This easy hickory smoked bacon recipe is simple to make and so full of smoky hickory flavor. It only takes two ingredients to make the best smoked bacon ever. Rather than pan frying the bacon, we smoke it in the grill to create delicious, crispy hickory smoked bacon slices that are overflowing with smoky goodness.
It's the perfect way to enjoy bacon! This easy smoked bacon recipe takes store bought bacon and kicks it way, way up.
One thing I love is good smoked meat. I always advise the slow and low method of smoking because as we all know, that yields the best results. Bacon is one of those delicacies that always tastes even better when it is smoked.
I love to make my own smoked pork belly bacon from scratch, however, you don’t need to buy the whole pork belly, cure it, and slow smoke it for hours to get a flavorful and aromatic treat.
There is a quick way to do hickory smoked bacon.
Practically all it takes is for you to pick up an ordinary package of sliced bacon or some sliced bacon from your local butcher, take it home and saturate every square inch with tasty smoke.
That's what this easy smoked bacon recipe is all about!
Smoked Bacon Mac and Cheese
We love our smoked bacon mac and cheese but just so you know we don't smoke our entire macaroni and cheese.
We only add this chopped smoked bacon to our macaroni and cheese recipes, especially the slow cooker recipe, as it's my favorite.
I have tried smoking the entire macaroni and cheese and have never been totally happy with the results even though I keep on trying to experience success. As soon as I do, you'll be the first to know!
Until then, I find the smoky bacon flavors permeate throughout the macaroni and cheese enough to add flavor.
Sometimes my husband adds some of this Boss Hog or Flavor God Bacon Lovers Seasoning, are amazing and Flavor God is it's Gluten Free, Low Sodium, Paleo and Vegan too!
These bacon seasonings increase bacon flavor and are also perfect on popcorn, mashed potatoes and so much more!
My husband also LOVES this Smokehouse Maple Seasoning too because he loves maple everything. A little also tastes great added to the macaroni and cheese but it definitely isn't necessary.
Honestly, our Slow Cooker Bacon, Macaroni and Cheese becomes the best smoked bacon mac and cheese simply by adding this smoked bacon to it!
If slow cookers aren't your thing check out our Easy Rosemary Macaroni and Cheese and you can skip the rosemary or just add this smoked crumbled bacon to our Jalapeno Ranch Macaroni and Cheese for a pleasant surprise.
Smoked bacon macaroni and cheese adds a wonderful blend of flavors to your macaroni and cheese that I urge you to try at least once!
History of Bacon
Before we go any further, I want to stop for a minute and talk about where bacon came from. It's actually quite interesting.
After all, if it weren't for this glorious cut of meat, our breakfasts would never have been as delicious as they are. Let's take a look at where this much-beloved but often taken for granted cut of pork comes from.
Ancient Times
Food historians cite China as the birthplace of bacon. Salted pork belly, the cut of meat from which we get those delicious pork strips of heaven, first appeared thousands of years ago in ancient China.
From there, pork curing methods spread all across the Roman Empire. Anglo-Saxon peasants cooked with bacon fat.
Bacon Becomes Bacon
Until sometime in the mid-16th century, the Middle English term bacon referred to all pork in general. At that point, people began referring to sliced pork belly as bacon, but no one knows why exactly.
An interesting little fact is that in the 12th century, a church in Great Dunmow, an English town, promised a side of bacon to any married man who could swear before the church and God that he hadn't argued with his wife for a year and a day.
A husband who could do so was held in high esteem by the community. This is where we get the term "bringing home the bacon".
Journey to the New World
Hernando de Soto is credited as being the "father of the American Pork Industry". he brought 13 pigs with him to the New World in 1539, and after three years that number had exploded to 700.
It's said that the indigenous people of the area fell in love with pork and were glad to accept pigs and pork as peace offerings and gifts.
Another interesting fact is that pigs are the reason that Wall Street has that name.
In 1653, a growing horde of pigs almost stopped the Dutch construction of a wall on Manhattan Island that was to be used to keep the British and indigenous population out of New Amsterdam. Later, the site was called Wall Street.
Bacon Today
Today, bacon is a beloved product used in breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with appetizers and even desserts!
You would think it would have fallen out of favor in today's health conscious society, but no matter how healthy a person is trying to be, they just can't seem to say no to bacon!
Rendering Bacon Fat
One of the critical things about bacon is the fat. There’s tons of it on a pork belly and it permeates through every slice of bacon you use.
The high fat content is not only what makes it delicious, it’s also a commodity that you don’t necessarily want to discard. The fat to lean meat ratio of bacon is fairly balanced.
Part of cooking bacon is the rendering of the fat and that fat can be used in other recipes. If you want to save the fat that drips off of the bacon while you smoke it, put a drip pan under it before you start.
After you let it cool down a little bit, you can pour the rendered pork fat into a jar and keep it in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Rendered bacon fat is a great way to add flavor to recipes that call for butter.
A huge bonus of saving this bacon fat, in particular, is that it's absolutely filled with that great smoky flavor we love so much.
Since rendering the fat is a natural part of the process whether you save it or not, it’s important to cook the bacon properly. That entails letting the meat rest a bit before you put it in the smoker.
Don’t put it in cold or it will not cook evenly. You have to let the bacon come to room temp so the fat can cook at the same slow, even pace as the meat. That imparts the best flavor and ensures you get the right level of crispiness to your bacon.
What Temp to Smoke Bacon?
It really doesn’t take that long to adequately smoke up slices of store bought bacon. It’s one of my favorite smoker shortcuts because the results are just as good and it cuts out a ton of extra work.
I recommend preheating the smoker to 300, a little bit higher than my usual recommendation but because you already start with such thin slices, it’s okay to bring a little more heat and get the job done in about 20-30 minutes.
The important thing is that you get it up to a safe temperature. For bacon, the minimum temperature you should reach is 145. 150 is a good target to have. Make sure the bacon reaches your desired doneness.
That means check that it is as crispy as you want it to be before you pull it out. Smoked bacon is ready to eat. You don’t have to cook it in a pan later unless you want to.
What Do I Need to Smoke Store Bought Sliced Bacon?
You only need one ingredient. Bacon. However, you don’t want to start smoking if you don’t have all of the supplies. Smoking takes a lot of time and care to get it right.
Even though sliced bacon takes significantly less time than smoked baby back ribs, you still want to make sure you can finish what you start without any setbacks like having to drive out to pick up more cooking spray.
The best thing to do is order up all of your supplies that you need a couple of days before you need to make the recipe. This recipe is fairly simple and requires only the most basic supplies.
Yes. Cooking spray is one of them. You definitely don’t want the fat of your bacon strips to get stuck on your grill.
In addition to the cooking spray and (of course) the smoker, all you need is the right kind of hickory wood (pellets or chips) to go in your smoker.
In order to flip the bacon and scoop it up to pile on your plate, you’ll also need a good set of grill tongs. Tongs are a great indication of if the bacon is crispy enough, too.
If you pick the slices up and they droop, you know you have a little bit longer to go on them.
What’s the Best Way to Store Cooked Bacon?
If you made enough hickory smoked bacon to store, place the leftover bacon in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. If you refrigerate your bacon properly, it will last up to a week.
The dryer the bacon the better it will keep. If you plan to make the bacon within a couple of days you can wrap it in foil.
When you reheat your bacon, use a frying pan or bake it in the oven to get the best results. For faster bacon you can use an air fryer.
What kind of wood should I use to smoke bacon?
One of my most common questions is whether or not you have to use a specific kind of wood. Typically, you don’t. Although some wood pairings perform better with some recipes, you can use any wood to smoke any meat.
Just remember that each wood type has a flavor of its own and that flavor comes through in the smoke. You can pair wood with meat just like any other flavor combination. Pork is most commonly smoked with apple, maple or hickory.
You can use a combination of them too but our most popular is hickory to make our own hickory smoked bacon.
Those are our top choices, as they pair well with the saltiness of the bacon. You can even blend different woods together to further enhance the profile.
I recommend experimenting with different types of wood and mixing things up until you come up with your own unique blend that you want to make your signature.
However, it’s not that complicated to get good smoky flavor for your bacon, and getting too creative with the type of wood you use isn’t terribly important. Especially if you are just using store bought bacon slices for a quick fix.
Easy Hickory Smoked Bacon Recipe
This is the simplest smoked bacon recipe you'll ever make. It doesn't take any extra steps or fancy maneuvering, curing, or the like. You'll simply be smoking bacon that's already been sliced. It only takes a few ingredients, and it's always absolutely delicious every time.
Ingredients
It only takes two ingredients to make this delicious smoked bacon. Yes, two. I'd say you won't find a shorter ingredient list anywhere for any recipe. Here's what you'll need.
- Thick cut bacon
- Pre soaked wood chunks, chips, or pellets, depending on your smoker
That's all you need! See? I told you it was simple, didn't I?
Making the Hickory Smoked Bacon Recipe
The process of making this easy smoked bacon recipe is as simple as the ingredient list. All you'll be doing is placing your bacon slices in your smoker and letting them cook up so nice and crispy.
- Preheat the smoker to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
- Spray the grates with cooking spray to prevent the bacon from sticking
- Place bacon slices directly on the grates and smoke for 20-30 minutes, until the bacon is cooked to your desired doneness
- Remove the bacon from the smoker and place on paper towels to help drain excess grease
- Enjoy!
Storing This Easy Smoked Bacon Recipe
In the exceedingly unlikely event that you have any of this delicious easy smoked bacon recipe leftover, you can store it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for about four days. That being said, I would be incredibly surprised if you had even one slice left. This stuff goes fast!
You Need This Easy Smoked Bacon Recipe in Your Life
Seriously. You need it. This easy smoked bacon recipe is super simple, and the smoky hickory flavor is just so amazing. You have to try this bacon in a BLT and while you're making a sandwich check out what to serve with bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.
It only takes two ingredients and a little bit of time in the smoker to make slices of this crispy, hickory smoked bacon that everyone will love. It's so easy to make, you'll find yourself having bacon far more often than you might think. Give it a try!
Hickory Smoked Bacon - Kicking Store Bought Bacon Way Up
Equipment
- smoker
- Wood Chips/Chunks/Pellets (whatever your smoker is designed for)
Ingredients
- 10 slices thick-cut bacon or 1 pound
For Smoking
- Water
- Wood Chunks or chips pre-soaked, or pellets (whichever your smoker uses)
Instructions
- Get out and measure all of your ingredients.
- Preheat the smoker to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
- Spray the grates with cooking spray to prevent the bacon from sticking
- Place bacon slices directly on the grates.
- Just like this.
- Smoke for 20-30 minutes.
- Or until the bacon is cooked to your desired doneness.
- Remove the bacon from the smoker and place on paper towels to help drain excess grease.
- Enjoy every single bite!
- Serve by itself or with everything you can think of that goes with bacon!
Notes
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
How long should I smoke the bacon?
20-30 minutes is a rough idea. How long it will take to cook the bacon will depend on how crispy you prefer your bacon and how thick the bacon slices are.
What kind of wood should I use to smoke bacon?
We love to use hickory and apple to smoke our bacon, it lends a sweetness that pairs well with salty bacon, but honestly, you can use just about anything. It's bacon afterall!
Leave a Reply