Thick cut bacon is bacon sliced about twice as thick as a regular slice, so it stays meaty and chewy in the middle while the edges crisp. There is no legal definition, so the label means whatever the packer decides, and the only way to know is to look at the slice.
Every slice of our America’s Best Uncured Bacon is thick cut and slow smoked over real applewood, in 2.25 lb or 12 oz packs. Here is what thick cut changes in the pan, which pack fits your kitchen, and how to cook it so the fat renders all the way through.
- What counts as thick cut
- Why it cooks differently
- Which pack to buy: 12 oz or 2.25 lb
- How to cook it so the fat renders
- Questions people ask
What counts as thick cut bacon?
Bacon is sliced from a cured, smoked pork belly on a slicer, and the packer picks the thickness. A regular slice is thin enough to see light through when raw. A thick cut slice is roughly double that, and you can feel the difference between your fingers.
Because there is no rule, one brand’s “thick cut” can be another brand’s regular. Compare by counting slices in a pack of the same weight. Fewer slices per pound means thicker slices.
Some brands also sell “extra thick” or steakhouse cut bacon, thicker still. Those slices are less a breakfast strip and more a piece of pork to build a meal on.
Why thick cut bacon cooks differently
A thin slice cooks fast and turns brittle. A thick one has a middle that stays tender while the outside browns, so you get two textures in one bite. That is the whole appeal.
The trade is time. The fat inside a thick slice needs longer, gentler heat to melt out. Rush it on high heat and you get a burnt edge and a rubbery center.
Thick slices also hold their shape. They wrap around a jalapeno or a scallop without tearing, they lie flat on a burger, and they hold up on a grill grate. Thin bacon cannot do those jobs.
Which pack to buy: 12 oz or 2.25 lb
We sell the same thick cut uncured bacon in two pack sizes. The bacon inside is identical: Heritage Duroc pork from family farms, raised crate free with no antibiotics ever on a vegetarian diet, cured with water, salt, turbinado sugar, and celery powder, then smoked over applewood.
| 12 oz packs | 2.25 lb packs | |
|---|---|---|
| Box options | 6 or 8 packs | 2 or 3 packs |
| Bacon per box | 4.5 lb or 6 lb | 4.5 lb or 6.75 lb |
| One pack is | 12 oz, a short run of breakfasts | 2.25 lb, three times as much per pack |
| Best for | Small households, freezer space, gifts | Big families, holiday hosting, meal prep |
The rule of thumb: buy the pack you can finish within a week of opening, since bacon keeps seven days in the fridge once opened, per the USDA bacon and food safety page. A 12 oz pack is easy to finish. A 2.25 lb pack is for people who cook bacon on purpose, not just on Sunday.
Either way it ships frozen with dry ice, and it keeps for months in the freezer. Our artisanal bacon guide covers how the uncured line fits with our dry cured and peppered bacon.
How to cook thick cut bacon so the fat renders
The oven is the easiest way, because the heat is even and you can walk away. Lay slices on a rack over a foil lined sheet pan. Put the pan in a cold oven, set it to 400°F, and start checking at 18 minutes.
Most thick slices are done between 20 and 25 minutes, and ovens vary, so check early the first time. Chewy is on the early side, crisp is on the late side. Pull it a shade before it looks done, because it keeps cooking on the rack.
- Skillet: start in a cold pan over medium low. Flip every couple of minutes. About 10 to 14 minutes.
- Grill: indirect heat, lid down, 10 to 15 minutes. Watch for flare ups from the fat.
- Air fryer: 350°F, single layer, 8 to 12 minutes. Check at 8.
Whatever the method, save the drippings. Applewood smoked bacon fat is the best thing you can fry eggs in.
Questions people ask about thick cut bacon
What is thick cut bacon called?
Thick cut, thick sliced, or steakhouse cut. The names are not regulated. Slices sold for wrapping or grilling are sometimes called center cut thick, which describes where on the belly they come from, not the thickness.
What is considered thick cut?
Roughly twice a regular slice, but there is no rule, so compare slices per pound if you want to be sure.
Where can I find thick cut bacon?
Most grocery stores carry one thick cut option. Ours ships frozen from the farm shop in 12 oz packs or 2.25 lb packs, so you can pick the size that fits your freezer.
Who has the best thick cut bacon?
Taste is personal. What you can check on any label: the breed if it is named, how the hogs were raised, real wood smoke versus liquid smoke, and a short ingredient list. Ours is Heritage Duroc, crate free, no antibiotics ever, applewood smoked, with four ingredients in the cure.
Pick your pack. Thick cut bacon rewards a little patience in the pan, and it starts with a slice worth the wait. Ours comes from Duroc hogs raised the slow way on Iowa family farms.
Order the 2.25 lb packs for a full house, or the 12 oz packs for a smaller kitchen. Both ship frozen to your door.