How Much Bacon Per Person?
Planning a brunch party for a large group and thinking about having bacon on the menu?
Figuring out the appropriate quantity of bacon is something people generally struggle with while planning a party – and while this is a common problem, we have the perfect guide to help you settle this debate once and for all!
How much bacon per person? A 60-100g serving, which consists of 4-7 slices of regular-cut bacon, should be more than ideal for 1-2 people, but there are other metrics that you can use too.
Read below to learn more about how much bacon you should cook for one person, how to adjust the quantity of bacon and how to serve it to a large group!
The Appropriate Serving Size For Bacon
Bacon is a universally beloved food. Almost everyone loves its crisp, charred exterior and its tantalizing aroma and savory flavor.
If you are planning to serve it at a party, then you can be sure that it is going to be a huge hit. However, you do need to think about how much you would want to make to feed everyone!
It is pretty difficult to resist fresh bacon and many people believe that there is no such thing as “too much bacon” – but for health reasons, we highly recommend that you keep everything within the appropriate serving size.
There are many ways that you can determine how much bacon you will need for a small gathering.
For a party of 5 guests, we recommend preparing around 1.5 pounds of raw bacon. But since everyone’s appetite is different, you may have to adjust the quantity accordingly.
For example, out of the five people, one person may eat up to 5-6 slices, which is about 90g of bacon. While the others may just have 2-3 slices.
Since no one will eat at the same rate, you will probably be left with a lot of leftovers! This is why we highly recommend that you look at this particular problem subjectively and individually as this strategy works great for small groups.
Another thing that you can do is pair the bacon with other types of foods like sliders, salad, or any other dish of your liking. This way, you can further deduct the quantity depending on what you make with it.
However, with larger groups, you might have to think objectively and you may also need to keep some extra bacon in the pantry just to be on the safe side.
The thing with larger groups is that it is very difficult to gauge just how much each person will eat. Here are a few common factors that you should keep in mind:
- Lunch Vs. Dinner
- Menu Items
- Drink Types
Breakfast Vs Lunch
If you are planning lunch or brunch with friends and family, then you might need to adjust the serving size of bacon.
However, if you’re having guests over for breakfast, you might want to keep extra bacon on the side. People tend to eat more bacon in the morning as a full side, while it’s normally added in smaller quantities to other recipes or sandwiches in the day.
Of course, there will also be outliers in this equation who may eat just as much for both breakfast and lunch. Furthermore, there is also the factor of weekend vs. weekday.
Arranging a party during the weekday may result in people eating less than usual but you may want to consider the upper limit if you are hosting a party during the weekend, as many people tend to have their cheat days on either Saturday or Sunday, or simply have more time to dedicate to their meals.
Menu Items
This goes without saying, but having more food options means that you can mediate between the quantities of each dish. Use this to your advantage and adjust the serving size per person accordingly!
For example, if you are having sliders on the side, then we highly recommend keeping just 2-3 slices of bacon per person.
Remember, one typical slice of bacon is equal to 16-18g. This means that you will need about 50g of bacon in total per person. Also, you can opt to serve bacon in other ways too!
A great way to include bacon in the menu without worrying about its quantity per person would be to serve it in a salad like a classic bacon and brussels sprout salad or a bacon beer cheese dip!
If you want a more fulfilling meal then try mixing bacon in any potato salad.
You can search online for specific recipes with bacon and then just follow the recipe card to adjust the quantity of the dish per your group size!
Drink Types
Drinks are an essential part of any party and you can factor them in to adjust the quantity of the food as well.
How? Well, heavier drinks like smoothies, or even cocktails, can be very satiating, meaning your guests are less likely to eat as much.
Bacon Thickness And Quantity
Once you factor in all of the above variables, you should be able to determine the serving size for each person. Don’t worry, we’ll wrap up everything in a quick chart below so that you can easily follow the quantities too.
Here is how much bacon you can get in one pound:
| Thickness | Number of Slices (1 lb.) |
| Thin | 25-35 |
| Regular | 16-20 |
| Thick | 10-14 |
As you can see, you can increase the quantity of bacon by cutting thinner slices. However, thin slices may not be as satiating, and thicker slices will require you to buy more bacon than necessary.
This is why we highly recommend that you just go with the regular cut. It makes for the best serving size and will also get a very balanced char and flavor as it cooks compared to the thin and thicker cuts.
If you want more value, though, then you can use the thin or thicker cuts in different side dishes like salads or dips for a more varied menu.
Here is a quick chart for how much bacon you should get for different group sizes:
| Group Size | Required Slices of Bacon | Required Quantity (Cooked) | Required Quantity (Raw) |
| 5 people | 4 slices per person | 320g (1 lb.) | 1.5 lb. |
| 10 people | 3-4 slices per person | 640g (1.5 lb.) | 2.25 lb. |
| 15 people | 3-4 slices per person | 960g (2.2 lb.) | 3.5 lb. |
| 20 people | 3-4 slices per person | 1,280g (3 lb.) | 4.5 lb. |
*Figures for a regular cut of bacon – rounded off. Per slice 16g.
If you have more than 20 people on your guest list then you can simply multiply the number of people with an average serving of 3-4 slices to get the total number of required slices.
You can then further multiply that number by the average weight of a slice of cooked bacon to get the total quantity that you will need to procure.
As an example, we have used the average weight of a regular cut of cooked bacon to calculate the quantities in the chart above.
Please keep in mind that these are all average figures and you should adjust them as per your specific need. We have also rounded off all the lb. values so that you can keep a bit of extra bacon on the side – just in case you need it!
As stated, there are a lot of factors that will affect people’s appetites, so please balance all your menu items accordingly.
Remember, having more bacon is not a problem as you can always prepare it and eat it over time but having less food may cause unwanted stress.
Always round off the quantity to the nearest half or whole number. If you do end up with leftovers, simply store them and enjoy them over the coming days!
Related Questions
Strips of crisp bacon make for great party food and can be used in several ways! Now that you know how much bacon you will require per person, here are a few related questions:
Does cooked bacon weigh the same as raw bacon?
No. The fat in bacon renders when heat is applied and it can lose as much as 2/3rd its weight.
This means that you will need to calculate the total required quantity of the food as per the raw weight. Keep in mind that the weight depends on the thickness of the bacon too.
Always seek help from the local butcher or see the back of the packaging to understand the exact weight of the bacon you wish to use.
How to store cooked leftover bacon?
If you have leftovers from the party then we recommend storing the cooked slices in a zip lock bag. Cooked bacon can remain edible for up to 5 days in the fridge at 40°F.
You may also choose to freeze the bacon by placing it in a zip lock bag and storing it in the freezer at 0°F. Frozen and cooked bacon will last up to 6 weeks.
Raw bacon can be stored the same way and can last up to 1 week in the fridge and up to 3-6 months in the freezer, depending on optimal storage conditions.
Up Next: Do You Need Oil To Cook Bacon?
