Prepare for an unforgettable dining experience that boasts an explosion of flavor without a drop of sauce! These incredibly tender and juicy bacon wrapped smoked pork chops, expertly prepared on your Traeger or electric smoker, are destined to become a new family favorite. Get ready to impress with this easy yet gourmet-tasting meal this week!
Our journey into the world of smoking started a few years ago when we embraced a more rural lifestyle, discovering the joy of stocking up on quality meats. This led us to acquire a pig, leaving us with an abundance of fantastic organic pork to explore. It was then that this incredible recipe for smoked bacon wrapped pork chops truly came to life. It quickly became one of our most beloved electric smoker recipes, proving that simple ingredients, when cooked with care, can yield extraordinary results.
Since setting up our smoker, it has transformed our approach to outdoor cooking. The rich, smoky essence infused into every dish is simply unparalleled, and these pork chops are a testament to that. Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster or new to the smoking game, this recipe will guide you to perfection.
Mastering Electric Smoker Pork Chops
While not every culinary experiment yields perfection, these electric smoker pork chops are undeniably flawless. Paired with our equally delicious smoked baked potatoes, you’ve got a meal that will earn rave reviews. The beauty of this recipe is its versatility – it works wonderfully with any brand of electric smoker, including popular models like Traeger, Masterbuilt, or Pit Boss. The key is consistent temperature and quality ingredients, ensuring a consistently superb outcome every time.
The Essentials for Irresistible Smoked Pork Chops
Creating succulent smoked pork chops starts with selecting the right components and understanding their role in building flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to assemble this magnificent meal:
- Premium Pork Chops: For a family of five, four hearty pork chops typically suffice. Pork chops are widely regarded as one of the best meats to smoke, offering a fantastic canvas for smoky flavors.
- Thick-Cut Bacon: We recommend using four thick slices of bacon per pork chop. The thickness is crucial as it renders beautifully, basting the pork chop and adding a delightful crispy texture and savory depth.
- Our Signature Dry Rub: A perfectly balanced blend of spices, detailed in the recipe card below, creates a phenomenal crust and flavor profile that eliminates the need for any sauce.
- Wood Chips or Pellets: For electric smokers, applewood chips are our top choice. Applewood imparts a subtle, sweet, and fruity smoke that complements pork exceptionally well, enhancing its natural flavors without overpowering them.
- Smoked Baked Potatoes (Optional but Recommended): For the ultimate companion, consider making our smoked baked potatoes. You can cook them simultaneously with the pork chops, creating a perfectly coordinated smoked feast.
Witness the magic unfold! This video offers a visual guide to our smoking process, ensuring you can follow along with confidence:
How to Cook Bacon Wrapped Smoked Pork Chops: A Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these simple steps to achieve perfectly cooked, flavor-packed bacon wrapped smoked pork chops:
- Prepare Your Dry Rub: In a small bowl, thoroughly mix all your chosen spices. Whether you prefer a simple seasoning blend or our recommended sweet and savory pork chop dry rub, ensure it’s well combined for even flavor distribution.
- Season the Chops: Generously massage the dry rub onto both sides of each pork chop. Don’t be shy; a good coating creates that desirable flavorful crust.
- Wrap with Bacon: Take four slices of thick-cut bacon and wrap them width-wise around each pork chop. The bacon not only adds immense flavor but also helps keep the pork incredibly moist. While not strictly necessary, you can secure the bacon with toothpicks if you prefer extra assurance. We often skip this step without issues!
- Pro Tip: If you’re also making smoked baked potatoes, prepare them as shown in our recipe so they can go into the smoker at the same time as your pork chops.
- Preheat and Load the Smoker: Ensure your smoker is preheated and stable at 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135°C). Fill your wood chip or pellet container with your chosen wood (applewood for pork is highly recommended), then carefully place the seasoned, bacon-wrapped pork chops on the top racks of your smoker.
- Smoke to Perfection: Close the smoker door and allow the chops to smoke for approximately 1.5 hours. The precise cooking time can vary based on the thickness of your chops and bacon. The critical factor is achieving an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63°C).
How Do You Know When Pork Chops Are Done?
Ensuring your pork chops are cooked to the correct internal temperature is vital for both safety and optimal tenderness. Always aim for a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63°C). To check accurately, remove the chops from the heat and insert a reliable meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, avoiding any bone. If you don’t have a thermometer, a less precise method is to slice a chop in half: if the meat is opaque throughout and the juices run clear, it’s likely done. However, for best results and food safety, a thermometer is highly recommended.
If you share our enthusiasm for smoking, you’ll love exploring other easy smoker recipes. These highly-rated smoker recipes are perfect for expanding your repertoire!
Expanding Your Horizons: More Pork Chops on the Smoker
If you’re as devoted to this cut of meat as we are, there are plenty of other delicious ways to enjoy pork chops. Beyond this fantastic recipe, consider trying garlic baked pork chops or our savory smoked pork steaks on another night. To become a true smoking expert, our comprehensive meat smoking chart is an invaluable resource, providing precise temperature and timing guidelines for various cuts of meat. Furthermore, investing in a high-quality digital meat thermometer is essential, especially if your smoker lacks a built-in one, to guarantee consistently perfect results.
Generally, smoking pork chops takes approximately 90 minutes to reach the safe internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63°C). However, two main factors can influence this timing: the thickness of your pork chops and whether or not you’ve wrapped them in bacon. Thicker chops will require more cooking time, and the added insulation of bacon can extend the process slightly. Always prioritize the internal temperature over a rigid timeline, checking with a meat thermometer for accuracy. Trust us, that extra layer of bacon is absolutely worth the slight increase in cooking time!
Do Pork Chops Get More Tender the Longer You Cook Them?
This is a common misconception, but for pork chops, the answer is a resounding NO. Unlike cuts used for smoked pulled pork, where low and slow cooking for extended periods yields incredibly tender results, pork chops are quite sensitive. Overcooking them, even by just a few minutes, will lead to dry, tough meat – precisely what we want to avoid! The goal is a perfectly moist center with a beautiful, flavorful crust on the outside. Monitor them closely and remove them from the smoker as soon as they hit that 145°F mark.
Once your chops have reached the safe internal temperature, remove them from the smoker and allow them to rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes (preferably 15) before slicing. This crucial resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring every bite is as tender and juicy as possible. For a truly complete meal, consider serving these incredible chops with our unique smoked bread on the side.
Smoking Pork Chops vs. Baking at 350°F
While you *could* technically bake pork chops in your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C) until golden brown, the unique depth of flavor achieved through smoking is unparalleled. If you’re as passionate about smoked meats as we are, you know that nothing compares to the rich, aromatic infusion from a smoker. Our method at 275°F (135°C) ensures a perfectly cooked chop with that signature smoky essence.
- These easy smoker recipes are consistently among our most popular, and it’s easy to see why! The flavor and simplicity are unmatched.
- For an extra layer of deliciousness, consider basting your smoked pork chops with your favorite barbecue sauce during the last few minutes of cooking, or serve it on the side. You’ll instantly become a mealtime hero!
Beyond the smoker, there are many ways to prepare fantastic pork chops. Try our delightful bacon-wrapped air fryer pork chops for a quick and crispy option, or master the art of the best oven baked pork chops with a dry rub. During warmer months, grilled pork chops are always a hit. And if you love bacon, don’t forget how amazing air fryer bacon can be as a standalone treat! Below, you’ll find the comprehensive printable recipe for our dry pork rub and the star of the show: these incredible smoked bacon wrapped pork chops.
Bacon Wrapped Smoked Pork Chops
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Print Recipe
Equipment
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1 smoker
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops
- 16 slices bacon , thicker variety works best
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1 tbsp salt, we use brand Real Salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
Instructions
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Mix all spices together in a bowl well to create your dry rub.
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Generously massage the dry rub on each pork chop, ensuring both the bottom and top are thoroughly coated.
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Wrap 4 strips of thick-cut bacon around each pork chop, going width-wise.
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Fill your smoker’s wood chip or pellet container with your preferred wood (applewood is highly recommended for pork). Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135°C), then carefully place the prepared pork chops on the top racks.
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Close the smoker door and cook for approximately 90 minutes. Cooking time may vary based on the thickness of your chops and bacon; we recommend checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer after 70 minutes. The pork chops are done when they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63°C).
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Once done, remove the pork chops from the smoker and let them rest on a counter for at least 5-10 minutes (preferably 15 minutes) before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring maximum tenderness and flavor.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 561kcal,
Carbohydrates: 26g,
Protein: 32g,
Fat: 35g,
Saturated Fat: 12g,
Cholesterol: 118mg,
Sodium: 1947mg,
Potassium: 669mg,
Fiber: 1g,
Sugar: 21g,
Vitamin A: 1170IU,
Calcium: 43mg,
Iron: 1.8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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