Is there anything that bacon can’t improve? Long a breakfast staple, bacon has transcended time and space to become a goes-with-anything meal-enhancer, just as perfect on a burger, in a salad, or wrapped around scallops, as it is next to a plate of pancakes.
Since Aldi is known for great low prices, you might be wondering what kind of bacon they sell and whether or not it is any good. Here is what you need to know about Aldi bacon before you start shopping.
Key Takeaways
Aldi Bacon In 2022
Aldi sells over a dozen varieties of bacon in their refrigerated coolers, under the Appleton Farms, Never Any labels, and Ole Carolina. Aldi’s bacon comes in multiple cuts, flavors, and price points, starting at $2.59 and topping out at $6.79 for their premium cuts.
To learn more about the different types of bacon, how much they cost, and the best and worst cuts, keep reading!
What Kind Of Bacon Does Aldi Have?
Aldi purports to carry a few different store labels and one name brand when it comes to bacon.
By far the biggest variety comes from the Appleton Farms label, but they also sell something for economy price points, as well as a few no-artificial-ingredients versions.
As you will see, three of the Appleton Farms options are part of a “gourmet” line; they are a little bit more expensive and are meant to mimic bacon you would buy from a butcher.
(Note: Aldi states on their website that not all products are available in all locations. So if you read about something here that you have never seen in your store, chances are your area simply doesn’t carry it.)
Appleton Farms
- Gourmet Butcher Sliced Center Cut Bacon – Center cut bacon is a leaner option that still maintains all the flavor and texture of thick-cut. I have personally bought this bacon and can attest that it cooks up really nicely and is full of flavor. Despite being part of the gourmet line, it’s only $3.49 per 12-oz package.
- Gourmet Thick Sliced: Peppered & Maple Bacon – Another nice addition to the gourmet line, this Appleton Farms option comes in two different flavors and sells at the highest price point, $6.79 for 24 oz.
- Gourmet Thick Sliced Flavored: Hickory Smoked, Maple, Peppercorn and Applewood – With four delicious flavors built into each slice, these would be perfect as part of a bacon bar at brunch. They also sell at the premium level of $6.79 for a 24-oz package.
- Lower Sodium – I am surprised and pleased that Aldi sells a lower sodium version as part of their Appleton Farms line, as many of us overdo it with the additive (and it’s in everything!). I can’t find the exact price for this item, but judging by its weight and packaging, I would say this one sells for $3.89 for 16 oz.
- Thick Sliced – This may be alternately referred to as “thick sliced” or “thick cut,” but it’s discernable from the gourmet line by its packaging (not as “butcher chic”). Another 16-oz package, it sells for $3.89.
- Fully Cooked – For super busy mornings or unannounced company, the fully cooked bacon is of slightly lesser quality than its uncooked counterparts, and the lower price tag, $2.59 for 2.1 oz, reflects that.
Never Any!
The Never Any! label is Aldi’s no antibiotic, no added hormones, no animal by-products (meaning the animals aren’t fed other animals), no nitrites or nitrates (except those which occur naturally in some seasonings), minimally processed, and no artificial ingredients label.
Never Any! has been recognized by Good Housekeeping and given their seal of approval, so it’s a legit way to be especially mindful about what you put into your body.
Never Any! bacon comes in two varieties at $4.89 per 12-oz package:
- Uncured Hickory
- Turkey Bacon – This turkey bacon isn’t listed on Aldi’s website currently, but it is listed on my Aldi’s Instacart storefront, so I’m including it. I’ve also seen it in my stores, so I’m not sure why Aldi has left it off.
Ole Carolina
- Sliced Hickory Smoked – Aldi bills this as their “economy” brand, and while I can’t find any pricing information on it (because it doesn’t seem to be available anywhere near me), I would assume it’s in the $1-2 range.
The reviews I’ve found for it are also blistering, calling it out for being stringy, overly fatty and flavorless. I don’t know that many stores carry it, and that may be for the good.
Is Aldi Bacon Cheap?
Aldi bacon costs a lot less than its competition, even when that competition is another store brand.
For example, Wegmans’ own brand of center cut bacon starts at $8 for 16 oz. A 12-oz package of Appleton Farms bacon sells for $3.49; this comes out to 50 cents per oz. versus 29 cents per oz, respectively.
Even a big brand like Smithfield, which does price better than Wegmans’ store brand at $6.69 per pound, still costs almost twice as much as Aldi’s label.
It’s the same across the board, with the Never Any! hickory bacon at 41 cents per oz, versus Wegmans’ comparable item, their uncured organic bacon, which sells at 78 cents per oz.
Who Makes Aldi Appleton Farms Bacon?
According to a blogger at burgersdogspizza.com, the bacon packaged as Appleton Farms products is manufactured by a company called Plumrose USA.
As it happens, Plumrose USA has rebranded since that article (2017) and is now called Swift Prepared Foods.
They have also been acquired by JBS USA out of Colorado. But, the company still operates as its own entity, with its bacon manufacturing out of Elkhard, IN.
Elkhard is in the same part of the country as Aldi’s US headquarters (Batavia, IL), a mere 150 miles apart. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aldi continued to partner with Swift for their bacon production still today.
What Is The Best And Worst Aldi Bacon?
Aldi bacon has been much tasted and tested and people have opinions!
The venerable AldiReviewer.com gave the Appleton Farms sliced bacon two thumbs up, citing it for great taste, great price and no excessive shrinkage.
The Never Any! label’s hickory bacon got singled out as one of the best things you can buy at Aldi, by Real Simple magazine.
A reviewer at ReviewStream.com thought the Appleton Farms thick-sliced turned out well, and recommended the whole line, if you’re a thick-cut bacon fan.
However, a commenter on that post remarked that Aldi sold some of the worst bacon he’d tried, and commenters on the Aldi Reviewer post also complained about the quality of bacon they’d purchased.
So with all this in mind, I think the Appleton Farms center cut bacon or thick cut bacon are your best options. Both are super flavorful and an excellent value for what they cost.
And avoid that economy brand, Ole Carolina, if you see it in stores.
To learn more, you might also be interested in reading up on where does Aldi gets their chicken, Aldi red bag chicken, and where Aldi beef comes from.
Conclusion
Aldi makes premium cuts of bacon affordable to the masses, and for a store with only about 4,000 different items, their selection covers all kinds of tastes and preferences.
Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with either the Appleton Farms label center cut or thick cut bacon for the perfect accompaniment to your waffles, burger or salad.