How We Fixed Overly Salty Homemade Bacon (And Now Make Perfect Bacon Every Time)

A few weeks ago, we were beyond excited to turn our pork belly into homemade bacon after watching the Bearded Butchers’ bacon curing and smoking video. The process looked straightforward, the visuals were excellent, and we followed the recipe exactly as written—same salts, same cure time, same smoking method.

Unfortunately, our first batch came out extremely salty.

The video does a great job of showing just how approachable making bacon at home can be, and it’s a fantastic visual walkthrough. But after troubleshooting our results, we realized there were a few critical steps missing that make all the difference between salt bomb bacon and perfectly balanced, beautifully smoked homemade bacon.

After adjusting the method and repeating the process, we now have a reliable, repeatable bacon recipe that produces consistently delicious results—smoky, savory, and never overpoweringly salty.

If you’ve ever searched “why is my homemade bacon too salty?” or “how to fix salty bacon after curing,” this guide walks you through exactly what went wrong, how to fix it, and how to make perfect bacon every time.

Step 1: Weigh the Pork Belly

• Use grams (most important part)

• Weigh after trimming, before curing

👉 Example: 2,268 g pork belly (≈ 5 lb)

Step 2: Calculate Cure Amounts

✅ Kosher Salt

2.0–2.25% of meat weight

• Conservative (recommended): 2.0%

• Bold bacon: 2.25%

Formula:

Meat weight (g) × 0.02 = salt (g)

Example (2,268 g):

• Salt: 45 g (2.0%)

✅ Pink Salt (Prague #1)

0.25% of meat weight — do NOT exceed

Formula:

Meat weight (g) × 0.0025 = pink salt (g)

Example:

• Pink salt: 5.7 g (round to 5.5–6 g)

✅ Sugar (optional but recommended)

Balances saltiness — does not make bacon sweet

• 1.0–1.5% of meat weight

Example:

• Sugar: 22–34 g

You can use:

• Brown sugar

• Maple sugar

• Honey powder

• Coconut sugar

🧂 Dry Cure Mix (Example Batch)

For a 5 lb / 2,268 g pork belly:

• 45 g kosher salt

• 5.7 g pink salt #1

• 25 g brown sugar

• Optional:

  • Black pepper

  • Garlic powder

  • Paprika

  • Cracked coriander

  • Maple extract (tiny amount)

Mix thoroughly.

🥩 Curing Process (No Guesswork)

Day 1

1. Pour cure in water over pork belly

2. Place in zip bag or vacuum seal

3. Refrigerate (34–38°F)

Cure Time by Thickness

• ≤ 1.25" thick → 5–7 days

• 1.5–2" thick → 7–10 days

Flip bag once daily.

With equilibrium curing, it cannot over-salt, but time still affects texture.

🚿 CRITICAL STEP (Prevents Salty Bacon)

After curing:

1. Remove from bag

2. Rinse thoroughly under cold water

3. Soak in cold water for 30–60 minutes

   • Very thin belly → 30 min

   • Thick belly → 45–60 min

4. Pat completely dry

This step alone fixes almost all salt problems.

🌬 Pellicle Formation (Don’t Skip)

• Place bacon uncovered on rack

• Refrigerate overnight (8–24 hrs)

• Surface should feel tacky, not wet

This helps smoke adhesion and flavor.

🔥 Smoking Parameters (Balanced Flavor)

• Wood: Apple, cherry, maple, or hickory blend

• Use favorite rub to rub all over bacon prior to smoking

• Smoker temp: 180–200°F

• Pull bacon at 150°F internal

• Cool completely before slicing

Let rest overnight before slicing for best texture.