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Homemade Applewood Smoked Bacon in a Cast Iron Skillet

Homemade Applewood Smoked Bacon Recipe

Home cured smoked bacon made from pork belly. There is nothing quite like homemade thick cut bacon. This is absolutely worth the effort.
5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Cure time 6 days
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American, BBQ
Servings 6 servings
Calories 1178 kcal

Equipment

  • Smoker

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs pork belly skin removed
  • cup kosher salt
  • cup brown sugar packed
  • 3 tbs black pepper coarsely ground
  • 2 teaspoon pink curing salt Prague Powder #1

Instructions
 

  • Place the cure ingredient in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle the cure evenly over the entire pork belly. Place the pork belly inside a food saver bag and add the remaining cure to the bag. Remove the air and seal. Place the sealed bag in a small pan and place in the refrigerator for six days. Turn the bag over every day.
  • After six days, remove the cured pork belly from the bag, rinse well and pat dry. Place the pork belly on a wire rack over a rimmed sheet. Now place the uncovered pork belly in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Setup the smoker for indirect heat at 175˚F. Add a few applewood chunks and smoke for about 4 - 4 ½ hours to an internal temperature of 155˚F.
  • Remove the smoked pork belly from the smoker, let it cool to room temperature, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. This step helps the texture and flavor.
  • Cut the bacon into ⅛" strips, preferably on a meat slicer, and fry it up.

Video

Notes

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Nutrition

Serving: 4piecesCalories: 1178kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 21gFat: 120gSaturated Fat: 44gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 56gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 450mgPotassium: 424mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 24IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Keyword applewood smoked bacon, bacon, homemade bacon
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