Bacon Jerky

This bacon jerky recipe is sweet, spicy and I promise you won’t be able to stop eating it! Included are delicious variations including Sriracha bacon jerky, maple bacon jerky and candied bacon variations.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 5

Servings slices

Calories 192kcal

Author Aubrey

Cost $5

Equipment

Baking sheet and oven safe baking rack; or food dehydrator; or smoker.

Ingredients

10 slices thick sliced bacon (12 oz package)
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
2 tablespoon Sriracha (Optional) See Notes for substitutions if you wish to omit spicy Sriracha.
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (Optional)
¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar (light or dark) Optional: For sprinkling

Instructions

Bacon Jerky (Oven Method)

Preheat oven 200 degrees.
Line oven baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Place oven safe baking rack on top so bacon grease can drip through.
Mix brown sugar, Sriracha and cayenne pepper into paste.
Separate strips of bacon and mix with paste to coat all bacon evenly.
Lay strips of bacon on oven safe baking rack/baking sheet.
Baked in oven for 3-4 hours until bacon jerky reaches your desired consistency. °
I recommend flipping halfway and sprinkling with some extra brown sugar. However, bacon jerky is still delicious if you choose to omit this step.

Bacon Jerky (Food Dehydrator Method)

Prepare sauce and bacon according to oven method instructions.
Place brown sugar coated bacon in food dehydrator. Allow at least ½ inch of space in between slices.
Cook in food dehydrator for 4-6 hours until bacon jerky reaches your desired consistency. I recommend flipping halfway and sprinkling with some extra brown sugar. However, bacon jerky is still delicious if you choose to omit this step.

Bacon Jerky (Smoker Method)

You will want to maintain a temperature of 200 degrees in your smoker for the duration of the process.
Prepare sauce and bacon according to oven method instructions.
Place brown sugar coated bacon in smoker. Allow at least ½ inch of space in between slices.
Cook in smoker for 3-4 hours until bacon jerky reaches your desired consistency. I recommend flipping halfway and sprinkling with some extra brown sugar. However, bacon jerky is still delicious if you choose to omit this step.

Notes

Sriracha Substitution: If you don't enjoy spicy, I recommend adding 2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup in place of Sriracha. The sticky texture helps bind the brown sugar to the bacon. If you don't have these options, you can still coat the bacon with the brown sugar.

Maple Bacon Jerky: Substitute brown sugar for maple syrup.

Regular vs. Thick Bacon: If using regular sliced bacon, reduce your cook time down to 1-3 hours. Check after first hour and every 30 minutes thereafter until you reach you favorite consistency. Regular bacon won’t take as long and will be more of a crispy versus a chewy jerky.

Candied Bacon: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes. Flip. Coat with additional brown sugar mixture. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Check every 5 minutes until you reach desired consistency. Candied bacon is generally a crispier version of bacon jerky.

Other Bacon Jerky Flavors: Feel free to have fun with your bacon jerky basting mixture. You can add fresh minced garlic, soy sauce, honey or maple syrup, to name a few.

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