Traeger Bacon

Wondering how to cook bacon on a Traeger? Whether you’re making smoked bacon or cooking it at a high temp, this post walks you through three different methods, listing the pros and cons and what you need to consider. Each way is super easy, it just depends on how much time you have and how you like your bacon. Traeger bacon is delicious any way you go about it!

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Bacon is essentially meat candy, which is probably why my family gobbles it up every time I cook it. Whether it’s for bacon fried rice, in some potato corn chowder with bacon, or ground up in these smoked turkey meatballs, we are big bacon fans.

Sometimes it’s too hot to cook bacon in the oven or on the stove though. Which is when you can turn to your Traeger.

The great thing about a Traeger (or really any wood pellet grill) is that it can act as a smoker, a grill, or an oven. When cooking bacon, you can either make smoked bacon by cooking it at a lower temperature, or you can make it a more traditional way by cooking it at a higher temperature.

Ingredients

• Bacon – yes, this is the only ingredient you need! You can use a thinner or thicker cut when cooking it on a Traeger grill, though in my opinion a thicker cut works better. My family’s preferred bacon is Hempler’s No Sugar bacon, which we get from Costco.

How to cook bacon on a Traeger

You could also try and smoke it at a low temperature on a sheet pan, but to get the smoky flavor it’s better to place it directly on the grill grates.

All 3 are good methods and will get the job done, it just depends on what type of bacon you have, how you like your bacon, and how much time you have. Let’s dive in.

1. How to smoke bacon on a pellet grill

Turn your Traeger or other pellet grill on to 225 degrees F. Once it comes to temperature, place the bacon slices directly on the grill grates, making sure they don’t touch.

Let the bacon cook until it’s cooked through and reaches your desired crispiness. For me, it typically takes about 2 hours but this will vary depending on the outside temperature.

Remove the bacon strips with a pair of tongs and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease.

I did test this method with both thinner and thicker bacon slices and both were done at around the 2-hour mark.

Pros to smoking bacon on a wood pellet grill:

• lots of additional smoky flavor on the bacon;
• bacon is less likely to burn;
• you can cook as much bacon as you can fit on your grill grates;
• the fat drips off the bacon and doesn’t need to be blotted off as much; and
• you don’t dirty a pan since the bacon cooks directly on a grill grate.

Cons to smoking bacon on a wood pellet grill:

• it takes a long time;
• it will grease up your Traeger and may need to be cleaned afterward; and
• the texture is a little different than when bacon is cooked at a higher temp (this may be a pro for you).

#1 Bottom Line – Traeger smoked bacon takes the most time but, in my opinion, had the best result for thinner cuts of bacon.

2. How to cook bacon directly on a Traeger at a high temperature.

Set your Traeger to a temperature of 400 degrees F. Once the grill comes to temperature, place the bacon slices directly on the grill.

Let the bacon cook for 5 minutes, then flip the slices over using a pair of tongs and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick your slices are.

Thinner slices of bacon typically cook in 10 to 12 minutes, thicker slices will take longer, usually around 13 to 17 minutes.

Remove the bacon strips with a pair of tongs and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease. You may need to dab the top side of the bacon with the paper towel as well.

Pros to cooking bacon directly on a wood pellet grill at a high temp:

• it takes the least amount of time out of all 3 methods;
• you can cook as much bacon as you can fit on your grill grate;
• the fat drips off the bacon and doesn’t need to be blotted off as much; and
• you don’t dirty a pan since the bacon cooks directly on a grill grate.

Cons to cooking bacon directly on a wood pellet grill at a high temp:

• it will grease up your Traeger and may need to be cleaned afterward; and
• for thinner slices of bacon it’s more likely to burn (so you have to keep a careful eye on it).

#2 Bottom Line – cooking bacon directly on a grill grate at a higher temp is great for thick cut bacon, but a little trickier for thinly sliced bacon.

3. How to make Traeger bacon on a sheet pan at a high temperature.

Set your Traeger to a temperature of 400 degrees F. As your grill comes to temperature, line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (or you can use parchment paper). Lay the bacon in a single layer on the sheet pan, making sure the slices don’t touch each out.

Place the sheet pan in the Traeger once it comes to temperature. Let it cook for about 8 minutes, then flip the bacon over and let it cook until it’s as crispy as you like it. For thinner bacon this would be another 5 to 8 minutes, for thicker bacon this would be closer to 8 to 12 minutes.

Remove the bacon strips with a pair of tongs and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease. You will likely need to dab the top side of the bacon with the paper towel as well.

Pros to making Traeger bacon on a sheet pan at a high temp:

• it doesn’t take nearly as long as smoking the bacon at a lower temp;
• it doesn’t make your Traeger as dirty/greasy as cooking it directly on the grill grate;
• the bacon turns out almost exactly as if it were cooked in an oven (so you know what you’re getting); and
• if you want to save the bacon grease or use it in the dish (I like to do this with my bacon fried rice recipe), the pan catches it for you.

Cons to making Traeger bacon on a sheet pan at a high temp:

• this method results in the greasiest bacon;
• it takes longer than when it’s grilled directly on the grates; and
• you have to clean the sheet pan afterward.

#3 Bottom Line – this is a solid alternative to grilling the bacon directly on the grill grates and results in bacon that looks like it was cooked in an oven or on the stove. If you are looking to keep your Traeger on the cleaner side, then go with this method.

FAQs

Can you cook turkey bacon on a Traeger?

Yes, you can cook turkey bacon on a Traeger. The same directions above still apply, though there is likely to be less grease. Turkey bacon also tends to be thinner so keep that in mind for the cooking time.

At what temp do you smoke bacon?

I recommend smoking bacon at 225 degrees F.

How long does it take to smoke bacon at 225 degrees F?

It took me 2 hours to smoke bacon at 225 degrees F to reach my desired crispiness. I have read where it takes some people only about an hour, but this will depend on the outside temperature and how crispy you like your bacon.

RECIPE TIPS

• When choosing the wood pellets to use, consider how your bacon was already cooked. If you’re using hickory smoked bacon already, use hickory pellets to really bring out the smokiness even more. If you’re not looking to add much smoke, use a milder wood like pecan or oak. I typically use the Traeger Signature pellet blend (affiliate link) as it works with many different types of meat.
• Make sure your grill grates are clean before you place the bacon on them! If you place the strips directly on dirty grates, that dirt and grime is going to stick to your bacon strips. The easiest way to clean the grates is to heat your Traeger, then wet a bunch of paper towels and use a pair of tongs to rub them against the grates.

IF YOU LOVE GRILLING ON YOUR TRAEGER, CHECK OUT THESE OTHER SMOKER RECIPES:

• Smoked Traeger Skirt Steak
• Smoked Meatloaf
• Traeger Smoked Chicken Breast
• Smoked Pork Tenderloin

YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK,  INSTAGRAM AND PINTEREST TO SEE MORE GOOD TO EAT, GRILLED GLUTEN-FREE FOOD.

If you make end up making this Traeger bacon recipe, then don’t forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

Traeger Bacon

Wondering how to cook bacon on a Traeger? Whether you're making smoked bacon or cooking it at a high temp, this post walks you through three methods, listing the pros and cons and what you need to consider. Each way is super easy, it just depends on how much time you have and how you like your bacon. Traeger bacon is delicious any way you go about it!

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Smoked Bacon Cooking TIme: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 12 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Taryn Solie

Equipment

• Traeger grill
• Grilling tongs
• A sheet pan
• Aluminum foil
• Paper towels

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon

Instructions

Smoking Bacon

• Turn your Traeger or other pellet grill on to 225 degrees F. After it comes to temperature, place the bacon directly on the grill grates, making sure they don’t touch.
• Cook the bacon until it reaches your desired crispiness. This takes me about 2 hours.
• Remove the bacon strips with a pair of tongs and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease. Serve immediately.

High Temp Bacon on Grill Grates

• Set your Traeger to a temperature of 400 degrees F. After it comes to temperature, place the bacon directly on the grill.
• Cook the bacon for 5 minutes, then flip the slices over using a pair of tongs and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick your slices are.
• Thinner slices of bacon typically cook in 10 to 12 minutes, thicker slices will take longer, usually around 13 to 17 minutes.
• Remove the bacon strips with a pair of tongs and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease. Serve immediately.

High Temp Bacon in Sheet Pan

• Set your Traeger to a temperature of 400 degrees F. While waiting for your grill to heat up, line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (or you can use parchment paper). Lay the bacon in a single layer on the sheet pan, making sure the slices don’t touch each out.
• Place the sheet pan in the Traeger once it comes to temperature. Let it cook for about 8 minutes, then flip the bacon over and continue cooking until it’s as crispy as you like it. For thinner bacon this would be another 5 to 8 minutes, for thicker bacon this would be closer to 8 to 12 minutes.
• Remove the bacon strips with a pair of tongs and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease. Serve immediately.

Notes

• When choosing the wood pellets to use, consider how your bacon was already cooked. If you’re using hickory smoked bacon already, use hickory pellets to really bring out the smokiness even more. If you’re not looking to add much smoke, use a milder wood like pecan or oak. I typically use the Traeger Signature pellet blend (affiliate link) as it works with many different types of meat.
• Make sure your grill grates are clean before you place the bacon on them! If you place the strips directly on dirty grates, that dirt and grime is going to stick to your bacon strips. The easiest way to clean the grates is to heat your Traeger, then wet a bunch of paper towels and use a pair of tongs to rub them against the grates.