Don't miss another issue…      Subscribe

Bacon

What is bacon? About the ingredient bacon. Including 1,230 recipes with bacon, nutrition data, photos, and where to find it.

About

Check out our Bacon Survival Guide for tips on cooking and storing bacon.

Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured in a brine or in a dry packing, either containing large amounts of salt; the result is fresh bacon (also green bacon ). Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months (usually in cold air), boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating. Boiled bacon is ready to eat, as is some smoked bacon, but either may be cooked further before eating.

Bacon is prepared from several different cuts of meat. It is usually made from side and back cuts of pork, except in the United States, where it is almost always prepared from pork belly (typically referred to as "streaky", "fatty", or "American style" outside of the US). The side cut has more meat and less fat than the belly. Bacon may be prepared from either of two distinct back cuts: fatback, which is almost pure fat, and pork loin, which is very lean. Bacon-cured pork loin is known as back bacon.

Four 14-gram (0.5 oz) slices of bacon together contain 7.45 grams (0.26 oz) of fat, of which about half is monounsaturated, a third is saturated and a sixth is polyunsaturated, and 7.72 grams (0.27 oz) of protein. Four pieces of bacon can also contain up to 800 mg of sodium, which is roughly equivalent to 1.92 grams of salt. The fat and protein content varies depending on the cut and cooking method.

Bacon is usually high in salt and saturated fat; excessive consumption of both is related to a variety of health problems.

Buy Online

Currently unavailable.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 slice cooked (8g)
Amount per Serving
Calories 43Calories from Fat 30
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 3.3g 5%
Saturated Fat 1.1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Sodium 184mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 0.1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0.0
Protein 3.0g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0% Iron 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

Where found

Bacon is usually found in the meats section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group

Bacon is a member of the Pork Products USDA nutritional food group.

How much does bacon weigh?

measure grams
1 slice cooked 8
1 slice raw 29

In Chinese:熏肉
British (UK) term: Bacon
en français:le bacon
en español:tocino

Recipes using bacon

There are 1235 recipes that contain this ingredient.

20 Minute Penne Carbonara for Two
All Time Favourite Broccoli Salad
Amarillo Chili
Ann Landers' Meatloaf
Arcadian Eight Bean Chili
Asparagus and Bacon Quiche
Australian Hamburger
Awesome Breakfast Casserole
Baby Doe's Bacon Cheese Soup
Bacon and Cheddar Drop Biscuits
Bacon and Cheddar Spinach Squares
Bacon and Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes

All 1,235 recipes

References

See more about bacon about 13 years ago
Usda nutrition data over 8 years ago

Created: Last updated:

List of all ingredients