moist and tender while also infusing it with flavor. Consider soaking your meat in a brine solution for several hours or even overnight before seasoning and smoking.
How do you season venison for Bacon?
In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (if using). This is your magical seasoning blend that’ll transform your venison into bacon wonder. Pat your venison cuts dry with paper towels to ensure that seasoning sticks like glue. Rub the seasoning blend generously all over the venison pieces.