Smoked Bacon Jerky

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This Smoked Bacon Jerky recipe combines thick-cut bacon with sweet and spicy BBQ flavors before smoking it low and slow until caramelized and packed with smoky flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4

Marinate4

Total Time8 15

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Bacon:

12 strips Thick Cut Bacon cut in half
1.5 tbsp Favorite BBQ Seasoning
½ cup Brown Sugar
1.2 cup BBQ Sauce
2 tbsp Sriracha

Instructions

Preheat your smoked to 200F indirect cooking. Add wood chunks for extra smoke flavor if desired.
In a bowl, mix together the bbq seasoning, brown sugar, bbq sauce and sriracha into a paste. Add your bacon to the paste and mix thoroughly. Marinated for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.
Next day, lay your slices of bacon onto a cooking sheet (preferably with a grate). Lightly season with more BBQ seasoning and brown sugar.
Add the bacon to the smoker and cook for about 3-4 hours or until the outside has begun to caramelize, fat begins to render and it’s super crispy. If you desire, flip over and slather with more glaze, bbq seasoning and brown sugar.
When done, pull the bacon out and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Helpful Tip: Crispy vs Chewy Bacon Jerky Option

The final texture comes down to cook time. For a softer, chewy texture similar to traditional jerky, pull the bacon a little earlier once the fat has mostly rendered. If you're looking for something closer to bacon candy or candied bacon, let it cook longer until the edges become extra crispy and caramelized. Either way, maintaining a low temperature throughout the cooking process is the key to getting the best results.

Nutrition