Bacon is an absolute must-have for all meat-lovers and Applewood Smoked Bacon is my personal favourite way to have it. The perfect combination of sweet and savoury, adding an incredible flavour to any dish. This type of bacon is made by curing the pork in a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices, then smoking it over applewood chips. The result is a bacon that is packed with flavour and perfect for adding a delicious smokey twist to your favourite dishes.
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Applewood Smoked Bacon
Applewood Smoked Bacon has such an incredible smokey and sweet flavour that complements a huge variety of dishes. Whether it’s eaten in strips with eggs for breakfast or placed delicately on top of a Smoked Burger, this smoked bacon compliments just about any dish.
After preparing your bacon this way, you’ll never want to pan-fry or grill your bacon ever again. Follow this quick and easy recipe at your next brunch or cookout to WOW all your guests.
How to Make Applewood Smoked Bacon
Step 1 – Brine Bacon
Brine your bacon 12 hours before cooking. We recommend preparing your brine and leaving your meat to soak overnight, however, if you’re tight on time, a minimum of 1 hour will work.
Prepare your brine by combining 2 cups of water with salt and sugar until fully dissolved. Brining your meat adds flavour and prepares the meat texture for cooking. When you’re receiving your meat directly from the butcher, it’s important to brine it before you cook your bacon.
Step 2 – Preheat Your Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 275ºF/135ºC & prepare your applewood chips for the smokey sweet flavour we’re looking for.
Step 3 – Smoke Bacon
Place bacon strips on the smoker, evenly spaced apart, and allow to cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip your bacon strips and allow to cook for a further 10 minutes.
After a total of 20 minutes of cooking time, check the bacon to see if it’s cooked enough for your liking. Typically, this is a good time to remove the bacon from the smoker, however, if you prefer really well-done crispy bacon, leave for a further 10 minutes.
Step 4 – Serve Smoked Bacon
Remove the bacon strips from the heat and serve immediately.
Some options for serving your bacon include: alongside scrambled eggs for breakfast, on top of a cheeseburger, chopped up in a Ceasar salad, or on top of mac and cheese. The options for using this bacon recipe are truly endless so use your creativity!
Tips for Making Applewood Smoked Bacon
- Soak Your Chips. Soak the applewood chips in water for at least 30 minutes before adding them to the smoker. This will help to prevent them from burning up too quickly.
- Eye On The Prize. Smoked bacon has a tendency to burn easily, so you’ll need to monitor it closely.
Smoked Bacon FAQs
What Is The Difference Between Smoked Bacon & Regular Bacon?
Regular bacon is typically cooked in a pan or in the oven, which can result in flavourless meat. Smoked Bacon prepared with Applewood chips has a sweet smokey flavour that complements many dishes.
What Does Applewood Smoked Bacon Taste Like?
Using applewood chips to smoke your bacon leaves you with a perfectly balanced sweet yet smokey flavour.
What Is Wood Smoked Bacon?
When pork belly is smoked with applewood for around 20-30 minutes, the result is Applewood Smoked Bacon that has a sweet but smokey flavour.
Applewood Smoked Bacon Recipe
Equipment
- BBQ Grill Accessories (Tongs)
- wood chips (applewood chips)
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb thick-sliced pork belly
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp black pepper
Instructions
- Brine your bacon 12 hours before cooking
- Preheat your smoker to 275ºF/135ºC & prepare applewood chips
- Place bacon strips on the smoker for 20-30 minutes
- Remove the bacon strips from the heat and serve immediately
