This double smoked bacon recipe is the perfect addition to your breakfast lineup using your outdoor pellet grill.
This is the best way to hot smoke bacon for a early morning tailgate or just breakfast for friends and family if you’re a master smoker who loves any reason to fire up the smoker.
When you don’t cook in a cast iron skillet on the stove, in an air fryer, or even in the oven, the bacon doesn’t leave a strong smell in your house for hours, and the smoke flavor makes the bacon taste even better.
Read the article below to learn all the smoking tips and tricks you need to make bacon on the grill. Let’s dive in!.
Double smoked bacon takes an already delicious food to the next level. While regular bacon gets smoked once during production, double smoking infuses even more smoky flavor right into the meat Backyard pitmasters love using their pellet grills, charcoal smokers, and other equipment to make insanely tasty double smoked bacon at home
With the right techniques, you can easily make double smoked bacon that boasts intense smoky notes, irresistible aromas, and fantastic texture. Read on to learn all about the double smoking process as well as tips for cooking perfect double smoked bacon yourself.
What is Double Smoked Bacon?
Double smoked bacon refers to bacon that gets smoked twice:
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First, it is smoked once during the commercial curing and production process. This initial smoking adds flavor and preserves the bacon.
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Second, it is smoked again just before eating. This second round of smoking boosts the smoky flavors substantially.
Double smoked bacon ends up with a deeper smoke flavor than regular bacon. The aroma is more intense, and the smoky taste comes through with every bite.
Why Double Smoke Your Bacon?
There are a few key benefits that make double smoking worth the effort:
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More smoke flavor – By smoking a second time, you can really drive that smoky taste into the meat. Double smoked bacon tastes even better than regular.
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Custom flavors – You can use different woods for unique flavor profiles like apple, hickory, mesquite, etc.
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Temperature control – Cold smoking then cooking allows better control over the finished texture.
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Fun weekend project – It’s an excuse to spend a relaxing morning tending the smoker.
Double smoked bacon is ideal any time you want extra smoky flavor to liven up breakfast, BLTs, baked potatoes, or other dishes.
Step 1 – Choose a Bacon
Look for a thick, premium sliced bacon from the grocery store. Avoid thin or cheap bacon, which won’t turn out as well. Some good options include:
- Thick cut smoked bacon
- Peppered bacon
- Applewood smoked bacon
- Maple bacon
Thicker bacon allows more time for the smoke to penetrate the meat. Flavored bacon varieties add even more depth.
Step 2 – Do a Light Cold Smoke
Set up your smoker or grill for cold smoking at temperatures under 150°F. Use milder wood chips like apple or cherry to avoid over-smoking.
Place bacon directly on the smoker grates and cold smoke for 1-2 hours. This gently infuses extra smoke flavor into the bacon without cooking it.
Step 3 – Let the Bacon Rest
Remove the cold smoked bacon from the smoker and let it rest until completely cooled. This allows the smoke flavors to permeate evenly throughout the meat.
Step 4 – Add Seasonings (Optional)
If desired, now is the time to coat both sides of the bacon with a dry rub, brown sugar, maple syrup or other flavorings. Apply lightly to avoid overpowering the smoke.
Step 5 – Hot Smoke the Bacon
Finally, set up your smoker or pellet grill for hot smoking at 225-250°F using a stronger wood like hickory or mesquite.
Cook the bacon until it reaches your desired level of doneness, from chewy to crispy. Slice and serve immediately for the best texture and flavor.
Tips for Perfect Double Smoked Bacon
Follow these tips when double smoking bacon for the very best results:
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Use cold bacon straight from the fridge for better smoke absorption.
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Choose thicker sliced bacon over thin cut varieties.
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Keep temps very low (under 150°F) when cold smoking to prevent cooking.
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Let the bacon rest after cold smoking before the second smoke.
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Finish with a hot smoke around 225-250°F until fully cooked.
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Experiment with milder and bolder woods for the 1st and 2nd smokes.
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Try adding complementary seasonings between the smokes.
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Cook to your preferred level of crispness based on texture preference.
Serving Double Smoked Bacon
Once you’ve mastered the double smoking process, it’s time to enjoy your custom smoked bacon creation. Here are some tasty ways to serve it:
- Crispy in breakfast sandwiches and omelets
- Chopped in salads and Brussels sprouts
- Crumble over baked potatoes
- Sprinkle on burgers
- Pair with scallops or shrimp
- Make candied bacon strips
- Enjoy in your favorite BLTs
The deeply smoky flavor pairs perfectly in so many dishes. And the aroma of sizzling double smoked bacon cooking is irresistible.
Storing Leftover Double Smoked Bacon
Properly stored, double smoked bacon keeps well for 5-7 days refrigerated and up to 2 months frozen. To maximize freshness:
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Allow bacon to cool completely after cooking.
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Pack in sealed airtight containers or bags.
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Refrigerate for short term storage.
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Freeze bacon in portions if not using right away.
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Thaw frozen bacon gradually in the fridge before cooking again.
With the right techniques, you can make incredibly delicious double smoked bacon at home. Smoking twice infuses maximum smoky bacon flavor.
Why This Recipe Works:
Smokers are very similar to ovens. They use indirect dry heat to cook and render the bacon fat, but with the addition of smoke.
This works well for cured pork, I even double smoke ham on my Big Green Egg as well.
Now, pre-packaged bacon that you buy from the store has already been cured and smoked. This is a recipe specifically for cooking the bacon so it’s double smoked (adding more smoky flavor).
- Large Baking Pan
- Aluminum Foil or Parchment Paper
- Wire Rack
- Tongs
- Paper Towels
- Electric Smoker (Traeger grills, Pit Boss, Yoder, etc.)
Welcome to my online classroom! The notes below will help you learn. I answer a lot of the questions I get from readers and cooks like you.
This information is meant to help you understand this recipe and the process better so that you can do it on your own.
Ready to begin cooking? Simply jump to the recipe card below and begin.
Besides being delicious, bacon simply is cured pork belly. Pork belly comes from the belly of the pig (thus the name). The pork belly slab goes through a process called curing, but could also be dry brined.
The curing process is similar to the method used for other fatty, rich meats like ham and salami. Curing is essentially the preservation of food using sodium nitrite, which allows for longer storage without refrigeration.
Pork bellies are seasoned with salt and nitrites and then injected several times over a few weeks with a curing solution that has brown sugar or maple syrup and sodium nitrate to make the bacon sweet and flavorful.
This recipe is for cooking store-bought bacon specifically on your pellet smoker (charcoal smoker works too) and isn’t a recipe to cure a pork belly slab. If you’re looking to make homemade bacon entirely from scratch, check out this recipe for cold-smoking pork belly.
- Thick-Cut Bacon (choose your favorite type of bacon or flavors like apple wood, maple bacon, brown sugar, and more) ).
That’s it! All you need to make bacon is bacon. Buy whichever type of bacon you prefer, but find something that is thicker cut. This allows for additional time to get more smoke flavor into the pork.
If you want to make your bacon slices taste better, I suggest adding a low-sodium dry rub or even just some smoky paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Like the bacon a little sweeter? Brush on some maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar as well. You can also try my keto candied bacon recipe and use that on the smoker too!.
Preparation And Smoking Tips:
Cooking bacon is very straightforward, but here are some essential tips for hot smoking bacon on your grill.
- Start with cold bacon straight from the fridge. It’s best if it’s cold! This helps render the fat, which makes the bacon crispier, and lets it get a smokey flavor by cooking on the grill longer.
- Don’t smoke the bacon directly on the grill grates. If you really want to, you can, but the best way is to use a baking sheet with a foil edge and a wire rack on top of it. Place one strip of thick-cut bacon on top of the wire cooling rack. This makes room for the smokey air to move around the grill and cook the bacon. The bacon grease is collected below, so there is no big mess and no chance of a grease fire.
- Before smoking the bacon, add any extra seasonings you want. Don’t use extra kosher salt in rubs; they are already too salty.
- Always start with a full preheated grill. Put the bacon on the smoker rack and cook it until it’s done the way you like it.
- Use fruit-based wood pellets for smoking. I like cherry or apple pellets best. If you want a stronger flavor, though, hickory or even mesquite can be used instead of pellet smokers. Pellet smokers don’t usually give you as strong of a smoke flavor.
Double Smoked Bacon BLT
How to make double smoked bacon?
Choosing the right cut of pork is crucial when it comes to making double smoked bacon. Pork belly is the most commonly used cut for bacon, but you also have the option of using shoulder meat. The shoulder is leaner, while the belly has more fat and is crispier. When selecting your pork belly, look for a slab with a good balance of meat and fat.
How long does smoked bacon take to smoke?
The curing salts can be applied as a dry rub or mixed with water to create a brine. Once the bacon has been cured, it is ready for the first round of smoking. Traditional American bacon is typically smoked for about six hours or less, but double smoked bacon spends a whopping 24 hours in the smoker.
Can You double smoke Bacon on a pellet smoker?
Learn how to cook the best bacon and double smoke it on a pellet smoker. A simple way to create tasty bacon without turning on the oven. Preheat the pellet smoker for 350 degrees F. Keep the bacon cold in the fridge before smoking for best results. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack over the top.
How do you smoke Bacon on a grill?
Preheat your grill fully before placing the bacon on the smoker rack. Smoke the bacon at medium heat, between 325-350 degrees F. This temperature range allows the fat to render slowly, resulting in slightly chewy yet crispy bacon. For smoking, use fruit-based wood pellets like cherry or apple for a mild smoky flavor.
Does double smoked bacon taste better?
Additionally, double smoked bacon has a unique texture. Unlike commercial bacon that releases a lot of liquid when cooked, double smoked bacon slowly renders its fat, resulting in a crispy yet tender texture that is truly satisfying. Not only does double smoked bacon taste better, but it also allows for more customization.
How do you smoke a double smoked pork belly?
Preheat your smoker to 250°F and add wood chips or chunks for smoke flavor. Apple or cherry wood are great options for double smoked bacon. Step 6: Smoke the Pork Belly Place the pork belly on the smoker grate, making sure it’s not too close to the heat source.