How Many Slices of Bacon Are in a 16 Ounce Package?

Bacon is a breakfast staple for many, adding a savory, smoky flavor to dishes like eggs, pancakes, sandwiches and more. But if you’ve ever shopped for bacon, you may wonder just how many slices come in a typical package

So how many slices of bacon are actually in a 16 ounce (oz) package?

The short answer is a 16 ounce package contains around 10-12 slices of regular cut bacon or 8-10 slices of thick cut bacon. However, the exact count can vary based on factors like:

• Thickness of the slices
• Type of cut (regular, thick or center cut)
• Brand and quality
• Natural size variation

In this article, we’ll break down how many slices of bacon are typically found in a 16 ounce package. We’ll also look at how slice counts can change depending on the cut, brand thickness and other factors. Let’s dive in!

How Many Slices in a Pound of Bacon?

To understand how many slices come in a 16 oz pack it helps to first look at a full pound

• Most bacon is packaged and sold in 1 pound increments
• A pound is 16 ounces
• An average slice of bacon weighs about 1 ounce
• So a typical 1 pound package contains about 16 slices

However, this is just a rough estimate. The actual number of slices in a pound can range anywhere from 12 to 28 slices depending on thickness, brand and natural size variation.

Thinner sliced bacon packs more slices per pound compared to thick cut bacon. And specialty artisanal brands may have more irregular slice sizes than mass-market options.

Typical 16 Ounce Bacon Package

Since most full packages are sold in 1 pound sizes, a 16 ounce pack would contain half that weight.

So in general, here’s what you can expect in a typical 16 ounce bacon package:

• Regular sliced bacon – Around 10-12 slices
• Thick cut bacon – Around 8-10 slices

These counts are for the most commonly available cuts and thicknesses. Now let’s look at how different factors can affect the slice count.

What Impacts Slices per Package?

There are a few key factors that determine how many bacon slices come in a 16 ounce package:

Thickness of the Slice

• Thinner sliced = More slices per ounce
• Thick cut = Fewer slices per ounce
• Regular sliced bacon is ~1/16 inch thick
• Thick cut bacon is ~1/8 inch or thicker

As a rule of thumb, regular cut bacon will contain about 1.5 times as many slices compared to thick cut bacon for the same weight.

Type of Cut

• Regular cut – Most common with a good meat/fat balance
• Thick cut – Thicker sliced from pork belly
• Center cut – Leaner meat from the pork belly

Thick and center cut styles reduce the total slices per pound compared to regular cut.

Brand and Quality

• Premium artisanal brands may have more irregular sizing
• Mass-market brands tend to be more uniform in size
• Store brands also tend to be thinner sliced for value

Moisture Content

• Some natural or uncured bacon retains more moisture
• Higher moisture = Less net weight of actual pork

Natural Variation

• There’s always some variability in food sizes and thickness
• A couple slices more or less per pack is normal

Comparing Popular Brands

To give an idea, here’s how some top brands of bacon stack up in terms of approximate slices per 16 ounce package:

As you can see, regular cut bacon generally contains a couple more slices per 16 ounce package compared to thick cut styles, but it does vary by brand.

Does Package Size Matter?

Bacon is sold in package sizes ranging from 12 ounces up to 2 pounds or larger. In general:

• Lower ounce packages have fewer slices
• Higher ounce packages have more slices
• But the rate of slices per ounce stays similar

Checking the slices per ounce listing rather than the total package size is the most accurate way to compare slice counts across brands.

Or simply counting the slices by hand when you first open a new pack.

Measuring and Counting Slices

To get an exact slice count for a package of bacon:

• Count the slices manually when first opening
• Weigh on a kitchen scale to confirm weight
• Split into desired portion sizes for recipes

Counting by hand ensures accuracy compared to the labeled slice counts, which are averages.

Properly storing the opened pack keeps the bacon from drying out before use.

In Summary

So to recap, a typical 16 ounce package of bacon contains approximately:

• 10-12 slices of regular cut bacon
• 8-10 slices of thick cut bacon

The exact number varies based on thickness, brand, type of cut and natural size variation. But this gives a general guideline on how many slices of bacon come in a standard 16 ounce package.