8 Bacon Brands To Avoid & 8 Worth Every Bite
Bacon makes everything better: from breakfast sandwiches to burger toppings. But not all bacon is made the same way, and choosing the wrong brand can leave you with a greasy, flavorless disappointment.
I’ve fried up countless strips to separate the crispy champions from the flabby failures, and the results might surprise you.
1. Brands to Skip: Sugardale Hickory Smoked Bacon
Bland disappointment awaits in every package of Sugardale. The strips cook unevenly, leaving you with a chewy mess that never quite achieves that satisfying crunch.
My brother-in-law once served this at a family brunch, and half the strips ended up abandoned on plates.
At $10 for 40 ounces, the price seems attractive, but the lackluster flavor and rubbery texture make this a definite skip.
2. Brands to Skip: Aberdeen Farms Irregularly Sliced Value Bacon
Salt bomb alert! Aberdeen Farms delivers inconsistent slices that range from paper-thin to unnecessarily thick – sometimes in the same package.
The fat-to-meat ratio skews heavily toward grease, creating a puddle in your pan that’s almost impossible to clean.
While the price point might tempt budget shoppers, your taste buds will file a formal complaint after the first bite of this aggressively salty, texture-challenged bacon.
3. Brands to Skip: Plumrose Hardwood Smoked Bacon
Greasy is the kindest word for Plumrose’s bacon offering. What should be a delightful smoky experience instead becomes a disappointing struggle with strips that refuse to cook evenly.
The edges burn while the centers remain stubbornly undercooked. I once prepared this for weekend guests and watched in horror as the strips shrank to bacon bits before achieving any semblance of crispness.
The lackluster flavor fails to justify its 300mg sodium punch per serving.
4. Brands to Skip: Jimmy Dean Hickory Smoked Premium Bacon
Jimmy Dean might make decent breakfast sausages, but their bacon misses the mark entirely. Each strip delivers an artificial flavor experience that’s simultaneously too salty and oddly chemical-tasting.
The grease factor reaches epic proportions, leaving your pan looking like an oil slick. Last summer, I served this at a camping trip breakfast and watched as everyone reached for the eggs instead.
With 340mg sodium per serving, your blood pressure will thank you for passing this one by.
5. Brands to Skip: Jones Dairy Farm Canadian Bacon
Canadian bacon lovers beware – Jones Dairy Farm’s version will leave you questioning your breakfast choices. The pale, processed rounds lack the juiciness and flavor depth that make this breakfast meat worth eating.
Each slice has an unsettling uniformity that screams “heavily processed.” When I served this at a holiday brunch, my aunt (who’s typically too polite to criticize) asked if we had “real bacon” instead.
The high sodium content (300mg per serving) adds insult to injury.
6. Brands to Skip: Smithfield Hometown Original Bacon
Smithfield’s bacon performs a disappearing act in the pan, shrinking dramatically while releasing enough grease to make cleanup a nightmare. The paper-thin slices provide little satisfaction and even less flavor.
The texture veers between overly crisp and oddly chewy with no middle ground. My family has a tradition of Sunday breakfast, and the one time I served Smithfield, my bacon-loving teenager asked if we could switch back to “the good stuff.”
When a teenager notices poor quality, you know it’s bad.
7. Brands to Skip: Hormel Black Label Brown Sugar Thick Cut Bacon
Sugar overload! Hormel’s brown sugar variant crosses the line from sweet accent to dessert territory. The overwhelming sweetness masks any pork flavor, creating an identity crisis on your plate.
The sodium content hits a whopping 460mg per serving – nearly 20% of your daily recommended intake in just two slices. During a recent brunch gathering, I watched guests discretely reaching for napkins to wipe off the cloying coating.
Save the sugar for your coffee and skip this confusing bacon interpretation.
8. Brands to Skip: Great Value Bacon (Walmart)
Walmart’s store brand bacon proves the adage that you get what you pay for. The inconsistent quality means one package might be acceptable while the next resembles fatty rubber bands.
The flavor profile lacks depth, offering a one-dimensional saltiness without the complex smokiness that makes bacon worth the caloric splurge. I’ve tried this brand during tight budget months, but the disappointment never justifies the savings.
The excessive grease and bland taste make this an easy skip, despite the attractive $5 price point.
9. Brands to Buy: Kirkland Signature Bacon (Costco)
Costco’s house brand bacon deserves its cult following. The thick-cut strips maintain the perfect balance between meaty substance and crispy edges, with minimal shrinkage during cooking.
The hickory smoke flavor comes through beautifully without overwhelming the pork’s natural taste. My weekend breakfast ritual improved dramatically when I switched to Kirkland.
At roughly $4 per pound, this bacon delivers premium quality at a warehouse price, making it the rare food item that excels in both value and flavor.
10. Brands to Buy: Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon
Bacon connoisseurs speak of Nueske’s in reverent tones for good reason. This Wisconsin-crafted bacon delivers a rich, complex smokiness that transforms ordinary breakfasts into memorable experiences.
The thick-cut slices feature beautiful marbling that renders into flavor rather than excessive grease. I splurged on Nueske’s for my parents’ anniversary breakfast, and my bacon-indifferent mother actually went back for seconds.
For special occasions or when you want to elevate a BLT to gourmet status, this premium bacon justifies every penny.
11. Brands to Buy: Hormel Black Label Applewood Thick Cut Bacon
Hormel redeems itself with this applewood variety that strikes bacon perfection. Unlike its overly sweet brown sugar cousin, this version balances smokiness with just enough sweetness to enhance rather than overwhelm.
The thick-cut strips cook evenly with minimal splatter, making morning cleanup significantly easier. During last year’s holiday season, I served this at three different family gatherings and received compliments each time.
While slightly saltier than some competitors at 460mg sodium per serving, the exceptional flavor profile makes it worth the occasional indulgence.
12. Brands to Buy: Applegate Natural Uncured Sunday Bacon
Clean ingredients shine in Applegate’s standout offering. Free from nitrates, antibiotics, and artificial preservatives, this bacon proves that simple can be spectacular.
The minimal ingredient list (just pork, water, sea salt, and cane sugar) allows the natural pork flavor to take center stage. I’ve been buying this brand since my daughter developed food sensitivities, and it’s become our family standard.
The balanced smokiness and moderate fat content create a bacon that satisfies without overwhelming your breakfast plate or your conscience.
13. Brands to Buy: Wright Brand Double Smoked Bacon
Wright Brand takes smoking seriously, and your taste buds reap the rewards. These substantial strips maintain their size during cooking while developing a perfect crisp-chewy balance that bacon dreams are made of.
The intense smokiness stands up beautifully in recipes, adding depth to everything from pasta carbonara to baked beans. The price point (around $8 per package) initially gave me pause, but after tasting the difference, I’ve reallocated my grocery budget to accommodate this splurge.
Sometimes quality justifies cost, and Wright Brand proves this deliciously.
14. Brands to Buy: Tender Belly Cherrywood Smoked Bacon
Gourmet bacon reaches its pinnacle with Tender Belly’s cherrywood-smoked offering. The heritage-breed pork delivers a cleaner, more pronounced flavor than commodity alternatives.
The subtle fruity notes from cherrywood smoking create a unique profile that elevates everything from simple breakfast plates to gourmet burgers. My first experience with this brand came at a friend’s brunch, where I embarrassed myself by asking for thirds.
At approximately $10 for 12 ounces, it’s definitely a luxury, but for bacon enthusiasts, it’s a revelation worth experiencing.
15. Brands to Buy: North Country Smokehouse Fruitwood Smoked Bacon
Unique smoking methods set North Country apart from the bacon crowd. Their distinctive corn cob smoking technique creates a subtly sweet profile with maple undertones that’s impossible to replicate.
The certified humane pork provides exceptional texture and clean flavor. During a Vermont vacation three years ago, I discovered this brand at a local market and have been mail-ordering it for special occasions ever since.
The balanced sweet-savory profile makes it particularly wonderful in quiches or wrapped around delicate seafood, though it shines equally at breakfast.
16. Brands to Buy: Wellshire Black Forest Dry Rubbed Bacon
Spice enthusiasts need to experience Wellshire’s bold approach to bacon. Unlike traditional smoky varieties, this dry-rubbed version delivers complex seasoning with a delightful peppery kick that wakes up your taste buds.
The antibiotic-free pork provides a clean canvas for the spice blend to shine. I discovered this gem while planning a BBQ-themed brunch and it’s become my secret weapon for impressing guests.
The slightly chewier texture and pronounced spice profile make this bacon particularly excellent for sandwiches or alongside sweeter breakfast elements like pancakes.