Guide to Popular Bacon Varieties

While American cuisine is often defined as a melting pot of indigenous ingredients paired with global traditions, there are a few staple foods that scream Americana, and bacon is undeniably one of them. Served as a side dish with breakfast foods, as a hot dog topping, and crumbled over a variety of recipes, bacon is as American as BBQ, baseball, and burgers. But we aren’t the only ones with a bacon tradition. There are a variety of smoked meats that are categorized under the term "bacon." To broaden your knowledge scope, we created a guide to the various types of bacon, so you can diversify your menu offerings.

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What Is Bacon?

The term bacon categorizes cured and smoked cuts of pork, traditionally pork belly. The curing process is another essential step in bacon production. It can be done through dry curing, where the bacon is coated with a mixture of salt and seasonings, or wet curing, where the bacon is immersed in a brine solution.

Bacon can be cold-smoked or hot-smoked, depending on the desired flavor profile. Cold smoking exposes bacon to smoke at lower temperatures for an extended period, resulting in a milder smoky flavor. Hot smoking uses higher temperatures, producing a more intense, smoky taste. Some of the most popular woods for smoking bacon include applewood, hickory, cherry, and maple. Each type of wood contributes a distinct flavor profile, allowing chefs to achieve the desired taste for their dishes.

Types of Bacon

Different regions across the world have unique methodologies for preparing and serving this delicious pork product. Since there are many different types of bacon, you can feature several styles on your menu to enhance your dishes and create novelty allure. Discover new bacon varieties, their flavor profiles, and characteristics.

1. American-Style Bacon

American-style bacon is what most domestic consumers will expect when they order bacon at your establishment. This beloved variety is derived from the sides and belly of the pig. It’s cold-smoked and typically sold not fully cooked. American-style bacon is commonly used in breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, burgers, and even desserts to add a sweet and savory twist.

The process of making American-style bacon involves curing it with salt, sugar, or honey, followed by smoking it with woods like hickory or applewood to achieve a flavorful and smoky taste. American-style bacon is characterized by its fatty composition, which crisps up beautifully when cooked. It also produces a significant amount of grease, which can be repurposed into recipes, reducing food waste and enhancing the flavor of your other offerings.

• Pork Cut: Belly and sides of the pig
• Characteristics: Strips of meat with streaks of fat running through them, crisps when cooked, can be cured or uncured, traditionally cold smoked
• Flavor Profile: Sweet, savory, salty, and smoky

2. Canadian Bacon

Canadian bacon, also known as back bacon or peameal bacon, comes from the loin of the pig. It’s leaner than American-style bacon, giving it a tender texture and a mild taste with subtle sweet and smoky notes. It is hot-smoked until fully cooked, then cured. Many chefs roll it in cornmeal, giving it a unique appearance and texture.

Canadian bacon’s taste and appearance resemble ham, making it pair well with sandwiches, salads, pizzas, and pasta dishes. In terms of price point, Canadian bacon tends to be slightly more expensive than traditional bacon due to its leaner cut. However, depending on the market segment you serve, you can attract and retain health-conscious consumers looking to enjoy bacon without the high fat content, making it worth the investment.

• Pork Cut: Back and loin
• Characteristics: Lean, hot smoked until fully cooked, dense texture
• Flavor Profile: Sweet and mildly smoky

3. Slab Bacon

Slab bacon is a cut of bacon that comes from the belly or sides of a pig, typically in a large, uncut block. It can be either hot- or cold-smoked, depending on the desired flavor profile. Chefs are free to slice it to their desired thickness, making it a versatile investment if your menu has multiple dishes that include bacon, such as breakfast dishes, sandwiches, salads, and soups.

Due to its larger size, slab bacon is often used in commercial kitchens where large quantities of bacon are needed, such as bustling brunch businesses. In terms of price point, slab bacon is generally more cost-effective compared to pre-sliced bacon. This makes it an attractive option for foodservice operators looking to maximize their return on investment without compromising quality.

• Pork Cut: Belly and sides
• Characteristics: Sold in a smoked slab with a large rind
• Flavor Profile: Rich, smoky, savory

4. Pancetta

Pancetta is Italian bacon, typically made from pork belly meat. It is dry-cured and seasoned with spices such as black pepper, nutmeg, fennel, and garlic. Known for its rich and savory taste, pancetta offers a delicate balance of saltiness and umami flavors with a hint of sweetness. Its texture is tender and slightly chewy, making it a versatile ingredient in various culinary applications.

Pancetta is commonly used in Italian cuisine to add depth and richness to dishes such as pasta carbonara, risotto, and salads. It can also be wrapped around meats or vegetables to infuse them with its flavorful essence. Pancetta can also make a flavorful addition to charcuterie boards.

• Pork Cut: Belly
• Characteristics: Pink and white hues, dense yet tender texture, fatty
• Flavor Profile: Buttery, smoky

5. Rashers

Rashers, also known as Irish bacon, are thin slices typically cut from the back loin or belly of the pig. They have a mix of lean and fatty meat that develops a crispy texture on the edges when cooked, while retaining a tender and juicy center. Butchers cut rashers into various thicknesses based on regional preferences. They can be hot- or cold-smoked as well as wet- or dry- cured, depending on the desired flavor profile. Traditionally, rashers are prized for their balance of savory, salty, and smoky notes.

They are popular in the United Kingdom, where they serve as an essential part of a traditional full English breakfast. There are two main types of rashers. Back rashers come from the pork loin and offer a lean and meat-focused slice of pork; they’re the most popular cut in the UK. Middle rashers merge the lean back bacon (from the loin) with the fatty bacon (from the belly) to create a single elongated rasher. In the UK, American-style bacon is often referred to as streaky rashers since it’s streaked with fat.

• Pork Cut: Loin and belly
• Characteristics: Circular shape with a small, fat cap
• Flavor Profile: Savory, salty, smoky, with dry-cured rashers having a more intense flavor and wet-cured rashers having a juicier and milder flavor

Cuts of Bacon Diagram

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Bacon Thickness Chart

American-style bacon comes in three popular thicknesses: restaurant style, regular, and thick cut. Whether you run a high-end bruncherie or a neighborhood staple diner, refer to our list of bacon thicknesses so you can find the right cut for your establishment.

• Restaurant Bacon: The thinnest option you can find, restaurant bacon is usually cut into 1/32" slices. Because it's thin, this type of bacon crisps up quickly, and it's commonly found in diners, restaurants, and hotels. It's perfect as a salad topping or for making bacon bits.
• Regular Slices: Typically sliced into 1/8" pieces, regular bacon is often what you will find in grocery stores or residential kitchens. It's well-suited to breakfast plates and burgers.
• Thick Slices: Starting at 1/4" thickness, this type of bacon is good for making sandwiches or adding to pasta dishes. However thick-cut bacon also won't have the same crunchiness as thinner options. It's best for candied bacon and hearty BLT sandwiches.

Bacon FAQs

Now that you have a basic understanding of the different types of bacon available, we answer some frequently asked questions about this beloved meat product. From organics and ethics to cured vs uncured, use our FAQ to read food labels with confidence.

How Is Bacon Made?

Bacon is prepared differently depending on the type of bacon and the region you're in, but it is commonly brined and cold- or hot- smoked. The meat is typically sliced into various thicknesses. After the bacon is sliced, it can be cooked on the griddle with a bacon press, fried in a cast-iron skillet, or baked in an oven.

What Is Uncured Bacon?

Uncured bacon is a type of meat that is cured differently from standard bacon. Typically, bacon is cured in a brine of salt, water, and synthetic sodium nitrite, which acts as a preservative. Some studies have found that these nitrites can mix with compounds found naturally in the meat under high heat, creating carcinogens that are harmful to humans. Uncured bacon is brined with natural ingredients, like celery powder, sea salt, and juice, which typically prevents any carcinogens or harmful compounds from forming.

Uncured vs Cured Bacon

Uncured bacon is often considered healthier than cured bacon. Because it must be brined for a longer period to reach the same level of preservation as cured options, uncured bacon is often saltier. It does not contain artificial ingredients, so it tastes more like the pork belly itself. If you operate in a health-focused market, investing in uncured bacon and promoting it on your menu can attract and retain customers.

What Is Organic and Hormone-Free Bacon?

Customers who are looking for healthy and ethical alternatives to traditional, cured bacon may also be interested in organic and hormone-free varieties of this delicious dish. Organic bacon refers to bacon made from pigs that are raised organically, meaning that they are free of antibiotics and preservatives, and they were fed a diet of organic feed. Hormone-free bacon comes from pigs that were raised without the addition of growth hormones, resulting in a clean and natural meat product. Because organic and hormone-free bacon doesn't contain potentially harmful chemicals, it's a great option for health-conscious establishments.

From making Bloody Marys to preparing the ultimate burger topping bar, almost everything is better with bacon. Featuring it in your recipes is a great way to make a dish more popular. Consider offering bacon as an optional upgrade on your salads, sandwiches, grits bowls, hot dogs, and burgers to increase profits.