This is the best bacon jerky recipe! Slightly sweet and a little smoky it's made with maple syrup, brown sugar, and soy sauce. It's so easy to make and you can make this jerky in the oven, smoker or dehydrator.
I am a fan of easy, delicious snacks like roasted honey dijon pecans and curried cashews and almonds and today I am sharing another easy snack recipe that you are going to love.
Table of Contents
What is bacon jerky?
Bacon jerky is bacon that has been cooked at a low temperature for many hours to give it a chewy texture, similar to that of beef jerky.
The terms bacon jerky and candied bacon are often used interchangeably, however, they are not the same. Bacon jerky has more of a chewy texture and is typically cooked at a lower temperature, for longer, while candied bacon is made using a faster cook time and produces a more crispy texture.
Why you will love this recipe:
- The flavour! This maple bacon jerky is slightly sweet, a little salty, and a little smoky. The combination of maple syrup, brown sugar and soy sauce blend perfectly to give it the best taste.
- Even though this jerky is homemade it's so quick and easy to make and only requires a few minutes of hands on time to prepare.
- You can make this jerky recipe in the oven, dehydrator or smoker and I've included directions for all three methods.
- You can easily change the flavours of this jerky to create different versions such as sriracha jerky, bbq jerky or spicy jerky.
- Because you get to control the ingredients this jerky is healthier than most store bought bacon jerkies and is made without refined sugars or preservatives.
- It makes the perfect snack and it's a great grab-and-go option. It's also perfect for meal prep so you can have snacks on hand for the week.
If you love bacon you will also love making bacon in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients and substitutions:
- Bacon - the key ingredient for this recipe. I recommend using thick-cut bacon or thickly-sliced bacon if possible, and sugar free, nitrate free bacon if you can find it. Otherwise any brand of bacon will do.
- Maple syrup - to create the perfect maple bacon flavour while keeping this recipe refined sugar free.
- Brown sugar - to help give the jerky that perfect candied coating. You can use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar if you want to keep this jerky recipe refined sugar free. You can also use dark brown sugar for a more bold, smokey flavour.
- Soy sauce - to add the perfect amount of saltiness and unagi flavour. You can swap this for coconut aminos, tamari or gluten free soy sauce too.
Variations and add ins:
- Turn this into sriracha bacon jerky by swapping some or all of the soy sauce with sriracha sauce or hot sauce.
- To turn this into bbq bacon jerky: use bbq sauce instead of soy sauce.
- Feel free to add some spices to give it a different flavour such as garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cinnamon powder, mesquite powder, chili powder or cayenne pepper.
- To make this jerky gluten-free: use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce or a gluten-free soy sauce substitute.
- To make this jerky paleo: use coconut aminos and coconut sugar instead of soy sauce and brown sugar.
- Feel free to double or triple this recipe if you are serving a crowd or want more leftovers.
How to make bacon jerky:
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and while it's heating combine the sugar, maple syrup and soy sauce in a bowl and stir until smooth
Step 2
Then place a baking rack or cooling rack on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and piece by piece, coat the bacon slices in the sugar soy sauce mixture and then transfer them to the baking rack.
Step 3
Now place the baking sheet in the oven and cook the bacon for 3.5-4 hours, until it has the texture you prefer.
Alternate cooking methods:
To make in a dehydrator:
Prepare the sugar and soy sauce according to the oven method directions. Then coat each piece of bacon in the sauce and place the coated bacon into your dehydrator. Leave a little space between each slice and dehydrate the bacon for 4-6 hours, until the jerky has the consistency you prefer.
To make in a smoker:
Prepare the sauce and bacon according to the oven method. Now keep the temperature of your smoker at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the coated bacon strips into the smoker. Smoke the bacon for 3-4 hours, until the jerky reaches the texture you prefer.
Top Tips:
- For best results I recommend using thick cut bacon rather than regular cut bacon if you can.
- This jerky turns out best using the oven method or smoker method. The dehydrator doesn't get it as chewy so the texture isn't as good.
- This jerky needs to be cooked at a low temperature for best results.
- To keep this recipe as healthy as possible I recommend using sugar free, nitrate free bacon if you can find it.
- When cooking the bacon, try to leave a little space between each slice to allow it to cook more evenly and get even more chewy.
How to store:
Store any leftover jerky in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. It is best if eaten within the first 3-4 days. Unlike beef jerky which stores well for a long time, bacon jerky is higher in fat and doesn't stay fresh for as long.
If you want bacon jerky to last longer you can freeze it for months, or vacuum seal it and store it in the fridge for 2-4 weeks.
Bacon jerky FAQs:
It is not recommended to cook bacon in an air fryer given the amount of grease it produces and the smoking hazard. Because of this I do not recommend making bacon jerky in an air fryer. As such I have not included air fryer directions for this recipe.
This will depend on your taste preference. Bacon jerky tastes different than regular jerky as it is made with different meat and often seasoned with different spices.
Yes! Bacon jerky is made with real bacon that has been cooked at a low temperature for many hours to turn it into jerky.
No, bacon jerky has a consistency similar to that of beef jerky so it's more chewy rather than crispy.
No it is not low carb or keto.
Other meat recipes you'll love:
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Recipe
Bacon Jerky
Ingredients
- 10 pieces bacon
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
Instructions
Oven Method
- Preheat your oven to 200F.
- In a bowl, combine the sugar, maple syrup and soy sauce and stir until smooth.
- Place a baking rack on top of a baking sheet, and piece by piece, coat the bacon in the sugar soy sauce and then transfer it to the baking rack.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook the bacon for 3.5-4 hours, until it has the texture you prefer.
Dehydrator Method
- Prepare the sugar and soy sauce according to the oven method directions.
- Coat each piece of bacon in the sauce and place the coated bacon into your food dehydrator. Leave a little space between each slice.
- Dehydrate the bacon for 4-6 hours, until the jerky has the consistency you prefer.
Smoker Method
- Prepare the sauce and bacon according to the oven method.
- Keep the temperature of your smoker at 200F, and place the coated bacon strips into the smoker.
- Smoke the bacon for 3-4 hours, until the jerky reaches the texture you prefer.
Notes
- I recommend using thick sliced bacon for this recipe if you can.
- When cooking the bacon, try to leave a little space between each slice to allow it to cook more evenly.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Brenda
This recipe is totally to die for… I made a double batch . I used 1/3 cup Brn sugar and 1/3 cup of coconut sugar along with 1/3 cup of maple syrup and 1/3 cup of sweet chili sauce. Then I followed the directions using the dehydrator directions. . It seriously is amazing. Definitely a keeper. Thx for sharing
Erin Carter
Oh I am so glad you loved it! Thanks for commenting!