Homemade Bacon Recipe: How to Cure and Smoke Perfect Bacon at Home

There are plenty of foods you can make at home that taste better than the store-bought version, but homemade bacon is in a league of its own. The moment those mahogany slabs emerge from the smoker, the skillet sings with that first sizzle, your kitchen fills with deep smoky aroma, and you taste what you created yourself, you will never look at packaged bacon the same way again.

I didn’t set out to be the “Bacon Guy” in my friend group, but that’s exactly what happens once people realize you cure and smoke your own. Suddenly everyone is asking, “When is the next batch?” and “Do you need taste testers?” Honestly, I don’t blame them. Homemade bacon tastes better, cooks better, and smells unbelievable.

And here’s the part most people never expect: despite how long this guide looks, the actual hands-on work is simple.

TLDR: It looks like a big project, but your hands-on time is minimal. The cure, the fridge, and the smoker do the heavy lifting.

Let’s get started.

Why Homemade Bacon Is Worth It

Homemade bacon is deeper, richer, smokier, and more customizable than anything you’ll ever buy. You control the thickness, the sweetness, the salt level, the smoke, and the flavor profile. Once you taste homemade bacon you cured and smoked yourself, store-bought bacon tastes bland and mediocre.

This guide walks through everything: choosing the pork belly, removing the skin, understanding the cure, using traditional and modern curing methods, forming a pellicle, smoking the bacon, and slicing it into beautiful strips that crisp up like a dream.

Bacon was the first meat I ever cured myself, and it’s still the best cut for anyone new to curing. It’s incredibly easy and doesn’t require anything complicated to make a product that puts the supermarket stuff to shame. All you really need is a refrigerator, a smoker, and a few basic tools to get started.

Tools Needed

• Digital scale
• Sharp fillet knife
• Large cutting board
• Rimmed baking sheet
• Zip-top or vacuum-seal bags
• Wire cooling rack
• Smoker or grill + pellet tube
• Instant-read thermometer
• Slicer or chef’s knife

How to Choose Pork Belly for Homemade Bacon

There was a time when simply finding a pork belly to make homemade bacon was the most difficult step in the process. Thankfully times have changed.

Today you can often find pork belly at these locations:

• Many major grocery chains (sometimes behind the butcher counter)
• Asian and Latino grocery stores
• Local butcher shops
• Farmers markets
• Costco
• Sam’s Club

Availability has improved dramatically compared to when this recipe was first written. There are however a few things that have not changed and those rules still apply.

Local Butchers and Heritage Breeds

Local butchers have an advantage over supermarkets because they work with local farmers to source their meat. Nine times out of ten, local sources of pork are a much higher quality.

If you can get heritage breed pork from Berkshire, Duroc, Red Wattle, or Mangalitsa breeds that were raised with love and care it will absolutely show in the final product. Yes, it’s likely to cost a bit more but taste and texture will be of a much higher quality, the animals were much more likely to be raised in superior conditions, and the money goes back into supporting your local farming community. It’s a win all the way around. If you are in Louisville, Kentucky stop by my old stomping grounds at Red Hog Butcher Shop.

The Supermarket Option

If you don’t have access to a local butcher or farmers market, big restaurant supply stores will likely have bellies. They are also likely to have the best prices. However, it’s commonplace for these stores to only sell pork bellies by the case, which is 50 pounds, and the pork is usually a lower quality. A case of pork might not be a problem for some, but for others it may be too much of an investment or take up too much space.

Ethnic Grocers

Yet another option is to try a local ethnic grocery store. Latino and Asian grocery stores are very likely to keep bellies in stock and will be selling much more manageable sizes. I recommend buying at least a five-pound slab, which is normally half a belly. The thicker the better.

Warehouse Clubs

Within the last several years, the most reliable source for pork belly for me has been Costco and Sam’s Club. I can’t remember the last time I went to my local Costco and they didn’t have a big section of pork belly on sale. Obviously regionality in what stores carry can vary so I still recommend calling before making the trip to your local warehouse club.

When I first wrote this article I lucked out at my local butcher shop. I told the butcher I wanted a nice, thick pork belly because I was going to cure some bacon. He went in the back and popped out a few minutes later with the biggest pork belly I’ve ever seen. He tossed it up on the scale and it came in at 25 pounds. Yahtzee!

Preparing the Pork Belly

This step sets the stage for truly great homemade bacon, giving you the perfect canvas for curing.

Cut Large Bellies into Manageable Slabs

Trying to cure a whole belly this size is generally too much to handle. It gets unwieldy when trying to wrap it up and most home cooks do not have enough room in their fridge or smoker for such a large cut. I had plans to try a couple more recipes with pork belly, so I divided the massive hunk of pork into five-pound sections. I recommend slicing the belly into five-pound slabs. They’re easy to work with, cure perfectly, and each slab gives you plenty to enjoy now while keeping a few more tucked away for later. Once you start sharing homemade bacon, it disappears fast, and you’ll be glad you kept some in reserve.

Removing the Skin

After slicing the belly, the first step in the process is to remove the skin. A sharp fillet knife and a slow and steady pace are key. Leave as much fat as possible on the belly.

Here are the keys to removing the skin cleanly:

• Sharp fillet knife so the blade does the work, not your wrist
• Cold pork belly, much easier to trim when the fat is firm
• Long, shallow cuts to follow the natural curve and preserve as much fat as possible
• Slow and steady pace, this is not a race, take your time and work in small sections

Once the skin is removed don’t throw it away. It will make a perfect ingredient for my amazing Chicharrones Recipe. Put it in a ziplock bag and toss it in the freezer until you need it.

How Curing Works (Why It Makes Bacon Taste Like Bacon)

If you were to slice off a piece of the belly at this stage and fry it up it would not taste like bacon. It would have a delicious fatty porky taste and while I do have a delicious Smoked Pork Belly Recipe, that’s not what we are after here. In order to get that salty pink-colored goodness, it needs to be placed in a cure.

Your pork belly is like a caterpillar that needs to go into a cocoon of cure before it’s transformed into a beautiful bacon butterfly.

-Drew, Meat Philosopher and fan of alliteration

So What Is a Cure, Exactly

A classic curing blend is made from just a few ingredients:

• Salt
• Sugar
• Cure #1 (sodium nitrite)

Insta-Cure #1 is the most commonly used type of sodium nitrite. The Insta-Cure is what gives bacon that pink color we all know and love. The benefit of adding Insta-Cure #1 is food safety. It prevents nasty things like botulism that can grow in warm and moist environments with low oxygen. Sounds a lot like a warm smoking cabinet doesn’t it?

Buzzwords Around Nitrates and Nitrites

Some folks see the word nitrate and instantly check out. It has a reputation as a “dirty word,” mostly because of decades of confusing headlines and marketing language. The truth is, nitrates and nitrites occur naturally in vegetables, and the ones used in curing are carefully measured and regulated for safety. Some of the best ham and sausage makers I know use nitrites and nitrates. After consulting industry experts and doing my own research I have no problem eating food containing either.

I usually purchase my Insta-Cure #1 from The Sausage Maker. A five-pound tub will last you a long time. Be sure to get Insta-Cure #1 and not Insta-Cure #2. #2 is for long-duration cures like salumi. Any cure lasting less than 30 days would need #1 and anything more would need #2.

If you want the full breakdown of nitrites, nitrates, old-school methods, and why warm smoking requires Cure #1, check out the detailed FAQ section below.

Safety Guidelines for Curing Homemade Bacon

Curing bacon at home is very safe when you follow proper measurements and temperature control.

Follow these rules:

• Use only Cure #1 (Prague Powder #1), containing 6.25 percent sodium nitrite.
• Measure Cure #1 accurately. Do not adjust the amount.
• Weighing Cure #1 is best; teaspoons vary between brands.
• Keep the belly refrigerated during the entire cure.
• Keep the smoker below 165 degrees.
• Use clean equipment, clean hands, and food-safe containers.

Curing Methods for Homemade Bacon

There are a few curing methods to choose from when making homemade bacon. Each have their pros and cons. A dry cure is just like it sounds, dry. Salt, sugar, pepper, and Insta-cure are rubbed all over every surface of the belly. It’s then wrapped up and set in a refrigerator for 6–7 days to cure. With a wet cure, the belly is instead placed in a water-based cure solution and refrigerated for 10–14 days.

Dry Cure

Here are the advantages of using a traditional dry cure:

• Shorter cure duration
• Easier to store in smaller refrigerators
• Exotic flavor profiles are easier to achieve

A few downsides worth noting:

• Can be a bit messier
• Distribution can be uneven, leading to areas of varying saltiness.

Wet Cure

Here are the advantages of using a wet cure:

• Not as messy
• Cure distributes more evenly throughout the belly

A few downsides worth noting:

• Requires more refrigerator space
• Takes up to twice as long to cure compared to dry cure
• Harder to achieve bold or exotic flavor profiles

Don't Make a Mess

When using either of the dry curing methods, the mixture will pull moisture out of the belly. Use a baking sheet to catch any juices that are pulled from the pork. If you don’t place something under the meat, you will have a mess on your hands.

Traditional Dry Cure for Bacon (Old-School Volume Method)

This is the classic approach used by home curers for decades and still works extremely well.

Ingredients for 5 Pounds of Belly

• ½ cup kosher salt
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Cure #1 (level, no heaping)
• Optional: honey or even better use my Hot Honey Recipe, if you want to spice it up.

How to Apply the Traditional Dry Cure

• Combine salt, sugar, pepper, and Cure #1.
• Coat the belly with honey if using.
• Rub the cure mixture all over every surface.
• Place the slab in a jumbo zip-top bag or wrap tightly.
• Place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch leaks.
• Refrigerate for 7-10 days, Thicker slabs may take longer.
• Flip the slab after 3-4 days.
• After curing, rinse the belly under cold water and pat dry.

Equilibrium Dry Cure for Bacon (Modern Weight-Based Method)

This is the most accurate, consistent, and professional curing method. It uses exact percentages based on the belly’s weight and can never oversalt the meat. If this is your first time, use equilibrium cure — it’s nearly foolproof. It’s my go-to method when I want perfectly balanced homemade bacon every single time.

Why Equilibrium Cure Works Better

• Precise results
• Perfect salt level every time
• No flipping required
• Works for any belly size
• Very consistent

Equilibrium Cure Ratios

Use a digital scale.

• Salt: 2 percent of belly weight
• Sugar: 1–2 percent
• Cure #1: 0.25 percent
• Pepper to taste
• Honey optional

Example for a 5-Pound Belly (2267 g)

• Salt: 45 g
• Sugar: 22–45 g
• Cure #1: 5.5 g

How to Apply the Equilibrium Cure

• Weigh the belly.
• Calculate cure ingredients based on percentages.
• Coat lightly with honey if using.
• Rub cure on all surfaces.
• Seal the belly in a zip-top or vacuum bag.
• Place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch leaks.
• Refrigerate for 7-10 days, Thicker slabs will take longer.
• Rinse and pat dry.

Wet Cure Method for Homemade Bacon

The process for wet cure bacon is slightly different but will still produce a great result. I find Pops6927’s recipe from the Smoking Meat forums to be a great place to start.

Wet Cure Ingredients for 5 Pounds of Belly

• 1 gallon water
• 1 cup non-iodized salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cure #1

How to Apply the Wet Cure

• Dissolve all ingredients in a food-safe container.
• Submerge the belly completely and weigh it down.
• Place the container on a rimmed baking sheet to prevent drips.
• Refrigerate 10–14 days.
• Rinse and pat dry.

Equipment Note

If you plan to make bacon more than once, I highly recommend using The Briner (thebriner.com). It has a built-in plate that keeps the belly fully submerged without juggling weights or bowls floating around your fridge. It’s the same one I use for both bacon and my smoked turkey recipe, and it makes wet curing dramatically easier and cleaner. The picture below is how I used to wet cure before I discovered The Briner. I had to weight the pork down with a plate and weights to keep it fully submerged.

Fry Test and Pellicle Formation

The Fry Test (Salt, Flavor, and Cure Penetration Check)

Before rinsing your bacon — or committing the whole slab to the smoker — you need to confirm three things:
saltiness, overall flavor, and whether the cure has penetrated all the way through.

Here’s the correct process:

1. Slice and Check Cure Penetration FIRST (Before Rinsing)

Slice a piece from the end of the slab while the cure is still on the meat.
Look at the cross-section:

• Uniform color all the way through?
  Good — the cure has penetrated.
• Lighter/pale band in the center?
  The cure isn’t finished.
  → Put the slab back in the same cure mixture.
  → Refrigerate 1–2 more days.
  → Test again.

Doing this before rinsing ensures the slab still has its full cure on the surface, so diffusion can continue safely and properly.

2. Fry the Test Slice (After Rinsing the Exterior)

Once the color looks fully cured (no pale band in the center), it’s time to check saltiness and overall flavor. Do not fry the test slice until after rinsing, or it will taste way saltier than the actual finished bacon.

Before frying:
Rinse the entire slab under cold water and pat it dry.
This removes the concentrated cure from the outside, which would otherwise make your test slice taste artificially salty.

Then:

• Slice off a piece
• Fry it in a skillet over medium heat
• Taste for saltiness and overall flavor balance

3.If it’s too salty:

Soak the whole slab in cold water for 1 hour, pat dry, and fry-test again.
You can repeat hour-long soaks until it hits your preferred salt level.

If the salt level is correct, move on to forming the pellicle.

Forming the Pellicle

The pellicle is one of the most important, and most overlooked, parts of making great homemade bacon.

After rinsing and confirming the cure has fully penetrated, follow these steps:

• Place the slab on a wire rack.
• Set the rack uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.
• Keep the bacon in the refrigerator the entire time so the surface stays safely below 40 degrees. Pellicle formation should always happen under refrigeration.

This resting period creates a pellicle, which is a thin, slightly tacky, almost glossy layer on the surface of the meat. It forms as the meat dries and proteins tighten on the exterior.

Why the Pellicle Matters

• Smoke adhesion: Smoke molecules need something to grab onto. A wet surface repels smoke, a pellicle pulls it in and holds it.
• Color development: That deep mahogany color people associate with artisan bacon comes from smoke bonding to the pellicle, not the meat directly.
• Texture improvement: A proper pellicle helps the bacon develop a more uniform surface during smoking and prevents the exterior from becoming mushy.
• Even smoke penetration: Without a pellicle, smoke can stick unevenly, leaving lighter and darker patches on the slab.

How to Know When You Have a Good Pellicle

After an overnight rest:

• The surface should feel slightly sticky, not wet.
• The belly should look a little shiny or glossy.
• It should no longer be dripping moisture.

If it still feels damp or slick, leave it uncovered in the fridge for a few more hours. The smoker will reward you for your patience.

A good pellicle is one of the biggest differences between “pretty good” homemade bacon and “holy cow, this rivals a professional smokehouse” bacon.

How to Smoke Bacon (Temps, Wood, and Timing)

Smoking is the moment when cured pork belly becomes true bacon. Up to this point, you’ve built the foundation, salt balance, sweetness, texture, but the smoker is where you add aroma, color, depth, and character. Good smoke sticks, penetrates, caramelizes, and transforms. Bad smoke just makes meat taste like an ashtray. This section is where you separate the amateurs from the bacon artisans.

Once your slab has cured, been fry-tested, and developed a proper pellicle, it’s ready for the smoker.

Preparing the Slab for the Smoker

Right before you smoke, you can apply a final coat of black pepper. The pepper inside the cure seasons the interior of the belly, but a fresh layer right before smoking helps create a peppery bark and gives the surface more texture for smoke to cling to.

Use as much or as little as you like, the smoker will mellow and round out the sharpness of the pepper.

If you want variations, this is the moment to experiment:

• maple syrup or honey glaze
• cracked pepper + coriander
• brown sugar + chili flake
• garlic powder + paprika
• smoked maple or bourbon spritz during smoking

These all produce distinct bark styles without altering the cure.

Choosing Your Smoking Method

You don’t need an expensive smoker to make phenomenal bacon. Any setup that can generate clean, steady smoke at relatively low temperatures will work.

Dedicated Smokers
Pellet, electric, and insulated cabinet smokers offer the best temperature control. They hold low temperatures well and produce consistent smoke.

Pellet Grills
Pellet grills are a great middle ground, easy to use, steady, and predictable. They do sometimes run hotter than ideal at low settings.

Charcoal or Wood Smokers
These produce the richest flavor but require the most babysitting. Keeping temps down can be tricky, especially in warm weather.

Grill + Pellet Tube
One of the easiest, most budget-friendly setups. A pellet tube in any grill produces hours of clean smoke without adding much heat. This setup shines for bacon, especially in summer.

Temperature Guidelines for Smoking Homemade Bacon

Your target chamber temperature is 165 degrees or lower. Lower is usually better.

Why You Don't Want High Heat

• Fat begins rendering above 150 degrees.
• Once fat melts, bacon loses texture and flavor.
• Rendered fat dripping into your smoker can cause flare-ups and bitter smoke.

Your goal is to smoke the bacon, not melt all that amazing fat.

Internal Temperature Guidelines

• Keep internal temp under 150 degrees for best texture.
• If it reaches 150 degrees for 90 minutes, the bacon becomes fully cooked (per USDA guidelines).
• It's still totally fine to eat, but most people prefer pan-frying for crispiness.

Cold Smoking vs. Warm Smoking

Cold Smoking
(chamber temps between 40 and 90 degrees)

• Best in winter
• Generates incredible color and flavor
• Safest for maintaining fat structure
• Allows the full 4-hour smoke without worrying about internal temp creep

Warm Smoking
(chamber temps between 90 and 165 degrees)

• More common in pellet grills or warm climates
• Still produces great bacon
• Requires attention to keep temps under control
• You may need to pull the slab early if internal temp rises too much

Warm smoking is perfectly fine, you just need to keep an eye on the fat.

Smoke Density and Clean Smoke

Great smoke is thin, wispy, and blue-ish.

Bad smoke is thick, white, and billowy.

Thick white smoke creates bitter flavors because it contains too many incomplete combustion compounds.

If your smoker is producing heavy white smoke, open vents and improve airflow. Clean combustion equals clean bacon flavor.

Wood Choices

You can use almost any hardwood, but each gives a different character:

• Hickory: classic bacon flavor
• Apple: sweet, mild, crowd-pleasing
• Cherry: gives a gorgeous color
• Pecan: nutty and balanced
• Maple: gentle and slightly sweet
• Oak: strong but clean

Avoid mesquite, it’s too aggressive for bacon unless used in very small amounts.

How Long to Smoke Bacon

Four hours is the sweet spot for most methods. It gives you deep color and great flavor without overpowering the pork.

If cold smoking, you can go longer, some people do 6 to 12 hours over multiple sessions. Cold smoking gives amazing results, but you really need winter-level temperatures for it to work properly. I don’t know about you, but I have bacon cravings year-round, so about 75 percent of the time I’m warm-smoking instead, and a solid four hours always gives me great color and flavor without overcomplicating things.

Managing Summer Smoking

High outside temps make it harder to keep the smoker cool. Tips:

• Use a pellet tube instead of relying on the smoker’s burn pot
• Add a tray of ice beneath the bacon
• Smoke early in the morning
• Keep vents fully open for airflow
• Shield the smoker from direct sunlight
• Use frozen water bottles or ice packs in the chamber

Summer bacon requires more attention, but the results are still excellent.

When the Bacon Is Done

You judge doneness by appearance and internal temperature, not time.

A properly smoked slab should:

• have deep mahogany color
• smell incredibly smoky and sweet
• feel firm but springy
• register under 150 degrees internal (or be held at 150 for 90 minutes if fully cooking it)

At this point, the hard work is done. Only one step remains until your homemade bacon is finished, cooling.

Cooling, Slicing, and Storing the Bacon

Cool Overnight

After smoking, the hardest part is patience. You will want to slice into that slab the moment it comes off the smoker, but resist the urge. Cooling the bacon overnight in the refrigerator is worth the wait. The flavor settles and deepens, the texture firms up, and the slab becomes far easier to slice cleanly.

Wrap the slab loosely in butcher paper or foil and refrigerate it at 40 degrees or below until it is fully chilled.

Slicing and Storing your Homemade Bacon

Cold slabs slice beautifully. A sharp knife or slicer will glide through the meat and fat without smearing. Slice only what you plan to use, because a whole slab keeps noticeably longer than pre-sliced strips.

Refrigerator Storage

• Unsliced slabs of homemade bacon keep up to 1 week in a standard container, up to 2 weeks if tightly wrapped, and up to 3 to 4 weeks if vacuum sealed
• Sliced bacon keeps up to 7 days
• Fully cooked bacon (held at 150 degrees internal for 90 minutes) keeps up to 10 days

Always keep bacon refrigerated at or below 40 degrees.

Freezer Storage

Freezing dramatically extends shelf life without affecting flavor or texture.

• Uncut slab lasts up to 6 months
• Sliced bacon lasts 4 to 6 months
• Vacuum sealed packs last up to 12 months

For the best results, freeze slabs whole or layer slices with parchment so you can remove only what you need.

Safety Notes

• Bacon that never reached 150 degrees internal during smoking is cured and smoked but still considered raw. Always cook before eating.
• Bacon that reached 150 degrees internal for 90 minutes is fully cooked, but it still benefits from a quick pan fry for crispiness.
• Always refrigerate bacon during curing, pellicle formation, cooling, and storage.

Once you make your own bacon and slice it cold the next morning, the store-bought stuff never hits the same again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Homemade Bacon Safe

Yes. When you measure Cure #1 accurately, cure the belly under refrigeration, and keep your smoker below 165 degrees, homemade bacon is extremely safe. This method follows modern curing guidelines used by professional charcuterie makers and university extension programs.

Is Smoked Bacon Fully Cooked

It depends on the internal temperature:

• If your bacon reaches 150 degrees internal, it is fully cooked per USDA guidelines.
• If it never reaches 145 degrees, it is cured but still considered raw and must be cooked before eating.

Even when bacon is technically “fully cooked,” most people still fry it. High heat triggers the Maillard reaction, giving bacon that crisp, browned, irresistible flavor. Nobody gets excited about limp, floppy, chewy bacon.

Can I Skip the Nitrite Cure #1 in my Homemade Bacon?

You can cure pork belly with only salt, but it will not be traditional bacon and it is not safe to warm-smoke.

People sometimes reference old farm curing methods where bellies were buried in salt or hung in smokehouses. Those worked because the meat was cured for weeks or months in cold, dry, airy environments, and many of those old methods also relied on saltpeter (potassium nitrate), which slowly converted into nitrite over time. So even those weren’t truly “nitrite-free.”

Warm-smoking takes place in a botulism-friendly zone, warm, humid, low-oxygen, and between 90–165 degrees. That environment requires nitrite for safety. Without it, smoking is not advised.

If you want to avoid nitrites entirely, you can make salted pork belly or traditional pancetta, but you should not smoke it like bacon.

What About Celery Powder or "Uncured" Bacon

Celery powder and celery juice contain naturally occurring nitrates that convert into nitrite during curing. They cure meat the same way Cure #1 does, the chemistry is identical. Commercial “uncured” bacon is typically cured with celery powder and labeled that way only because of USDA wording rules.

The issue with using celery powder at home is consistency.

Nitrate levels vary dramatically from batch to batch, and without lab testing you cannot know how much nitrite your belly is actually getting. Nitrite is what keeps the meat safe during warm smoking, precisely the environment where botulism risk increases if nitrite levels are too low.

And here’s the irony:

Celery powder often contains more nitrate than the regulated amount of nitrite in Cure #1, so you may actually end up with higher total nitrite using a “natural” cure than if you used measured Cure #1.

You can use celery-based cures if you want natural additives, but cure times are longer, results are less predictable, and nitrite levels may not be safer. For consistent, safe, warm-smoked bacon, Cure #1 is the best choice.

Let’s Wrap Up This Homemade Bacon TED Talk

Look, I get it. You came here to make homemade bacon, not earn a graduate degree in Meat Safety and Applied Pork Physics. I just threw a mountain of information at you, mostly because I want you to nail this on the first try and not panic halfway through. The recipe card below is the calm, easy version, no lectures, no history lessons, no warnings about botulism trying to crash the party. Just follow the steps, trust the process, and prepare to make homemade bacon that embarrasses the store-bought stuff. If you’re looking for recipes that really show off your homemade bacon, try my Discada Tacos and Grilled Oysters recipes.