With this step-by-step guide, you can learn how to cure and smoke your own bacon at home. Following this simple recipe will give you the absolute best bacon you’ve ever had in your life. I lovingly refer to this homemade bacon as “bacon gold”!.
Our husband looked at me and said, “We should make our own bacon.” It was 2019 Being the bacon-lover that I am, I immediately was into this idea. After studying and practicing our methods for a few years, I’m excited to share our tried-and-true recipe for homemade bacon!
While it does take some advance planning to make your own bacon at home, it’s well worth it. This is literally the best bacon I’ve ever had in my life. It literally melts in your mouth like liquid gold!.
We usually purchase a 9 pound pork belly when making this bacon recipe at home. We split it in half and make two different flavors, a maple bacon and a toasted fennel bacon. The maple is a classic, but the toasted fennel will surprise and delight you! It makes the best BLT sandwich you’ve ever had!
The bacon can be stored whole or sliced in the freezer for up to a year. We make this recipe three to four times a year and always have some in the freezer for when we want “bacon gold.” I really think you should do the same!
For the full ingredient amounts, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Bacon is a breakfast staple adored for its smoky, salty, umami flavors. But store-bought bacon often contains preservatives and doesn’t compare to the taste of homemade. With some simple ingredients and techniques, you can easily turn pork belly into incredible homemade bacon.
Why Make Your Own Bacon?
Crafting bacon yourself offers many benefits over store-bought
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No preservatives: Homemade bacon contains no artificial preservatives like nitrites found in commercial bacon.
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Flavor control Customize the flavor with different salts, sugars, and spices
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Quality ingredients: Source high-quality pork from local farms for the best results.
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Satisfaction: DIY bacon is extremely rewarding and makes a great gift.
Ingredients Needed
- High-quality pork belly
- Kosher salt
- Brown sugar
- Cure #1 pink salt
- Spices like pepper, paprika, garlic powder (optional)
Step 1: Prepare the Pork Belly
Select a 2-3 lb pork belly slab with generous fat marbling. This intramuscular fat will baste the meat while cooking.
Trim off any excess hard fat or skin with a sharp knife. The pork belly should be about 1-2 inches thick for even curing and smoking.
Step 2: Make the Curing Mix
In a small bowl, combine:
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cure #1
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika (optional)
Cure #1 provides necessary nitrates for preservation and color development.
Step 3: Cure the Pork Belly
Thoroughly coat the pork belly with the curing mixture on all sides. Place it in a zip-top bag or airtight container.
Refrigerate for at least 7 days, flipping the pork daily. The salt and nitrates will penetrate deep into the meat, curving it.
Step 4: Rinse and Rest
After curing, rinse off the pork belly under cold water to remove excess cure mix. Pat it completely dry.
Let it rest uncovered in the fridge for 8-12 hours. This allows the surface to dry out slightly and develop a tacky outer layer called a pellicle.
Step 5: Hot Smoke the Belly
Set up a smoker or grill for hot smoking at 200°F using apple, cherry, maple, or hickory wood chunks.
Place the pork belly on the racks. Insert a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature.
Smoke for 2-3 hours until it reaches 150°F, flipping occasionally. This slowly cooks the meat while infusing rich smoky flavor.
Step 6: Cool and Slice
Allow the smoked bacon to cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, slice the bacon with a sharp knife or slicing machine into 1⁄4 inch thick strips against the grain.
Step 7: Cook and Enjoy!
To cook, simply fry the bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until brown and slightly crispy to your liking.
Finally, enjoy your phenomenal homemade bacon on its own or on burgers, in snacks, salads and more!
Troubleshooting Homemade Bacon
Follow these tips if your bacon doesn’t turn out quite right:
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If too salty: soak in cold water for 1 hour before cooking.
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If too smoky: decrease smoke time or smoke at a lower temperature.
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If too dry: smoke for less time and remove before 150°F internal temperature.
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If slimy: allow to fully cure for at least 7 days in the refrigerator.
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If not curled enough: increase cure time to 10-14 days.
Storing and Freezing Bacon
For maximum freshness, cook homemade bacon within 1 week. To extend shelf life, freeze the cooked bacon slices or raw belly for 4-6 months. Vacuum seal or wrap very tightly in plastic wrap before freezing.
Favorite Recipes Using Homemade Bacon
Homemade bacon takes breakfast, sandwiches, salads, apps and more to the next level. Here are some top ways to enjoy it:
- Classic BLT sandwich
- Bacon cheeseburger
- Bacon wrapped scallops
- Candied bacon
- Bacon and egg breakfast tacos
- Bacon fat roasted brussels sprouts
- Potato salad with bacon vinaigrette
With the right techniques and a bit of patience, you can craft incredible artisanal bacon from pork belly. The homemade flavor is well worth the effort. So give bacon-making a try and taste the difference!
Ways to serve the bacon
When this bacon comes out of the oven, I almost always eat it right off the baking sheet while standing over the kitchen island. That’s what I meant: after I put the cooked bacon on a plate and act like an adult by sitting down at the table, Wink, wink.
Really though, this bacon is so tasty that it goes perfectly with scrambled eggs or omelettes, toast or pancakes, and a Bloody Mary for breakfast. You could also put the bacon on a bagel bar or use it in any of these tasty bacon recipes.
- Vacuum sealer: I put both cooked and raw meats in the freezer almost every week with this FoodSaver vacuum sealer at home.
- To fit the big pieces of pork belly, you’ll need extra-large vacuum sealer bags. You can also buy vacuum sealer rolls and cut the bags to any size you want. These are what I recommend for this recipe.
- That’s my Traeger Pro Series Grill at home that I used for this recipe.
- Pellets or wood—I like Traeger Apple Pellets for this recipe.
- Thermometer: I use the probes that come with the smoker on the Traeger. This wireless meat thermometer is a good choice if you don’t have a smoker with a meat probe.
- Heavy-duty foil – for wrapping the bacon after it’s smoked.
Store or cook the bacon
- I like to slice the bacon into 1- to 2-pound blocks to store it. That way, I can only defrost up to 2 pounds at a time. Either vacuum seal the bacon slabs or put them in zipper bags that can go in the freezer. Always write the date and the type of bacon on them. Freeze for up to 1 year.
- Cut the bacon into any thickness you want to cook it. I like to cook thick-cut bacon at a lower temperature than regular store-bought bacon for this “bacon gold.” This makes sure that the bacon fat renders perfectly and the crust doesn’t get too brown. To make your own bacon, put the slices in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and cook them at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Bear an eye on the bacon while it’s cooking so it doesn’t get too done. The worst thing that can happen is for homemade bacon gold to catch fire! You can also fry the bacon in a large pan over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until it’s the crispiness you like.
- If you vacuum-seal the pork belly to cure it, use ice cubes instead of water. I should thank my husband for this idea. It is much easier to vacuum seal the bag when there is no liquid in it. Twenty ice cubes are equal to one cup of water.
- For 10 days, don’t forget to turn the pork belly over in the bag. This will make sure that the pork belly is well cured on both sides before it goes on the smoker.
- Don’t forget to smoke to temperature, not time! If you don’t have a meat probe or a wireless meat thermometer like the MEATER to check the pork belly’s temperature without opening the smoker’s lid, I suggest using an instant-read meat thermometer to start after one hour. The thickest part of the pork belly could take anywhere from one to three hours to reach 150°F, depending on how big it is. Check the temperature inside every 15 to 20 minutes until it reaches 150°F.
- I think you should smoke the bacon with apple pellets or wood. Applewood smoked bacon is popular for a reason. That’s tasty! The mild taste of the apple wood goes well with the pork flavor. You could also use pellets or wood from maple, peach, or cherry trees.
- Homemade bacon that hasn’t been cooked can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks, either whole or cut up. After that, I recommend transferring it to the freezer.
- Cooked, homemade bacon should also be stored in the refrigerator. It tastes best hot and straight from the oven, but you can keep it in the fridge for 5 days in an airtight container after cooking.
- Homemade bacon that hasn’t been cooked can be frozen for up to a year in a bag that is safe for freezing. I don’t think homemade bacon should be frozen after it’s been cooked.
Easy Homemade Bacon | How to Cure Your Own Bacon at Home
FAQ
Can pork belly be used as bacon?
Is it cheaper to make bacon from pork belly?
How to make bacon from pork belly without a smoker?