How to Home Cure and Smoke Bacon – 3 Ways

You’ll love how easy it is to cure and smoke bacon at home. We tried 3 different cures in our quest to find the perfect flavor for home smoked bacon and you can customize any of them to match your taste.

I made the mistake of looking at the meat department in Costco when Ginny let me wander around unsupervised. Like a kid in a candy store, I returned sheepishly to the cart with a 10-pound slab of pork belly and the idea that I would cure and smoke bacon.

She acquiesced, thanks to my puppy-dog eyes, so me and the pork belly were about to make some fantastic home-cured bacon.

📝 Why This Works

✔️ 3 Curing Recipes | We tested a savory herb, a BBQ rub, and a coffee bourbon cure in the hunt for the perfect home-smoked bacon. Try them all, or choose the one that best suits your palate!

✔️ Simplicity | Despite the gourmet results, process of smoking bacon is straightforward and accessible to cooks of all skill levels.

✔️ Customizable Flavor Profiles | All 3 curing options have been designed to enhance the bacon’s natural flavors but you are free to tweak them as you please.

🐖 Ingredients

🛒Raw Pork Belly | I always look for pork belly with the skin already sliced off. It is a nuisance to have to gently slice the pork skin off the meat. If the pork belly that you purchase has the skin still on it, ask the butcher to slice it off or spend a few minutes at home to remove it. You can do some fun things with the skin that we’ll experiment with later.

I cut the pork belly into thirds as I tried 3 different cures.

🛒Savory Herb Cure | Pink curing salt #2 is the curing agent I used for all 3 cure recipes. This herby cure includes oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and garlic for a layered infusion of flavors that perfectly blends with the smoke aroma.

🛒Coffee Bourbon Cure | Bourbon, brewed coffee, and the pink curing salt come together for a very simple cure recipe that turns the humble pork belly into dreamy smoked bacon.

🛒BBQ Cure | We also tried a barbecue cure with flavors inspired from our all-purpose dry rub for grilling. Kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and celery seed make a balanced taste profile with easily accessible ingredients. Chances are, you already have these in your pantry!

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

✅Smoker | My go to grill and smoker is the Big Green Egg, but this recipe works on other types of smokers, or grills equipped with a smoking box.

✅Gallon-Sized Ziplock Bags | The easiest, mess-free way to cure bacon!

✅Tupperware Containers | No special requirements here, other than making sure they are large enough to fit the ziplock bags with the bacon and the cure. In case one of the ziplock bags breaks or has a faulty seal, these containers will save you from having to clean the spillage.

✅Smoking Wood Chunks | We used apple wood this time, for a subtle and slightly sweet smoke flavor. Feel free to use a hardwood such as hickory or pecan for a more intense smoke aroma.

✅Digital Meat Thermometer | An instant-read or wireless meat thermometer is the only way to smoke bacon to the perfect internal temperature, as well as any other meat. I highly recommend you invest in one for perfect smoking and grilling results.

✅Sharp Knife Or Deli Meat Slicer | To get consistent or thinly sliced bacon, the easiest way is to use a deli meat slicer. It’s an affordable and lasting appliance, but if you don’t have it, at least make sure to use a sharp knife.

🍽️ Instructions

🥓 Curing Process

Curing bacon is a simple process where a salt mixture will draw out the moisture from the pork belly. It takes about a week to properly cure the pork belly.

You will know when it is ready as the pork belly will be significantly more firm than when you started. In addition, you will notice that the Ziploc bag will have accumulated a lot of liquid, as it is pulled out of the pork belly.

The firm texture of the cured pork belly is what we need for a good smoked bacon recipe.

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for curing your own pork belly.  I use pink curing salt #2 as the curing agent. It contains nitrites and nitrates. The biggest benefits of using curing salt are that it helps to prevent bacteria growth and helps the meat retain its color.

It is possible to cure the pork belly without this, but I have not tried it.

I used 3 recipes (found below) to cure and flavor the pork belly.  

👉Step 1: [For all the cures] – Add the ingredients into gallon-sized ziplock bags, and then add the raw pork belly.

👉Step 2: Shake the ingredients around the pork to make sure it is evenly coated, and then squeeze the air from the bags.  Once a section didn’t get covered completely and at the end of the week, it was still soft showing the chemical reaction was lost on that part of the belly.

Definitely spend the extra time to make sure that the pork belly is thoroughly coated.

Note: If you have a vacuum sealer, now is the time to put it to good use. The best way to store the pork belly with the cure is in vacuum-sealed bags. This way, contact with oxygen is prevented, and so are spillages.

👉Step 3: Learning my lesson from the last time I tried this, I placed each bag in a Tupperware container before I put it in the refrigerator. Last time I found out that the bag wasn’t completely sealed. It left quite a mess that I had to clean up.

👉Step 4: Flip the bag over EVERY DAY to allow any accumulated liquids to flow to the other side of the pork belly. This will help spread the curing agent and your flavorings will thoroughly coat the belly.

As I noted earlier, this process takes about one week, before the cured pork belly is ready for smoking.

💧 Post Cure Preparation

After the week is over, you’ll notice the pork belly is much more firm, and it is time to take it out.

👉Step 1: I can’t stress this step enough. Thoroughly wash the pork belly off. You don’t want any lingering seasonings, salt, or herbs on the meat. If the pork belly is not properly rinsed, it will most likely be too salty when it is time to fry it up.

Did I mention to rinse it off well? Once I didn’t and I had bacon that was so salty that we had to toss it out. Rinse it and rinse again. The weeklong cure forced the flavoring deep into the meat, so you don’t need to worry that the thorough rinsing will wash away the flavor.

👉Step 2: Allow a pellicle to form. This is the least difficult part of the process. Seriously!

A pellicle is a sticky film that will form when the pork belly is exposed to air. The sticky nature of it allows the wood smoke to stick better to the cured pork belly and it will help collect the flavoring from the smoke.

To form the pellicle, place the thoroughly rinsed and pat dried cured pork belly on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet and transfer it back in the refrigerator. DO NOT COVER IT! The air in the fridge will help the pork belly to dry a bit and that will form the pellicle.

It’s as easy as that!

I let the pellicle develop over 4 hours before I begin the smoke.

🔥 Smoking Instructions

I smoke bacon on the Big Green Egg which is a Kamado-style charcoal grill and smoker, but you can use any other type of smoker.

👉Step 1: Set up the grill for indirect heat with the plate setter in place. Wait for all the white smoke to dissipate. That is just the smoke from the charcoal, and isn’t the one you are looking for!

👉Step 2: Once the temperature of the grill has stabilized, set the temperature to 225°F and carefully add the wood chips under the plate setter. I soaked the blocks of apple wood that I bought at our local Big Green Egg Dealer, Dizzy Pig.  

👉Step 3: Unfortunately, the chunks of wood were too big to easily slip under the plate setter, so I lifted it slightly with the ash tool to make room. I only used 4 or 5 chunks of apple wood. Pre-soaking them for an hour definitely helped.

👉Step 4: Put the grill grate on top of the plate setter, and lay the cured pork belly on top. I fit three 2.5-3 lb slabs on my large Big Green Egg, but could have fit more if I had the stackable shelf.

⏲️ Smoking Time

The bacon smoked for about 3 1/2 hours until it reached the target internal temperature of 150°F. Do not let it get much hotter than that. You want to smoke it, not cook it.

If it gets hotter, the fat will liquify and drip out of the meat. There are lots of tips and tricks to make sure you know when your bacon is fully cooked.

🔪 Slicing The Bacon

After the bacon is off the smoke, let it cool down, and put it in the fridge. It is much easier to slice the bacon if it is cold.

If you smoke brisket, bacon, and other large cuts, it is worth the investment to buy a deli meat slicer. These do not have to be expensive. I have had mine for years and didn’t spend a ton on it.

I used to just cut them with a sharp knife, but I could not get the cuts thin or consistent enough.

🔎 Bacon Cure Reviews

For the moment of truth.

⭐⭐⭐BBQ Rub Bacon – This was a 3/5. It had a very mild BBQ flavor, but it just didn’t “sing” with taste, like I had hoped. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still better than most store-bought bacon. You just can’t beat homemade bacon!

We’ll still eat it, but I wish it had a more distinctive taste. Oh well, I will try a different rub next time. This is part of the fun of trying out new ideas.

You’ll probably love this if you want a mild seasoning and your main focus is the smoke flavor. A hardwood like pecan or hickory will help you achieve a more intense smoke aroma if that is what you’re after.

⭐⭐⭐⭐Savory Herb Bacon – This was a really nice 4/5. I can’t get enough of the rich, almost tangy taste. I used bay leaves this time, and I think it made a real difference in the end product. I can’t wait for the summer to roll around, so I can use more fresh herbs from my garden.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Bourbon Coffee Bacon – This was a solid 5/5. I like sweet bacon, and have used maple syrup and brown sugar in the past. This time, I used the Bare Knuckle bourbon from KO Distillery in Manassas, VA.

For the coffee, I just used a donut shop blend. This bacon had a unique, sweet taste that was much more subtle than other sweet bacons I have smoked. This is going in our hall-of-fame recipes for future curing.

🍱 Storage

I’m sure absolutely all of us have wondered how should home cured and smoked bacon be stored to maintain freshness?

❄️Fridge | As this is a cured and smoked product, bacon slabs will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or butcher paper, then aluminum foil.

If you want to have some sliced smoked bacon in the fridge (or perhaps you sliced more than you used), separate the slices with parchment paper, place in a zip-top bag, and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

🧊Freezer | The packing methods mentioned above also apply for freezing home smoked bacon. Both the whole and sliced forms will remain at best quality for 3 months, so make sure to use them within this timeframe.

💧Thawing | Thaw frozen bacon in the fridge before use.

🔄 Additions & Substitutions

👍Smoking Wood Options | Explore different wood flavors to complement your bacon. We used apple for a sweet touch, but there is so much more to try!

Oak and pecan will give you a classic smoky taste, or you could choose hickory or mesquite for a stronger flavor. Check out our smoking wood chart printable for more options.

👍Curing Salt | Prague Powder #2 is essentially the same as Pink Curing Salt #2, except for the name. Both contain sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate, used for long-term curing of meats. Use whichever you can find, the same quantity is needed for either.

👍Cure Flavors | There’s a lot of room for creativity when it comes to the cure flavor. I am looking forward to try more interesting herb and spice pairings such as:

• Maple and Black Pepper – for a sweet-spicy balance.
• Juniper Berries and Rosemary – for a piney, aromatic profile.
• Brown Cayenne – for a sweet heat.
• Garlic and Herbs – garlic powder mixed with dried herbs like sage and marjoram for a classic flavor.
• Citrus and Pepper – grated lemon or orange zest with cracked black pepper for a fresh, zesty kick.
• Honey and Mustard – honey mixed with dry mustard for a sweet and tangy profile.

👍Smoked Pork Belly | If you’re skipping the curing process, smoked pork belly is a fantastic alternative. It delivers a rich, smoky flavor without the need for curing salt.

🥓 How to Use Home-Smoked Bacon

Transform your meals with the smoky richness of home-smoked bacon, using it as the star or an accent in various dishes. Here’s how you can incorporate it:

⭐Breakfast & Brunch | Add a crispy touch to your morning with slices of smoked bacon, grilled bacon on a stick, grilled twisted bacon, or make some air fryer bacon wrapped asparagus for a savory side.

⭐Appetizers & Snacks | Create mouthwatering starters like bacon-wrapped mushroom kabobs, Texas twinkies, or grilled bacon-wrapped tater tot bombs.

⭐Main Dishes | Everything is better with bacon. Some of my favorite main dishes using bacon include bacon-wrapped smoked pork tenderloin, grilled bison meatballs, and grilled chicken livers wrapped in bacon.

⭐Sides & Salads | Some crispy bacon is a tasty protein add-on for salads and vegetable-rich side dishes. Try my Asian bacon green bean bundles or grilled bacon brussels sprouts kebabs for a fun twist on these grilled veggies.

❓FAQ