How Many Grams Are in a Rasher of Bacon?

As a bacon lover, I often find myself wondering – how many grams are actually in one rasher of bacon? Since a ‘rasher’ is a unique term used mainly in the UK and Ireland, it seemed worth investigating what the weight of a standard rasher is.

I did some research online and found nutrition data for a major UK grocery store chain, Sainsbury’s. They list the serving size of one of their smoked bacon rashers as 26g.

So according to Sainsbury’s, a single rasher of bacon weighs approximately 26 grams. This gives us a handy reference point to understand the meaning of a ‘rasher’.

Of course the exact weight can vary a bit between brands bacon types, slice thicknesses, etc. But in general, one rasher of bacon is around 25-30g.

To put that into perspective in household measurements 26 grams would be equivalent to

• 0.9 ounces
• Just over 3/4 of an ounce
• About the weight of 9 US postage stamps

So while a rasher is a somewhat vague old-fashioned term, it does correspond to a fairly specific quantity in modern weight measurements.

What Factors Affect the Weight of a Rasher?

While Sainsbury’s suggests 26g as a typical rasher weight, there are a few variables that can alter the grams in a rasher:

• Type of Bacon – A fattier, wider-cut streaky bacon will generally weigh more than a thin-sliced back bacon rasher.

• Brand – Different bacon brands slice their bacon thicker or thinner, affecting rasher weights.

• Cooking Method – Frying causes more moisture loss versus baking or grilling, so a fried rasher might weigh a bit less.

• Portion Size – Some recipes or dishes may use multiple rashers, so the total gram weight would be higher.

• Butchering Style – How consistently the bacon is sliced by the butcher will impact consistency of rasher weights.

So while ~26g is a fair estimate, the exact grams can flex up or down a little in either direction. When cooking with bacon, I recommend weighing rashers individually for the most accuracy.

Rasher Weight Compared to a Slice

Since ‘rasher’ is primarily a British term, Americans may be more familiar with referring to slices of bacon instead.

Is a rasher equivalent to a typical US bacon slice?

Again, it depends on the brand and type of bacon. But in general, a normal rasher and average bacon slice are very similar in weight and thickness. Many references list them interchangeably in the 25-30 gram range.

The main difference would be in shape – rashers tend to be more irregularly shaped than uniform American-style slices. But for general cooking purposes, substituting the terms makes sense.

So whether you’re baking a batch of beans and bacon in the UK or making BLTs in the US, the number of rashers/slices to use should correspond nicely to get equivalent bacon flavor and fat.

Estimating Rashers for Recipes

When a recipe calls for a certain number of rashers of bacon, you can use the 26g weight as a guide for estimating quantities.

For example, if a dish needs 4 rashers, you can estimate that as approximately 100g of bacon. For precise cooking, still try to weigh out rashers individually, but you can use the per-rasher weight to compare recipes and get in the ballpark for ingredient amounts.

You can also work backwards – if a recipe lists 150g bacon for a 6-8 portion dish, dividing by 26g would tell you that’s equivalent to roughly 5-6 rashers per portion.

So now you know around how many grams are in one rasher! While the exact weight can vary, Sainsbury’s data gives us a good standard reference point to understand rasher quantities.