Smoked Maple Bacon - Right From the Pork Belly

This homemade smoked bacon starts with a pork belly! Yes, this maple smoked bacon is from-scratch candied, smoked pork belly bacon, and it's delicious. They call this bacon candy for a reason!

This homemade smoked bacon is a true winner. This maple pork smoked belly bacon isn't just sliced bacon that we doctored up. Oh, no. This is an actually pork belly that we cured for 7 days and then cut into strips.

It's real, honest-to-goodness, homemade maple smoked bacon, and it is so good. Bucket list kinda good and I'm not even kidding.

There are some foods that everybody seems to love no matter what. Bacon is one of those ubiquitous sides that seems to magically appear on dishes even when you wouldn’t expect it to.

Despite numerous diets restricting pork, bacon inexplicably shows up on tables all over the world. Even the rise of plant-based protein doesn’t seem to affect bacon's popularity.

Even more fascinating than bacon’s resilience is the human desire to always make it even better. We started using thick store bought bacon and absolutely LOVED it. I mean, how could you not? Just wait until you see it.

Now that we make this smoked maple bacon, or smoked candied bacon, for my money, I can’t think of a better way to plus up bacon than by curing it with real maple syrup and smoking the daylights out of it.

Maple smoked bacon is just one variety of the many kinds of bacon enhanced with a smoker and with the right seasoning ingredients.

Smoked Candied Bacon a.k.a. Bacon Candy

Let me tell you that to anyone that has EVER tried this smoked candied bacon, or bacon candy, it is the most addictive, best tasting bacon they have ever tried.

Give up now because you will never be able to make enough of it or at least I haven't been to date.

This Smoked Maple Bacon - Right From the Pork Belly

Smoked Pork Belly Bacon 

Maple and bacon just go together. They are breakfast staples.

When you coat the bacon with my customized blend of curing ingredients and then capture the essence of that irresistible smokiness, you have a special treat that is sweet and salty with a deep smoked flavor that seeps into and saturates that already delicious bacon.

Of course, to really smoke bacon right, you need a smoker. In fact, before we get started, there are a few other important supplies you should have ready.

Using the proper tools not only makes sure you can get the job done but also makes things so much easier for you. When you have all of the supplies ready, dive right in. You’ll have incredible tasting maple smoked bacon.

For more information about what you need to make maple smoked pork belly bacon, how to give it the best flavor, and how to store it once it’s made, read on.

What Will I Need to Make Maple Smoked Bacon?

To start with, you need a pork belly. We aren’t smoking strips of bacon. So, if that’s what you’re picturing, erase that image. Picture instead a lovely chunk of pork belly. Make sure to start with enough (I know. It’s never enough).

Two pounds will do, although you can cut it down to size to make the job more manageable. Although you can remove the skin easily yourself, I recommend having the butcher do it to remove a step.

You’ll be flavoring this already tasty slap of tender pork belly with a mix of brown sugar, maple syrup, ground black pepper, kosher salt, and Prague powder, which is just curing salt. Finally, you will need water.

For supplies needed to make this smoked pork belly bacon, I strongly recommend taking inventory and rounding up everything you’ll need to make this smoked bacon recipe.

You don’t want to get deep into the process and have to search for supplies or go to the store. This recipe requires a smoker, first and foremost.

You can find an electric smoker on Amazon here. You’ll also need pellets for the smoker. In addition to that, you will need a large skillet, tongs, cooking spray, and a large Rubbermaid or gallon-sized resealable bag.

That’s all you need to make male smoked bacon. You may just eat it all once it’s done, but if you plan to store it you will also need smaller freezer bags.

What is Prague Powder?

Prague powder is pink so it can't be confused as table salt, draws moisture out of the meat, gives it a pink color, helps to preserve the meat and kills bacteria like botulism. Just like curing salt. Works best with fish, sausages and bacon.

Prague powder 2 is for meats that cure for longer than a few weeks to a few months. Meats like prosciutto, pepperoni and ham.

Just to give you an idea, you use a teaspoon for a hunk about 2 pounds of pork belly.

If Prague powder is not available in your area have a look for saltpeter, or potassium nitrate. It is the perfect substitute for curing and can be found as curing salt or pink salt.

Makes jerky too.

Store with your spices in a cool, dry space. Moisture is your enemy.

The product is for curing only, is used in small quantities and is too high in sodium to use for anything else.

Smoked Maple Bacon Ingredients

• 2-pounds Pork Belly (I will cut mine in half or thirds to make it easier to handle)
• ½ cup Maple Syrup   
• ¼ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Prague Powder

For Smoking:

• Water
• Wood Chunks or chips, pre-soaked, or pellets (whichever your smoker uses)

Smoked Candied Bacon Directions:

1. If the pork belly still has the skin, make sure to remove it (we usually ask the butcher to do this when we order the meat).
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the water, maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, ground black pepper, and Prague powder.
3. Place the pork belly slab into a gallon size resealable bag and pour the maple syrup mix over it. Seal the bag, making sure to keep as much air out as possible.
4. Store the bag in the fridge for 7 days, making sure to flip the bag each day and gently massage the liquid in the bag to continue to mix it the syrup mixture and cure the bacon.
5. Rinse bacon thoroughly, pat dry, and return to the fridge to rest for at least 12 hours (I typically do this part overnight). I like to place the slabs of bacon on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet. This step is necessary in order to develop a pellicle (a shiny, sticky skin that helps the smoke to really stick to the bacon and pack it full of flavor).
6. Preheat the smoker to 180 degrees Fahrenheit
7. Place the slabs of bacon directly on the grates and smoke for about 3 hours, or until the bacon has reached an internal temperature of 155 degrees (we typically check the temperature of the bacon every hour or so that way we can keep track of how it is cooking and also check the steam pot and wood for the smoker).
8. Remove the bacon from the smoker and either prepare them for storing or go ahead and slice the slab and fry the bacon in a large skillet. 
9. If you are not using the bacon immediately, prepare the bacon to be stored by cutting the slabs into slices of bacon. We like to portion our bacon so we can just grab a pack and it’s the perfect amount for our family. We usually set aside 2 slices per person (so 8 slices for our 4-member household) and place those slices in a small Ziplock baggie before sealing them and placing them in the freezer until we’re ready to use them.
10. When ready to cook, remove the bacon from the freezer and allow to thaw (we’ll usually pull a pack the night before and put in the fridge to thaw so it’s ready for breakfast the next morning).
11. Cook the bacon to your desired doneness and serve!
12. Enjoy!

How Long Should the Bacon be smoked for?

How long you smoke is up to you, but I have a minimum suggestion. It takes a lot of time to smoke your meat right. The longer you take to smoke it, the better.

But We are not pitmasters here. And as much as we love to smoke bacon on occasion, I can’t imagine you are inclined to devote more than a few hours to one dish. It’s understandable.

If you don’t have a ton of time to work with your smoker, consider buying a smoker that is better than most at holding a good temperature. That makes a big difference.

Regardless of what smoker you use, though, I recommend a solid six hours, just to make sure that smokiness comes through. But I don’t think you can ever smoke a pig for too long.

What Kind of Wood Should I Use in the Smoker?

Whenever we smoke maple bacon we use applewood. That’s the wood that really works best. I like it for the extra layer of sweetness it adds.

That really pairs well with the saltiness of the bacon. However, there are so many types of wood that it’s worth experimenting with if you want to get good use out of your smoker.

It’s good to learn more about the different kinds of wood and the flavors they have to offer, but it’s more important to try as many for yourself as you can to find your flavor.

You may decide you want to smoke everything with only hickory and that’s okay, too. Whatever you are smoking, the best wood is going to contribute to the balance of flavors. It will take good bacon and make it great bacon.

Don’t think you are limited to just one type of wood either. Consider creating a custom blend. You may even try some maple with applewood.

How Do I Store the Smoked Bacon?

The best way to store the bacon once it’s smoked is to slice it up first and portion it out. Separate the slices into batches you intend to cook later. Separate each batch into small freezer bags and store them pretty much as long as you need to.

You can freeze them for up to 6 months although you’ll really want to start consuming the bacon when you get to about three months of storage.

None of that probably matters because that bacon doesn’t stand much of a chance of making it through the week.

Even if you do plan on eating all of the bacon pretty quickly, it’s still a good idea to portion it out, just to make it easier on you when you take it out to cook.

It’s not good to repeatedly thaw out frozen bacon, so it’s important to only take out what you need. Of course, the best-tasting bacon is the bacon you cook immediately after you’ve smoked the flavor in.

Frequently Asked Questions:

can you eat smoked bacon raw?

No you can't because smoked bacon is only considered cured and must be cooked first or risk food poisoning from potential bacteria.

is all bacon smoked?

No, all bacon must be processed and preserved with sugar and salt to cure it or smoke it which preserves color, improves flavor and taste and stops bacteria from growing.

is smoked bacon cooked?

No, smoking bacon adds loads of flavor but is not cooked and totally ready for human consumption until it is cooked to rid the bacon of bacteria.

Give This Homemade Maple Smoked Bacon a Try

There's only one thing more satisfying than really good bacon, and that's really good bacon that you made yourself! Go get yourself a pork belly and start curing it. Try making the best BLT and have a look at all our favorite sides on what to serve with bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.

You'll be in for an amazing treat once you've made this smoked pork belly bacon for yourself. It has a flavor that's unlike any other bacon you've ever had. It's real, true, authentic bacon, and it is legit. I highly recommend this recipe!