During the late seventies and eighties, Sizzlean was a popular bacon alternative produced by Swift & Co. The breakfast strips were sold as a healthier alternative to bacon because they had less fat and shrunk less than regular pork bacon. Sizzlean was supposedly 50% leaner than pork belly bacon, in fact, although it actually contained 37% fat. And let’s be honest, if it didn’t, it wouldn’t have tasted as good. Most sites that talk about nostalgia or food history seem to think of Sizzlean as one of those crazy 1980s ideas that should be thrown away.
People think that products are only taken off the market because they don’t sell, which isn’t true. In truth, Sizzlean did not fail, at least not in that way. Did it outsell bacon? No. Was it successful? Yes.
For those who grew up in the 80s and 90s, Sizzlean bacon holds a special place in our hearts and stomachs. This leaner alternative to regular pork bacon offered a tasty way to start the day without all the fat and calories. But somewhere along the way, it vanished from grocery store shelves, leaving fans wondering: does Sizzlean bacon still exist?
A Brief History of Sizzlean
Swift made Sizzlean in the late 1970s as a healthier breakfast meat that first came out on the market. Sizzlean bacon was advertised as having less fat and shrinkage than regular bacon. It was made from a mix of turkey, pork shoulder, and beef. An all-beef version was also introduced.
Commercials touted it as “something leaner” than bacon. And many agreed it had a pleasantly meaty, chewy texture similar to jerky. While some felt it didn’t get quite as crispy as pork bacon, Sizzlean developed a loyal following.
Through the 80s and 90s, it maintained steady sales alongside alternatives like turkey bacon But in the early 2000s, Sizzlean began disappearing from store shelves By 2005, it was discontinued completely.
So Does Sizzlean Still Exist Today?
Unfortunately for fans, Sizzlean has not been produced now for over 10 years The trademark is still owned by Quality Brands LLC, a company that acquires brand names. But there’s no indication the actual product will be revived
It looks like Sizzlean’s parent company, ConAgra, just stopped liking it in a world where there are more and more breakfast options. Even though it was popular in a small group of people, it probably never had enough of a market share to justify continued advertising and shelf space. And so it faded away as resources shifted to more profitable ventures.
Recreating the Sizzlean Experience
Even though real Sizzlean is gone, people who want that hearty meaty crunch don’t have to give up hope. There are a few ways to recreate a similar eating experience:
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Try beef bacon – Although not exactly the same, beef bacon provides many of Sizzlean’s meaty flavors with less fat than pork. Look for it at specialty grocers or order online.
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Fry pork shoulder slices – Since Sizzlean contained pork shoulder, frying thin slices of boneless pork shoulder can mimic the taste and texture.
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Make your own breakfast meat – Grind and shape combinations of turkey, beef, and pork into breakfast strip form. Getting the consistency right takes some trial and error but can satisfy the Sizzlean craving.
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Use seasoning – Add savory spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to turkey or beef bacon to give a more Sizzlean-esque flavor.
Why We Miss Sizzlean
While none of these options fully replaces Sizzlean, they come close enough for a tasty dose of nostalgia. So why does this discontinued meat still evoke such fondness today? Some reasons Sizzlean remains beloved:
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Familiar flavor – For those who grew up with it, Sizzlean simply tasted like breakfast. The blend of turkey, pork, and beef had a recognizable mouthfeel.
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Lean but tasty – It offered a delicious middle ground between the fat of pork bacon and the leanness of turkey bacon.
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Texture – The chewy, meaty crunch set it apart from crispy pork bacon.
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Comfort food – Like many foods we grow up with, Sizzlean represents happy memories and comfort.
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Health trend – Its lower fat content aligned with broader 80s and 90s health trends that still influence preferences today.
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Novelty – As a bacon “alternative,” it felt new and different in a sea of pork products.
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Mystery – Disappearing suddenly without explanation, it retains an element of mystique.
Why Was Sizzlean Discontinued?
I was not able to find why, specifically, Sizzlean was discontinued. By 1990, ConAgra Foods had bought Swift, and the company stopped making the product before selling off its meat-focused brands.
It’s possible that drop in sales was the reason for this, but there are many other possible reasons as well.
As one commenter said, maybe it was just an orphan product. If we look at the pharmaceutical industry as an example, this would mean that the product was good but couldn’t be sold, which is like Jello Pudding Pops.
However, I doubt the profit margin was the sole problem. More likely they just failed to “find a home” at ConAgra. The company may simply have chosen to discontinue certain products to focus on others. And, this brings us back to my comment about market share.
As the years have gone by, Sizzlean may have lost some of its market share. But if you want a product to do well, you have to love it with advertising dollars.
Sizzlean may not have failed because it didn’t make any money or even sell any units, but a product can also fail if it doesn’t get a big share of the market. In this case, the company wastes resources that could be used to make more money-making products in the long run.
So, you see, a product does not have to be a total failure to fail. No matter how much we miss it, our favorite fake bacon was never a big deal, even when it was popular. It was never going to become bacon’s brother from another mother.
What Did Sizzlean Taste Like?
I remember quite liking Sizzlean as a kid. And reading the message boards and comments from people who remember it makes me feel like I’m not the only one. Many others, on the other hand, share their disgust at the product.
Shawn, at Branded in the ’80s, shares my fond remembrance. He also remembers the taste and texture much better than I do. He said it felt more like jerky, which makes sense—who doesn’t love jerky?—and reminded me of the little fat bubbles that would form in the strips.
It tasted, as I remember, very much like bacon except with a meatier and chewier texture. If I could choose between chewy and crispy bacon, I would. But at the time, I still liked real bacon.
Some have claimed that Sizzlean did not fry up as crisp as bacon. I’m pretty sure, and so are others, that you could get a crisp texture, but maybe not a crunchy one. Crispy bacon, however, is not as popular as “crisp-chewy” bacon.
At the time, consumers said that Sizzlean was not as good as regular bacon but better than turkey bacon in terms of texture, taste, and appearance.
1985 Sizzlean “Move over Bacon” TV Commercial
FAQ
When did they stop making sizzlean?
Who sells Sizzlean?
What part of the cow does beef bacon come from?
Is Sizzlean a healthy alternative to Bacon?
During the late seventies and eighties, Sizzlean was a popular bacon alternative produced by Swift & Co. The breakfast strips were marketed as a healthier alternative to bacon and boasted less fat and less shrinkage than regular pork bacon. Sizzlean was supposedly 50% leaner than pork belly bacon, in fact, although it actually contained 37% fat.
What is Sizzlean Bacon?
Sizzlean bacon is a type of bacon that is made with lean pork. This means that there is less fat on the bacon, making it a healthier option. Sizzlen, a cured beef product that was marketed as healthier, was a popular substitute for bacon. The product was created by Swift and was first sold in the United States market in 1977.
Is Sizzlean a ‘lean’ product?
Sizzlean was the subject of a series of commercials featuring the tagline: “Move over, bacon, there’s something leaner!” or “Move over, bacon, now there’s something meatier!” Although the product contained less fat than bacon, it was still 37% fat by weight, causing complaints that the “lean” name was not accurate.
Is Sizzlean better than pork belly bacon?
Sizzlean was supposedly 50% leaner than pork belly bacon, in fact, although it actually contained 37% fat. And let’s be honest, if it didn’t, it wouldn’t have tasted as good. Most websites on nostalgia or food history tend to paint Sizzlean as one of those crazy ’80’s’ concoctions that belong in the waste bin of failed ideas.