Homemade Canadian Bacon Recipe (Smoker or Oven)

This homemade Canadian bacon—cured pork loin with gentle maple and sage notes—surpasses any store-bought version I’ve ever tasted.

My household is unabashedly fond of meat, and pork in particular. Within that love affair, all forms of bacon make my family very happy.

After making traditional American bacon a few weeks ago, one of my kids strolled by munching a crispy strip and asked, “I wonder if Mom could make Canadian bacon, eh?”

They then clarified, with a grin, “That was a Canadian ‘eh’, not a Michigan one,” followed by laughter. It’s fun to watch the kids play with accents.

If I could make American bacon, why not try a North-of-the-border version? Canadian bacon is essentially lean, cured pork loin. Because it’s so lean, you usually only need to heat it through rather than frying it until crisp, making it a quick, convenient option for breakfast on the go.

Despite the name, traditional Canadian preparations vary—some Canadians make peameal bacon—but the style most of us think of is cured pork loin with a mild, slightly sweet flavor profile.

What surprised me most was how straightforward making this Canadian bacon is.

Even more surprising: the final product is remarkably delicious. This cured pork loin, subtly flavored with maple and sage, outshines any commercial Canadian bacon I’ve tried.

My informal taste-test panel (my husband and sons) agreed. In fact, this recipe has been requested as part of birthday meals multiple times.

What Is Canadian Bacon

True Canadian bacon starts with a center-cut boneless pork loin—not tenderloin. Many grocery stores sell center-cut loins in vacuum-sealed packages. The brine quantities in this recipe are suitable for about 4 pounds of pork loin; if you have a larger piece, increase the brine proportionally so the meat is fully covered.

To bring a distinctly maple note, I use Grade B dark maple syrup in the brine. If you can’t find Grade B, a good Grade A will work—the darker the syrup, the bolder the maple flavor. If maple isn’t available, a brown sugar pancake syrup can be used as a substitute, though the character will be slightly different.

Fresh sage adds an important herbaceous depth—grab a bunch from the store or a sprig from a garden if possible. Dried whole-leaf thyme works well here if fresh thyme isn’t available; thyme is less critical than fresh sage but still complementary.

Before brining, trim as much excess fat from the pork loin as practical. You don’t need to be overly precise; any remaining fat is easier to remove after cooking. Save trimmed fat to render later for use in cooking beans or other dishes.

I usually cut the loin into pieces that fit comfortably into gallon freezer bags so the meat stays submerged in brine.

Smoking the brined loin over applewood adds a fantastic flavor and is my preferred method, but if you don’t have a smoker you can roast the air-dried cured loin in a low oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F. Instructions for both methods are included in the recipe below.

When cured with pink curing salt, the finished Canadian bacon will keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. It stores much longer when tightly wrapped and frozen.

Note on pink salt: I choose to use curing salt (Prague Powder #1) in this recipe because it extends shelf life and preserves a pink color in the meat. Omitting it will shorten refrigerated shelf life and produce a more brown-toned color. Curing salt reduces the risk of surface bacterial growth when used properly; this refers to curing powder, not Himalayan salt.