Home-Cured Brown Sugar and Pepper Bacon Recipe

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This brown sugar and pepper bacon recipe is simple and delicious. Making your own bacon is easier than it sounds and way cheaper than storebought. Once you treat yourself to home-cured bacon, you’ll never return to the packaged stuff.

Lately, on my YouTube channel, I’ve been talking a lot about cooking efficiency. Quick recipes like gnocchi with sage cream sauce and homemade sloppy joes are a means to survival most days.

But there is also a difference between simple and fast recipes. Fast recipes are done in 30 minutes or less. Simple recipes might take time. But they are uncomplicated and have rewarding results.

Homemade bacon is a perfect example of a simple recipe. Yes, it might take a full week to make. But it’s so simple it’s hard to believe.

In fact, when you fry this up in a hot cast iron skillet for a weekend brunch, no one will believe you actually made bacon from scratch.

When it comes to curating a simple life, recipes like this pepper bacon cure, fermented peppers, and sourdough are golden.

They’re simple and easy enough to squeeze into your routine here and there yet rustic enough to remind you that you can create a simple, scratch-made life.

One way I like to squeeze in scratch cooking projects like this is by bulk prepping. Double up on this pepper bacon cure recipe and freeze it.

Then, you can enjoy the fruits of your scratch-made efforts for months to come…if you can actually stop yourself from eating this delicious bacon that long.

Why You’ll Love Homemade Bacon

Healthier options

One reason I started making most of my family’s food from scratch is that I wanted to control what was in it.

It started with making sourdough bread; now, I am making my own bacon. It’s a slippery slope, y’all, but it’s totally worth the ride.

When you make your own bacon, you can reduce the sugar and salt. And you can make informed decisions about sodium nitrates versus plant-based nitrates.

Affordable

Bacon is expensive, especially if you buy the “uncured” kind (which is actually bacon cured with celery powder like this recipe).

Twelve ounces of “uncured” bacon cost about $10 at my local grocery store. But I made 7 pounds of homemade bacon for $30. That’s a huge savings!

Delicious

Once you have homemade bacon, you’ll never crave the store-bought stuff again. It’s especially good in other scratch recipes like Instant Pot Hawaiian pork tenderloin or crumbled on top of a sourdough fried green tomato.

Fun

Making bacon is a cooking party trick. Our friends and family are always so impressed and want to chat about how it’s made.

Plus, it’s a fun project my husband and I do together. My husband is no stranger to cooking. In fact, he makes a mean smashburger that we pile on sourdough buns. But while he is at work, I manage most of our family meals.

However, we like to make bacon together. I make the cure, he smokes the meat, and we eat it as a family. When we make bacon, we often pour a glass of wine in the evening and slice and package the bacon together.

Date night sure does look different in your 40s, haha!

Food Preservation

Part of my “suburban homestead-ish” lifestyle includes food preservation. I try to preserve our family favorites from the garden or farmer’s markets so we can have them all year. Though I don’t stockpile, I try to keep a year’s supply of tomatoes, freeze-dried eggs, and freeze-dried herbs in the pantry.

Making bacon is right in line with my food preservation interests because it isn’t just the world’s best breakfast food. The cure pulls the water out of the meat, making it last longer. So bacon is actually preserved pork belly and the world’s best breakfast food.

So, if you find a great deal on pork belly at the grocery store, snag it. Then, preserve it by making bacon!

Tips for Making Homemade Bacon

• Adjust the seasonings – Adjust the seasonings to your liking. Add as much pepper or brown sugar as you prefer. It can take some experimenting to figure out how much you like.
• Add your favorite flavors – Mix your favorite flavors, like maple or cayenne pepper, into the cure.
• Use 2% – 2.5% salt – Though you can adjust the flavors, use 2% – 2.5% of the meat’s weight in salt. So, if your pork belly weighs 5 pounds, use at least 45 grams of salt (1/4 cup).
• Switch up the wood for smoking – Different woods create unique flavors. Hickory is the classic wood for smoking bacon. Fruit wood like applewood and cherry are also popular choices.
• Add a rub before smoking – For more flavor, add more pepper and brown sugar to the pork belly before smoking it. A pepper rub is delicious, but I usually skip it because my 3-year-old doesn’t like pepper on her food.

Pink Salt vs. Celery Powder for Curing Bacon

Ah, yes, the good old nitrate debate. Nitrates are a polarizing topic because there are mixed opinions about the benefits and risks of pink salt vs. celery powder for curing meats.

In cured meats, pink salt and celery powder prevent unwanted bacterial growth and botulism. However, various studies have shown that they affect food and the body differently.

Pink Salt

Sodium nitrate—often called pink curing salt or Prague powder—is a preservative used to cure meats such as bacon, deli meats, and jerky. It not only gives these foods a longer shelf life but also adds flavor and color. That’s how bacon gets its pink hue.

Nitrates are part of a regular diet. However, some studies suggest that excessive consumption of nitrates may lead to a wide range of diseases.

These elevated levels of nitrates, according to studies, are hard to get from natural foods. However, when it comes to foods like bacon, pink salt is added, which may lead to overconsumption of sodium nitrate.

Celery Powder

Celery powder is considered a “natural nitrate” because it is derived from a plant. But even though it is plant-based, it is still a form of sodium nitrate. It gets to sit upon the “organic” pedestal because it comes from a plant. However, celery powder contains sodium nitrates.

Many grocery stores and marketing efforts call products made with celery powder “uncured.” But they are cured with celery powder. Since celery powder contains “natural sodium nitrates,” it’s debatable whether it is better for you than pink salt.

This gets even trickier because the USDA regulates how much pink salt can be in food. But there are no regulations when it comes to curing with celery powder. So, theoretically, foods cured with celery powder may contain more sodium nitrates than those cured with pink salt (source).

Nitrates and This Pepper Bacon Cure Recipe

I have chosen celery powder for this recipe because I prefer a “natural” route to curing meat (though I understand that is debatable). I also feel good about it because I can control the amount of nitrates.

However, pink salt yields a traditional bacon flavor and look. So, if you prefer using pink salt, it will certainly work in this recipe.

Video – Quick Pepper Bacon Cure Recipe Tutorial

Watch how I make bacon in this scratch-made family meals YouTube video.

Tools You Will Need for Homemade Bacon

This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases from links outside of moon + magnolia may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

• Food lug or large container – When you add the cure and soak the pork belly, you will need a large container. I use the BirdRock collapsible BBQ prep tub. It’s perfect for making bacon and is easy to store. A roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet will work, too.
• Mixing bowl – Use a large mixing bowl to make the pepper bacon cure.
• Whisk or spoon – You will need either a whisk or spoon to mix the cure.
• 2-gallon bags – Most pork bellies are too big for a gallon freezer bag, so I like to use a two-gallon Ziploc bag.
• Smoker – You will need a smoker to make bacon. We love our portable pellet smoker because it is easy to store. If you don’t have a smoker, check out my tips on how to make bacon without a smoker.
• Temperature probe or instant-read meat thermometer – A probe or electric meat thermometer will ensure you don’t under or overcook the meat.
• Meat slicer or knife – I recommend using a meat slicer for thin, even slices. We initially used a knife, which worked, but we wanted thinner slices, so we ordered a Weston meat slicer.

Pepper Bacon Cure Recipe Ingredients

• Salt – I recommend using coarse kosher salt to cure bacon.
• Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work. Add more if you prefer sweeter bacon.
• Black pepper – Pre-ground pepper is your best friend for this black pepper bacon cure recipe because you need a lot.
• Celery powder – I opted for celery powder over Prague salt (affiliate link).
• Pork belly – This recipe uses a 5-pound piece of pork belly. If you use more or less pork belly, adjust the seasonings as necessary. Make sure you use 2% – 2.5% of the meat’s weight in salt.
• Seasonings (optional) – Add any flavors or seasonings you prefer. Maple syrup, paprika, instant espresso, garlic powder, and freeze-dried onion powder are popular choices.

How To Make Homemade Bacon

Make the Curing Mixture

Add the salt, brown sugar, black pepper, and celery powder in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Prep the Pork Belly

Place the pork belly in a food lug, roasting pan, or other large container (it gets a little messy, so you want something large enough to catch the seasoning and any drips).

Coat all sides of the pork belly with the cure mixture.

Place the seasoned pork belly in a two-gallon ziplock bag. I like to double-bag it just in case it leaks. Don’t forget to label it with the date so you can keep track during the curing process.

Stick the bagged pork belly in the fridge. Flip the bag every 24 hours for 7 days. I like to put it in the refrigerator label-side up so I have a reference for the starting point (Day 1 label up, Day 2 label down, Day 3 label up…). I also like to set a reminder on my phone/calendar to turn the bacon each day. That way, I don’t forget.

Wash and Soak the Pork Belly

On Day 7, take the pork belly out of the fridge.

Put the pork belly in a food lug or other large container and rinse off the cure with cold water. I usually rub it off as I run water over it.

Once the cure is mostly off, place the pork belly in the container and fill it with water. Let it soak for 30 minutes.

Smoke the Pork Belly

While the pork belly soaks, prep your smoker. Preheat it to 200°-225°F.

Drain the pork belly and blot the surface of the meat dry with paper towels (this will help the smoke flavor adhere). Optional: season the pork belly with black pepper, brown sugar, or other seasonings you prefer.

Place the pork belly in the smoker fat side up and cook until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 150° F.

Remove the pork belly from the smoker and let it cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Then, wrap it up and put it in the fridge until completely chilled.

Slice the Bacon

Square up the pork belly by cutting off any jagged or angled edges. This will make slicing easier. You can save these trimmings for soups and baked beans.

Slice the bacon against the grain. A meat slicer makes thin, even slices easy, but a sharp knife also works. Cut the bacon as thick or thin as you prefer.

Slicing sidenotes: To make slicing easier, freeze the smoked pork belly for 30 minutes before slicing. Also, If your pork belly is large, cut it in half before slicing. Your bacon slices will be smaller this way, but they make perfect sandwich-sized slices.

How To Store Homemade Bacon

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. We like to freeze ours in freezer-safe bags or use a vacuum sealer to package it. Frozen bacon is best used within a few months but will last up to a year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need Prague salt for this pepper bacon cure recipe?

No, you do not need Prague salt (aka pink salt) to make homemade bacon. But in place of Prague salt, you will need to use celery powder. Celery powder contains nitrates that aid in the curing process.

Nitrates prevent unwanted bacterial growth and botulism during the curing process. I recommend using some form of nitrates because botulism is for birds.

Can you make this pepper bacon cure recipe without a smoker?

Yes and no. Yes, you can make a cured pork belly without a smoker. But no, it won’t taste like bacon. Part of what makes bacon taste like bacon is the smoky flavor.

But when you need bacon, you need bacon. So here is how to make homemade bacon without a smoker:

1. Follow the recipe and instructions up until the pork belly needs to be smoked.
2. On Day 7, rather than smoking the pork belly, preheat your oven to 200° F. Bake until it reaches an internal temp of 150° F. OR Use a charcoal or gas grill set up for indirect heat and cook until the pork belly reaches 150° F.
3. Follow the remainder of the recipe instructions.

How can I make my bacon more or less salty?

To make saltier bacon, increase the salt in the cure or add more salt before smoking the pork belly.

For less salty bacon, use 2% of the meat’s weight in salt for the cure. You can soak the pork belly longer before smoking it.

What other bacon flavors can I make?

The world is your bacon-wrapped oyster. You can make any flavor of bacon your heart desires. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Black pepper bacon – Add more pepper to the cure and coat the pork belly with cracked black pepper before smoking it.
• Maple bacon – Swap the brown sugar for maple syrup. Or add maple syrup to this brown sugar and pepper bacon cure recipe.
• Maple coffee bacon – Swap the brown sugar and pepper for 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup instant espresso. Add a little pepper to taste.

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If you tried this recipe and loved it, leave a comment or review below!