Add some spice to your mornings with this all-natural, sugar-free Homemade Jamaican Jerk Bacon recipe. Homemade dry jerk seasoning mix recipe is included too!
One of my favorite homemade bacon recipes!
Bacon is a great love of mine. Spicy is the other great love of mine. So the other day, I decided to combine these two and make a spicy homemade Jamaican jerk bacon. I love making my own bacon because I get to use the meatiest piece of pork belly I can find and I can make it spicy.
Making homemade bacon means I also get to slice the bacon as thick as I want it! There are two kinds of people in this world: those who like bacon thin and crispy and those who like it thick and chewy. I am the latter and believe that the thicker the bacon slice, the better.
Pink curing salt: To use or not to use
I might catch some criticism for this recipe because I don’t use pink curing salt. It is my personal preference to keep my nitrites to a minimum and try to consume only the natural occurring ones in my diet. To be honest, I’ve been making my own bacon without pink curing salt for over 15 years and I’ve never had a problem with the growth of bacteria or botulism. This bacon is still salt cured in the refrigerator for 5 days and, to me, tastes just like the store bought kind.
I used to add a sweetener (honey or a natural brown sugar) in the curing process but I like salty more than sweet so I started making it without sugar. Plus it falls under the Paleo diet plan rules when made without sugar. If you really like a little sweet taste to your bacon, just add about 1-2 tablespoon of brown sugar to the curing seasoning mix.
Obviously, this homemade Jamaican jerk bacon is fantastic for breakfast, but it also make the best BLT. Yum! Last weekend, I made some twice baked potatoes with it and they were amazing!
Hope y’all give this Homemade Jamaican Jerk Bacon recipe a try! If Jerk isn’t your thing, feel free to experiment with your own bacon seasonings.
Homemade Jamaican Jerk Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh pork belly skin-on is preferred
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup dry jerk seasoning mix (homemade recipe below)
HOMEMADE DRY JERK SEASONING MIX RECIPE (makes a little under 1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed hot pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Rinse off pork belly and dry well. Place the cleaned pork belly in a zip lock bag, add the kosher salt and the salt-free dry jerk seasoning. Rub the salt and seasoning into the belly so it's completely covered. Seal bag and place in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate the pork belly for 5 days, turning the bag over every day to help distribute the spices.
- After 5 days, remove the pork belly from the bag and wipe off the salt and seasoning mixture.
- Set up a smoker using hickory, apple, or cherry wood chips and place the pork directly on the grill rack. Smoke at 225F degrees for 2-2.5 hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 150F degrees.Oven method instead of smoking the bacon: Preheat oven to 200F degrees. Place bacon on a rack over a baking sheet and roast for 1.5-2 hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 150F degrees.
- The skin can be cut off or left on (if left on it will be a little chewy and tough but adds great texture to the pork). Slice bacon and cook as usual.
Vic T. says
Nice post! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for posting!
Karrie says
Thanks Vic and please let me know how you like it when you try it!
Gaila says
I love this idea Karrie! I mean I know everything’s better with bacon, but adding Jerk seasoning to DIY Bacon is just genius!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
oh wow! You have taken bacon to another level. I love anything with jerk flavours and it takes me back to being in Jamaica.
[email protected] says
Thank you Dannii and Jamaica (and their jerk shacks) are so much fun.
Vineetha @ Mint and Mimosas says
Bacon is a favorite of mine too. I pretty much always order a side at brunch, with whatever I order. Lately I’ve been seeing candied bacon everywhere. Yesterday at lunch we ordered deviled eggs and it was served with crumbles and whole strips of candied bacon. While it was delicious, I love the sound of all the spices in this Jamaican Jerk version. Yum!
[email protected] says
Bacon is some good stuff!! I bet a candied jerk bacon would be out of this world. Spicy and sweet…the best of both worlds
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
What an amazing looking dish. Making your own bacon is genius. I would love to wake up to these every morning.
[email protected] says
Thank you Anu. It’s super easy to make
[email protected] says
Yum…pork belly…and you’ve taken it to a whole new level! My guys would love this – if I don’t eat it all first!
[email protected] says
Haha! Thanks Annie and pork belly is the bomb!
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
Wow! Props to you for making your own bacon! And you must have been reading my mind, because I was just thinking about making some jerk seasoning, but I never would have thought rub it on bacon! This sounds like a serious flavor bomb going off in the kitchen!
[email protected] says
Thank you Kathleen. I make a lot of jerk seasoning around here because we use it on everything and anything
GiGi Eats says
LOL! THAT BACON totally looked like plantains to me!
[email protected] says
It does look like plantains!! I should’ve done Jamaican Jerk Vegan Plantain Bacon. Next time
Andrea @ Pencils and Pancakes says
Wow this looks amazing. We have a bunch of pork belly from our pigs but I didn’t know what to do with it honestly. I don’t have a smoker but I didn’t know you could do it in the oven. Last year with our pigs the bacon was think but this year we go it a little thinner and I think I like it better.
[email protected] says
Thank you so much Andrea. Wait a sec, you have your own pigs? Where do you live cause I’m super jealous that you have a bunch of pork belly and coming over right now to get it! lol! Seriously though, I am heading over to your blog right now to check it out
[email protected] says
Yay to brown bacon!! Thank you Bestie. xoxo
Ben Maclain | Havocinthekitchen says
I love jerk chicken (If it’s OK to say that about a thing you’ve tried just a few times), but I’ve never though it’s possible to make bacon the same way. That sounds like…a one great delicious piece of…bacon, ha-ha! Well done!
[email protected] says
Thank you Ben and I could eat everything and anything coated in jerk seasoning
LaVern Tucker says
And…..everything is better with bacon….love-it……..
[email protected] says
True dat LaVern!