What is the best bacon?

Determining the "best" bacon depends on what you value most—price-to-value, deep smokehouse flavor, or artisanal pedigree. Extensive expert taste tests (including evaluations by The New York Times Wirecutter ) sort top contenders into distinct categories:

• Best Overall / Chef-Quality Pick: North Country Smokehouse Organics Applewood Smoked Bacon . Real wood-smoked in small batches, it delivers a rich, charry, and unctuous profile with lower sodium while maintaining an artisanal depth.
• Best Value / Everyday Supermarket Pick: Appleton Farms Premium Sliced Bacon (found at stores like Aldi). It punches way above its weight class, offering high-quality, reliable slicing and a nuanced, savory flavor without breaking the bank.
• Best Splurge / Special Occasion: Snake River Farms Kurobuta Pork Bacon . Made from 100% Kurobuta (Berkshire) pork, it has incredible marbling, a rich mouthfeel, and a distinctively savory, ham-like finish.
• Best Classic / Familiar Flavor: Applegate Organics Uncured Hickory Smoked Sunday Bacon or Oscar Mayer Naturally Hardwood Smoked Bacon . If you grew up on standard grocery store bacon and want that exact nostalgic, crisp-in-minutes profile, these deliver the baseline standard.[1][2]

To narrow down the ultimate slice for your pan, tell me:

• Do you prefer thick-cut or regular-cut?
• Are you looking for a supermarket staple or an artisanal mail-order brand?
• How do you usually cook it (oven vs. skillet)?

If you mean best grocery-store bacon, there’s no single universal winner, but recent taste tests point strongly toward thick-cut, real-wood-smoked bacon.

• 🥓 Wright Brand Hickory Real Wood Smoked Thick-Cut — a standout in America’s Test Kitchen’s 2026 testing; tasters liked its very thick, meaty texture and strong smoke balanced with a little sweetness.
• 🥓 Smithfield Naturally Hickory Smoked Thick Cut — won Serious Eats’ blind test of 10 widely available brands for its smoke, fat-to-meat ratio, and chewy/crispy texture.
• 🥓 Pederson’s No Sugar Added Hickory Smoked — Sporked’s top pick, particularly if you want a more complex, savory bacon without added sugar.
• 🥓 Hormel Black Label Applewood Thick Cut — a good supermarket choice if you like crispy edges with a chewy center and mild sweetness.

My practical pick: Start with Wright Brand Hickory Thick-Cut. If you prefer bacon that's crispy rather than meaty/chewy, go for a thinner-cut hickory-smoked bacon instead.

If you tell me crispy vs. chewy, smoky vs. sweet, and your store (Walmart, Costco, Aldi, Wegmans, etc.), I can narrow it down to the best one you can actually buy.

“Best” bacon depends on what you like (crispy vs. chewy, smoky vs. sweet), but if I had to pick a top all-around bacon, I’d go with:

🏆 Best overall: Wright Brand Hickory Smoked Thick Cut Bacon

• Thick slices that stay meaty instead of shrinking away
• Strong real hickory smoke flavor
• Great balance of fat, salt, and chew
• Excellent for breakfast, BLTs, burgers, or eating straight off the tray

Other great choices:

• 🥓 Best “fancy” bacon: Nueske's Applewood Smoked Bacon — rich, smoky, and more artisan-style; many chefs praise its balance of smoke, fat, and meat.
• 🥓 Best thick-cut grocery bacon: Smithfield Naturally Hickory Smoked Thick Cut — a strong choice if you like a classic smoky, substantial slice.
• 🥓 Best premium/chef-style: Benton's Bacon — very smoky and intense; a little goes a long way.
• 🥓 Best value: Member's Mark Thick Cut Bacon from Sam’s Club — a good choice if you want a lot of bacon without paying premium prices.

My ideal bacon profile:

• Thick cut
• Hickory smoked
• About 50/50 meat-to-fat
• Cooked until the edges are crisp but the center still has a little chew

For a BLT, I’d choose Wright or Nueske’s. For eggs and pancakes, I’d lean slightly sweeter with maple or applewood smoked. For burgers, thick hickory-smoked bacon wins.

The title for the overall best supermarket bacon goes to [Wright Brand Hickory Real Wood Smoked Thick-Cut Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. ](https://www.hy-vee.com/aisles-online/p/458259?srsltid=AfmBOopjhgu3tuBW32duMbXVDo2J3DHsfWsM-gLdMi-yRttfCjECNMVuJyA) . It consistently sweeps taste tests by experts at America’s Test Kitchen and top reviewers for its signature thick, meaty cut, beautiful mahogany appearance, and a perfectly balanced profile of salt, sweet, and real wood smoke. [1][2]

Because everyone looks for something specific in their bacon, the top contenders are broken down by what they do best:

🥓 Best Everyday & Budget Bacon

• Aldi Appleton Farms Premium Sliced Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item.: Evaluated as the top pick by NYT Wirecutter , this budget-friendly choice stands out for hitting a happy medium of melty fat and crispy chew with a deeply savory Southern-style smokiness.
• Smithfield Naturally Hickory Smoked Thick Cut Go to product viewer dialog for this item.: The top pick by Serious Eats and Food & Wine for its long-lasting crispness, undeniable umami snap, and lack of grease.

👑 Best Premium & Artisan Bacon

A favorite among upscale chefs. Averaging a quarter-inch thick, it cooks up like a "bacon steak" with an incredibly robust, natural Applewood smoke flavor.

Widely cited by culinary professionals as a grocery store gold standard. It offers a meticulously reliable thickness and a classic, clean, sweet hardwood-smoked flavor. [1][2][3]

🌲 Best Health-Conscious & Uncured Options

Top-rated regular-cut uncured option. It skips chemical nitrites but maintains a wonderful chew and a subtle, satisfying hint of molasses-like sweetness.

Recognized for transparent sourcing. The meat comes from humanely raised, 100% antibiotic-free pork that still crisps up perfectly.

Direct Comparison Overview

To give you the exact recommendation you need, are you shopping at a specific grocery store , or are you looking for a particular style like turkey bacon, thick-cut , or uncured?

If you mean best bacon you can buy at a normal grocery store, my pick right now is:

• Wright Brand Hickory Real Wood Smoked Thick Cut Bacon - $10.98 (Walmart)

Wright Brand Hickory Real Wood Smoked Thick Cut — it was the top thick-cut choice in a 2026 America's Test Kitchen taste test. Tasters liked its unusually thick, meaty texture, real hickory smoke, and balance of salty/sweet flavors.

A few other excellent choices:

• Best classic/thin: Trader Joe's Uncured Dry Rubbed Sliced Bacon — America's Test Kitchen's overall winner.

• Best smoky supermarket bacon: Smithfield Naturally Hickory Smoked Thick Cut — also scored highly in recent taste tests.

• Best splurge: Snake River Farms Kurobuta Bacon — Berkshire pork, thick-cut, hardwood-smoked, and substantially richer.

• Snake River Farms Kurobuta Bacon - $29.00 (Snake River Farms)

• Best extra-thick: Peter Luger bacon — recent blind testing named it the best thick-cut bacon.

My personal ranking: Wright for everyday eating → Snake River Farms if money doesn't matter → Trader Joe's for crispy bacon.

And if you're making BLTs, I'd specifically choose the Wright thick-cut.

The best overall bacon depends heavily on whether you prefer a thick, meaty cut or a thin, shatteringly crisp slice. Top culinary taste tests identify [Wright Brand Hickory Smoked Thick Cut Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. ](https://www.samsclub.com/ip/wright-naturally-smoked-hickory-bacon-thick-sliced-4lbs/13851166912) and Trader Joe’s Uncured Dry Rubbed Sliced Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. as the leading supermarket options, while Aldi's Appleton Farms Premium Sliced Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. wins as the top budget-friendly pick. [1][2]

The best bacon brands are grouped below by style and where to buy them:

🏆 The Top Supermarket Picks

Named the ultimate thick-cut winner by America's Test Kitchen . It features an exceptionally deep, authentic hickory smoke flavor, minimal shrinkage in the pan, and a gorgeous mahogany finish.

Crowned the best regular-cut bacon. It maintains an excellent meat-to-fat ratio and hits the perfect, classic breakfast trifecta of salty, smoky, and subtly sweet flavors.

Lauded by reviewers at NYT Wirecutter and Allrecipes as a shocking heavyweight champion. It cooks up consistently crispy without feeling overly greasy and comes at a highly affordable price point.

🥓 Artisanal & Gourmet "Gold Standards"

• Nueske's (Applewood Smoked) Go to product viewer dialog for this item.: Widely considered the undisputed "gold standard" among professional chefs. It undergoes a 24-hour smoking process over real applewood charcoal, giving it an incredibly rich, sweet wood-smoke depth that holds its shape perfectly when fried.
• Benton’s (Hickory Smoked Country Bacon) Go to product viewer dialog for this item.: A beloved favorite among Southern chefs. It is intensively dry-cured with brown sugar, salt, and black pepper, then smoked for multiple days to yield an intensely robust flavor profile.

⚖️ Quick Comparison

To narrow this down, what are you making? Let me know:

• If you prefer thick and chewy or thin and crispy slices
• If you like a sweet profile (like applewood/maple) or heavy smoke (hickory)
• What grocery stores you shop at most often

I can point you directly to the best package on the shelf!

If you mean best supermarket bacon, my pick is:

• Wright Brand Hickory Real Wood Smoked Thick Cut Bacon - $10.98 (Walmart)

🥓 My ranking

• 🥇 Wright Brand Hickory Thick-Cut — Best overall. Very meaty, smoky, chewy with crispy edges. America's Test Kitchen's 2026 testing also picked it as its best thick-cut bacon.

• 🥈 Peter Luger Extra-Thick — If you want steakhouse bacon: extremely thick, rich and substantial. Delish's 2026 taste test named it best thick-cut.

• 🥉 Whole Foods 365 Smokehouse — Excellent if you prefer a more traditional diner-style slice: crisp, salty, slightly sweet, with enough chew. Bon Appétit rated it its overall winner in a blind test.

• Best everyday/value: Hormel Black Label Thick Cut — smoky, savory and easy to find.

• Wright Brand Hickory Thick Cut - $10.98 (Walmart)

• Hormel Black Label Thick Cut - $15.44 (Sam's Club)

• Boar's Head Extra Thick Cut - $14.99 (Kroger)

• Snake River Farms Kurobuta Bacon - $29.00 (Snake River Farms)

If I were buying one package tonight: Wright Hickory Thick Cut. Cook it slowly until the fat renders and the edges get deeply crisp. 👌

If you tell me crispy vs. chewy, thick vs. thin, and your budget, I can give you the absolute best one for your taste.

The best bacon depends entirely on what you value most—whether that is a thick, meaty texture , an intense real-wood smoke profile , or the highest quality everyday supermarket value.

According to major aggregate taste tests from expert panels, these stand out as the top bacon choices:

The Top-Rated Bacons by Category

Add to listBest Thick-Cut & Chef Favorite: [Wright Brand Thick Sliced Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. ](https://www.samsclub.com/ip/wright-naturally-smoked-hickory-bacon-thick-sliced-4lbs/13851166912) . Widely praised by professional chefs for its minimal water shrinkage, excellent fat-to-meat marbling, and hearty, tender chew.[1]

Add to listBest Luxury / Specialty: [Nueske's Applewood Smoked Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. ](https://www.nueskes.com/applewood-smoked-triple-thick-cut-bacon?utm_source=google_shopping&srsltid=AfmBOorZIwa_ye-9TsTzdUp7IDr7ZZp7xoBLxwKNESsvSrlQmEftaj6zPnQ) . Undergoes 24 hours of smoking over real applewood charcoal. It has virtually zero shrinkage and a deeply layered flavor profile. [1][2]

Add to listBest Standard Supermarket Brand: Trader Joe's Uncured Dry Rubbed Sliced Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. . Rated as the best overall regular bacon by testers at America's Test Kitchen due to its perfect meat-to-fat balance and satisfying bite.

Applegate Naturals Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon

Best Uncured / Health-Conscious: Applegate Naturals Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon . Free of chemical preservatives and artificial fillers, offering a clean pork and wood-smoke flavor.

Aldi Appleton Farms

Best Budget Store Brand: Aldi Appleton Farms Go to product viewer dialog for this item. . Consistently beats out expensive competitors in blind taste tests for frying up shatteringly crisp without being overly greasy.

Comparison of Top Bacon Brands

Pro Tip for the Best Results: Skip the Pan

No matter which brand you buy, the absolute best method to cook bacon is oven-baking.

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place a metal cooling rack on top.
3. Lay bacon strips out in a single layer.
4. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15–20 minutes.

This allows the fat to render completely away from the meat, keeping the strips perfectly flat, evenly cooked, and maximum-level crispy.

If you are planning a specific meal, let me know if you prefer thick or thin cuts, or if you are looking for a specific flavor like maple or peppered so I can narrow down your best option.

The best bacon depends entirely on what you value most—whether that is a thick, meaty texture , an intense real-wood smoke profile , or the highest quality everyday supermarket value.

According to major aggregate taste tests from expert panels, these stand out as the top bacon choices:

The Top-Rated Bacons by Category

Add to listBest Thick-Cut & Chef Favorite: [Wright Brand Thick Sliced Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. ](https://www.samsclub.com/ip/wright-naturally-smoked-hickory-bacon-thick-sliced-4lbs/13851166912) . Widely praised by professional chefs for its minimal water shrinkage, excellent fat-to-meat marbling, and hearty, tender chew.[1]

Add to listBest Luxury / Specialty: [Nueske's Applewood Smoked Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. ](https://www.nueskes.com/applewood-smoked-triple-thick-cut-bacon?utm_source=google_shopping&srsltid=AfmBOorZIwa_ye-9TsTzdUp7IDr7ZZp7xoBLxwKNESsvSrlQmEftaj6zPnQ) . Undergoes 24 hours of smoking over real applewood charcoal. It has virtually zero shrinkage and a deeply layered flavor profile. [1][2]

Add to listBest Standard Supermarket Brand: Trader Joe's Uncured Dry Rubbed Sliced Bacon Go to product viewer dialog for this item. . Rated as the best overall regular bacon by testers at America's Test Kitchen due to its perfect meat-to-fat balance and satisfying bite.

Applegate Naturals Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon

Best Uncured / Health-Conscious: Applegate Naturals Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon . Free of chemical preservatives and artificial fillers, offering a clean pork and wood-smoke flavor.

Aldi Appleton Farms

Best Budget Store Brand: Aldi Appleton Farms Go to product viewer dialog for this item. . Consistently beats out expensive competitors in blind taste tests for frying up shatteringly crisp without being overly greasy.

Comparison of Top Bacon Brands

Pro Tip for the Best Results: Skip the Pan

No matter which brand you buy, the absolute best method to cook bacon is oven-baking.

This allows the fat to render completely away from the meat, keeping the strips perfectly flat, evenly cooked, and maximum-level crispy.

If you are planning a specific meal, let me know if you prefer thick or thin cuts, or if you are looking for a specific flavor like maple or peppered so I can narrow down your best option.

If you mean best supermarket bacon, my pick is Wright Brand Hickory Smoked Thick Cut. It consistently gets strong taste-test results for its smoky flavor, meaty texture, and rich fat-to-meat ratio.

• Wright Brand Hickory Real Wood Smoked Thick Cut Bacon - $9.98 (Walmart)

A few other excellent choices:

• Best overall: Wright Brand Hickory Thick Cut

• Best smoky: Nueske's Applewood Smoked

• Best budget: Aldi Never Any! Hickory Smoked — won The Kitchn's blind test.

• Best classic/diner-style: Whole Foods 365 Uncured Center Cut Smokehouse — Bon Appétit's taste test winner.

• Best extra-thick: Wright Brand Applewood Thick Cut

• Wright Brand Hickory Thick Cut - $9.98 (Walmart)

• Wright Brand Applewood Thick Cut - $8.68 (Walmart)

• Smithfield Hickory Thick Cut - $5.97 (Walmart)

• Great Value Hickory Thick Cut - $4.18 (Walmart)

My personal formula: thick-cut + real hickory smoke + enough fat to crisp without turning dry. Cook it low and slow until the edges are crisp but the middle still has some chew. 🥓