Bacon
About the ingredient bacon. Including 1,236 recipes with bacon, nutrition data, photos, and where to find it.
Contents
What is bacon?
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 slice cooked (8g)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 US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much does bacon weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 slice cooked | 8 grams |
| 1 slice raw | 29 grams |
Related
Pork Products
| In Chinese: | 熏肉 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | le bacon | |
| en español: | tocino |
Recipes using bacon
There are 1236 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Maple Acorn Squash No. 1
Sweet and buttery squash with a hint a maple and bacon; enjoyable and easy to make! A Christmas and Thanksgiving favourite.
Turkey Bacon Pasta Salad
Turn leftover turkey into a refreshing pasta salad with sweet great peas, crunchy celery topped with bacon.
Bacon, Raspberry, Pear Grilled Cheese
A surprisingly wonderful combination to try on your next ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
Roasted Spiced Pumpkin Maple Soup
Nothing is better than a warm pumpkin soup at your Thanksgiving menu.
Bacon, Egg & Lettuce Sandwich
Two slices of cooked and crumbled bacon, a pan-fried egg, a few pieces of lettuce leaves, and a whole wheat English muffin make a quick and delicious breakfast sandwich.
Bacon, Egg & Tomato Salad Sandwiches
A quick, easy and delicious way to prepare some delicious sandwiches for your family.
Best Creamy Tomato Soup
If you are looking for an amazingly delicious tomato soup, try this recipe, and everyone loves it!
Crockpot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes wit apple cider, cinnamon and bacon for your slow cooker.
