You are going to love this straightforward Smoked Bacon. This easy-to-follow recipe and expert tips will help you create the most mouthwatering, crispy, and smoky bacon you've ever tasted.
I've tried preparing bacon in the oven, in a frying pan, in a cast iron skillet, in the oven, and even in the air fryer. In my opinion, smoking on a pellet grill is the best way to prepare this breakfast staple. It’s a no-fuss method with easy clean-up. Bonus — your house won’t smell all day!
This is perfect to serve as a side for breakfast or brunch, or you can add it to Traeger Smoked Burgers, Cast Iron Mac And Cheese, sandwiches, or even use it as a topping for Cottage Cheese Mousse. Smoking your own bacon is a great way to control your ingredients and provide a nice smoky flavor without having to use additives like liquid smoke.
If you are looking for more Smoker Recipes check out my Smoked Cream Cheese, Smoked Whole Chicken, Smoked Butter With Sea Salt, and Smoked Asparagus.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No Muss No Fuss: Not only will smoking it provide a ton of flavor, but it will also keep the grease at bay.
- Perfect Texture: If you like your bacon crispy on the outside and a little chewy on the inside, this one is for you!
- Perfect For Meal Prep: You can prep this simple recipe on the weekend and store it in the fridge all week long. You can add it to salads, or reheat it alongside your breakfast.
- Customizable: Experiment with different wood chips to create your own unique flavor.
Ingredients
- Uncured Bacon: Quality is key! You can find good quality bacon at your local grocery store. Read the labels and make sure it is organic, pasture-raised, and does not contain any added sugar. My favorite is thick cut, but you can use whatever kind you like.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions And Variations
- Turkey: If you don't like pork, you can use turkey bacon instead.
- Spicy Kick: Try adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, or cayenne pepper for a little heat.
- Sweet and Salty: If you love the combo of sweet and salty, try drizzling some honey or maple syrup on it. You can also sprinkle it with brown sugar before smoking.
How To Make Smoked Bacon
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
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Step 1. Preheat your pellet grill to 300 degrees f., and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Step 2. Place the bacon slices in a single layer on the lined baking sheet, leaving about ½ of space between each slice. You can also place a wire rack on the baking sheet.
Step 3. Place the baking sheet on the grill grates of your preheated pellet grill and close the lid. Smoke for 25-30 minutes. Please note that depending on your pellet grill and the thickness of the bacon, the smoke time may vary slightly.
Step 4. At the 25-minute mark, check for desired doneness. Once it has reached your preferred level of crispiness, remove the sheet pan from the Traeger pellet grill.
Step 5. Place the tasty bacon on a large plate lined with paper towels and allow the excess bacon fat to be soaked up. Then add to your serving plate and enjoy!
Expert Tips And Notes
- Remove Before You Think It’s Done: It will continue to crisp up a bit further once removed from the pellet smoker, so for best results you will want to remove it right before it reaches your preferred level of doneness.
- Make It Sweet: If you want to put a sweet spin on this, add a drizzle of hot honey or maple syrup on top for homemade maple bacon. It’s delicious and the sweetness pairs well with the smoky flavor!
- Thickness: If you are using a thick-cut bacon, you may need to turn it about halfway through. If it's thinner and your smoker cooks evenly, you will not need to turn it during the cooking process.
- Experiment With Different Flavors: Try different wood chips like mesquite, and pecan, and discover your favorite smoky bacon flavors.
Serving Suggestions For Smoked Bacon
- Serve it alongside High Protein Egg Bites, or High Protein Breakfast Casserole
- Add it to Smoked Hamburgers
- Crumble up and serve on top of vanilla ice cream
- Use it as a topping for Cast Iron Mac And Cheese
- Add it to your Traeger Baked Potatoes
- Crumble it on top of Dutch Oven Chili
Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Allow any leftovers to come to room temperature then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating: To reheat, place in a 250-degree oven for 10 minutes or until warm.
Recipe FAQs
Hickory pellets, post-oak, or apple wood work great. I also have played around with Mesquite, and it’s also a good choice and will provide a nice smoke flavor.
Look for uncured, center-cut bacon. Ideally, you want to see slices with long veins of lean pink meat and relatively small amounts of creamy white fat.
Other Related Smoker Recipes
If you tried this Traeger Smoked Bacon or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Easy Traeger Smoked Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Uncured Bacon
Instructions
- Preheat your pellet grill to 300 degrees f., and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place the bacon slices in a single layer on the lined baking sheet, leaving about ½ of space between each slice. You can also place a wire rack on the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet on the grill grates of your preheated pellet grill and close the lid. Smoke for 25-30 minutes. Please note that depending on your pellet grill and the thickness of the bacon, the smoke time may vary slightly.
- At the 25-minute mark, check for desired doneness. Once it has reached your preferred level of crispiness, remove the sheet pan from the Traeger pellet grill.
- Place the bacon on a large plate lined with paper towels and allow the excess fat to be soaked up.
Notes
- Remove Before You Think It’s Done: It will continue to crisp up a bit further once removed from the pellet smoker, so for best results you will want to remove it right before it reaches your preferred level of doneness.
- Make It Sweet: If you want to put a sweet spin on it, add a drizzle of hot honey or maple syrup on top. It’s delicious, and the sweetness pairs well with the smoky flavor!
- Thickness: If you are using a thick-cut variety, you may need to turn it about halfway through. If it's thinner and your smoker cooks evenly, you will not need to turn it during the cooking process.
- Experiment With Different Flavors: Try different wood chips like mesquite, and pecan.
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