Sriracha Bacon Jerky is something you’ve always wanted, but never knew you needed. The sweet and spicy Sriracha marinade on these bacon lardons makes them one of our favorite snacks.
I was introduced to this Sriracha bacon recipe by my friend Andrea. She brought some over to our house for a party and it was devoured in minutes. It takes a while to make bacon jerky, so if you’re wanting a much faster snack, check out these awesome pork belly bites that we make in the air fryer in less than 10 minutes.
You might be thinking that Sriracha is way too spicy, and it can’t possibly make for good jerky, but I hope you’ll suspend your disbelief and give this recipe a try, because you’ll see that the Sriracha marinade is sweet enough to overcome the heat. And it makes for some really tasty jerky snacks.
What Type of Bacon to Use for Jerky
I use bacon lardons, or large bacon end pieces (like the ones you can buy at Trader Joe’s) for this recipe, but it’s also fine to use full slices of thick-cut bacon. I personally prefer the pieces because it’s easier to snack on them in small measure, without consuming dozens of whole slices of bacon because you can’t resist it.
If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, there are a few ways to go about this. You can ask your store butcher to make you some larger bacon lardons, or you can buy a chunk of pork belly and cut it up into pieces yourself, or you can buy thick-cut bacon strips and cut it into pieces. Lots of options!
How to Make Bacon Jerky
If you have a food dehydrator, this is an incredibly easy process. All you have to do is spread the bacon out evenly on the trays, turn it on, and wait for the bacon to completely dry out.
This takes about 3-4 hours, depending on the thickness of the pieces. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can make the bacon in the oven, which is the recipe we include below, because it’s a bit longer of a process.
Alternatively, you can get a dehydrator! We have a guide to help you choose the best jerky dehydrator depending on what you want to use it for
I really like this 4-tier dehydrator from Weston. It’s a smaller size, but it still has a ton of space for jerky or fruit. Plus it’s super easy to use and clean up.
» Shop Jerky Dehydrators, Seasonings, Smokers and More at Weston
For dehydrating jerky in the oven, you will need some wire racks that have small enough grating that the jerky won’t slip between the rails. It also needs to have a drip tray underneath. One like this is perfect.
Spread the bacon out on the rack so the pieces aren’t overlapping. Put it in the oven on the top rack at 170 degrees F for about 8 hours. You’ll be tempted to take it out long before 8 hours. When the aromas start to permeate your house, you’ll want to take it out and eat it all right then. But it’s important to dry it thoroughly.
That’s all there is to it! Dehydrate away.
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Sriracha Bacon Jerky
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper More if you want it extra peppery
- 1 lb bacon pieces like Bacon Ends and Pieces from Trader Joe's
Instructions
- Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour it into a plastic Ziplock bag. Add the bacon pieces.
- Marinate it overnight, or up to 24 hours.
- Place the bacon pieces on a baking tray with a rack, spacing them out so they don't touch each other. Put the baking tray on the top rack of the oven at 170 degrees for about 8 hours, or until thoroughly dried.
Equipment Needed
- Oven baking rack
Notes
- Dried jerky does not need to be kept in the refrigerator.
- Consume within 5 days.
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook who loves making new recipes and finding new favorite things to eat, whether at home or abroad. She also runs a popular travel blog and spends a lot of her time traveling for food.
By far one of the tastiest jerky’s I’ve had, but I don’t really know how to compare them to my steak, burger, chicken, or even some of my fish recipes. It’s in a league of it’s own. My only frustration, and it’s not with the recipe, is finding ham that has “no fat” on it, or it will grease out the jerky. It’s a small victory carving all the little white lines of fat of a piece of ham. I’m also a bit of a hot crazy nut, so I have found some hot sauce vendors that sell super crazy Sriracha sauces that my friends have told me give them an adrenaline rush when eating this jerky (I mail my stuff out to my friends, it’s all popular). Not for the light heart made that way, but very nice.
Hi Jeffrey. Glad you liked the recipe. It’s definitely quite different. I don’t bother removing the fat as it mostly renders and falls below the rack as it’s cooking.
I have made this several times in my dehydrator and we all love it. It is delicious and easy to make. I make a lot at one time as it keeps getting taste tested throughout dehydrating you can’t stop eating it! Also gave the recipe to my sister and she must have ate 25 pieces in one evening!
Hi Rebecca, we are so happy to hear you like the recipe. Thanks for sharing!