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Bacon Jerky

Bacon Jerky

J is the biggest bacon lover I’ve ever met.  I thought I was a fan of bacon until I met him.  When we first started dating, we swapped silly stories and his was about that time he consumed a pound of bacon every day for a week.  Can you imagine my dramatic jaw drop?  In his defense, he had just turned 16 and gotten his drivers license.  It had occurred to him on the drive home from school one day that he could take himself wherever he wanted.  This newfound freedom found him making a beeline to the nearest market for his favorite indulgence and lo and behold…that infamous week where he ate nothing but bacon {not really, but a pound a day is still crazy extreme}.  I’m happy to report that today, his blood pressure and cholesterol levels are normal but we still enjoy our hot weekend breakfasts complete with bacon, eggs, and pancakes every Saturday morning and once in awhile, I’ll whip up his favorite bacon jerky.  He claims that this honey sriracha  bacon jerky only elevates his favorite food in the entire world.  Now that’s saying something.

If you’re even half as big of a bacon-lover as J is, you need to try this bacon jerky.  Not only does it allow you to enjoy bacon throughout the day at any given moment, it can be crisp and chewy, smoky and meaty, sweet and salty with a hit of spice all at the same time. It’s quite wonderful to pack along a hike.  Have you ever thoughtfully chewed on a thick cut of bacon jerky while standing on top of a mountain?  Me neither, but it sounds epic.

I think one of the most exciting parts of this bacon jerky is the slow building heat that’s mellowed out by the honey.  You have the option of using homemade sriracha or reaching for that classic rooster sauce.  You can always add more or less to suit your personal taste.  I find it’s a wonderful compliment to the natural smokiness of the bacon.  I’ve made this recipe with both extra thick cut and standard cut bacon and not only does the time vary for each, it also differs in the finished product.  I like the standard cut for a crispier bacon-chip like experience while the thicker variety is better suited for a more tender, meatier bacon-candy.  I’ve discovered that pancetta also works really nicely here too.

Though this bacon jerky takes a bit longer, it’s definitely one of those simple set it and forget it recipes that won’t have you slaving in the kitchen for hours or days for satisfaction, just like with my Korean bbq beef jerky.  Plus, you can make a huge batch of different flavors and really control the quality of bacon you source.  It could be bacon bliss for days…just make sure it doesn’t become a pound-a-day habit

5.0 from 4 reviews

Bacon Jerky
 
Author:
Serves: 10-12 pieces

Ingredients
  • ½ lb thick cut antibiotic free bacon
  • 2 tb sriracha sauce
  • 2 tb raw honey

Instructions
  1. Drape each slice on a baking rack that’s fitted on a baking sheet to collect the grease. I chopped mine in half for easier handling.
  2. Bake at 200* {or your lowest heat setting} for 2-3 hours. Occasionally, blot each piece.
  3. If using a dehydrator {which is much easier} transfer to a dehydrator. If not, continue in the oven. Half way in, flavor with anything you want. I painted each slice with a combination of sriracha and honey.
  4. Allow the dehydrator {or oven} to go for 3-4 hours or until its reached your desired texture. It will take longer in the oven.

Love,

Your Squishy Monster

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29 thoughts on “Bacon Jerky

  • Norma Chang says:

    That sure is serious bacon eating.

  • Allen says:

    this is my all time favorite , It’s a good new years resolution to just eat bacon

  • brian says:

    bacon bacon and more bacon!!! honey spice sounds very good. there is restaurant around here does honey spice wings..very tasty! so i can just imagine the chewy goodness of this bacon!!

  • Lady Lilith says:

    Oh wow. This looks so amazing.

  • francesca says:

    Sriracha and honey on anything is sure to be a winner!

  • Judit + Corina @Glamorous Bite says:

    The sriracha sauce sounds like a great addition and for sure the combo with honey has taken J’s favorite food to a new level!

  • Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says:

    I have never seen bacon advertised as antibiotic free. I buy from the butcher on the corner and he gets his pigs from a local farmer who only sells a few a month. I think I’m safe because I really want to try this bacon jerky!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    My cousins really like Applegate and J enjoys the Leidy’s brand, both of which begin with antibiotic-free pork with no hormones.

  • Anna @ shenANNAgans says:

    Holy Moly…. a pound of bacon every day for a week. Amazing he didnt develop a dislike of it after that.

  • Stephanie says:

    This sounds amazing…I want to try it…with the honey-sriracha sauce on it…and I was curious about your homemade sriracha sauce, but when I tried to follow the link to it from your site after I searched for it, it comes back with just random characters all over the screen but I might try some other topping in the time being

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Hi Stephanie! I hope you’re having a nice Memorial Day weekend! Here is the link: http://wthesquishymonster.com/2013/07/sriracha-homemade.html Please let me know if that works for you. Enjoy my recipe =)

  • curtis says:

    Hi. I hung my bacon jerky up in the oven with toothpicks on the racks. I marinated the. For about 6 hours. I put them in the oven at like 6-7 ish? And I wanted to know how long I should keep them in.
    Thanks

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Hi, Curtis! It’s a personal choice, really. If you like it crispier, go longer but I like mine chewier and average about 3-4 hours. This also depends on what cut you get as well as the humidity. Recently, I’ve been really into the butchers cut {super, extra thick} and that takes about 1- 1/2 hours longer. I hope this helps. Happy jerky making, Curtis!

  • Jeff A. says:

    My wife and I began making jerky like this in our kitchen. This is a great recipe! If you don’t have time to make your own try our Sriracha bacon jerky. It has 1/2 the salt of regular jerky and no added preservatives.

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Thanks, Jeff!!

  • Lance says:

    I know it’s a year later but the link takes you to a virus page. You need to remove the w from the beginning of the url.

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Good afternoon, Lance! Thanks for the message. Will you tell me which link specifically? I just tested from my end and both links refer you to my other recipes. Let me know and I’ll be sure to remove it. Thanks!

  • ruthanne says:

    Hi. What temperature do you set on the dehydrator?

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Hi, Ruthanne. Mine was a fairly inexpensive one and it doesn’t have a gauge, just one setting. The trick with jerky is more about checking on it regularly as humidity, room temperature, and atmospheric moisture can all have an impact on its rendering. When in doubt, just go low and slow.

  • Kerry Warner says:

    Hi…i can only make bacon jerky in my oven….how long will it take in total??? Any directions and tips to help make it really good????

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Hi, Kerry! This completely depends on what your lowest oven setting is and if it’s particularly fatty and how thin/thick cut it is. Unlike a leaner traditional {beef} jerky, you have to render off most of its fat. This can take a better part of a day. Remember to blot as much as possible. An elevated rack will also help with this. I recommend rotating the slices regularly and only saucing half way in or almost all the way at its end point. Your end result should be “cooked,” chewy and meaty vs. brittle/shatteringly crisp, if that makes sense. I hope this helps!

  • Jonette Kuykendall says:

    How long will the bacon jerky stay good at room temp. I want to ship to a soldier out of the country but also want to make sure he doesn’t get sick.. I do have a vacuum sealer, so that may help. Can’t wait to try your recipe tomorrow. Thanks

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Hi, Jonette! I had mine kept in a mason jar out on the counter and it started molding after 4 days. However, this may also be due to the fact that I live in the caribbean.

  • Pamela Morgan says:

    What would you do differet if you were using precooked bacon?

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Hi, Pamela! Unfortunately, this doesn’t work with pre-cooked.

  • Susana Huntoon says:

    Thank you ! Looking for something special to do for my brother who loves bacon and is do Atkins dieting at this time. Going to try it soon as I can get to the market. Will let you know how it goes.

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    Thank you so much, Susana. I hope he loves it!

  • The Squishy Monster says:

    You bake it low and slow but not “cook” it (check step #1 and #2 on the recipe)

  • Yvonna says:

    Do I cook the bacon -(or any meant I use to make jerky) beforehand? Or put it in the dehydrator raw and it’s ok to eat??

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