Appleton Farms Sliced Bacon

Last Updated on March 19, 2024

EDITOR’S NOTE: In March 2024 rumors spread about the sourcing of Aldi bacon. You can read our take on these rumors here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Since we first wrote this piece, some commenters have expressed a less-than-satisfied experience with Aldi bacon. They’re not alone — we’ve had some batches of Aldi bacon since this piece that have been fatty and hard to peel. We have plans down the road to revisit this product, but for now it’s enough to say that we’d love to hear your experience in the comments. And, of course, if you don’t like Aldi bacon, Aldi will refund the price and replace the product if you ask.

Aldi does breakfast. Lots of it. CerealEggs. Sausage. Hash browns. Even pre-cooked foods. For a low-inventory grocer, Aldi keeps a pretty robust first meal selection, including, in some cases, multiple options. And this is all just the Regular Buy section: when you add in the occasional ALDI Find (Special Buy), the selection is even bigger than that.

Few things are more legendary in American breakfast lore than bacon. More than any other breakfast meat, bacon is sort of a cult in and of itself, bordering on obsession. To fully appreciate this, you don’t have to go much farther than Googling, say, bacon memes. On the other hand, health research has not been altogether kind toward bacon, so it’s probably a food best appreciated in moderation.

Aldi sells a few varieties of bacon as a Regular Buy, and occasionally adds even more as an ALDI Find (Special Buy). Nestled in the middle of the bacon options is this.

Appleton Farms Sliced Bacon

Appleton Farms Sliced Bacon, an Aldi Regular Buy, can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocer. It comes in a single 12-ounce package of vacuum-sealed plastic inside of a cardboard sleeve. (We purchased it as part of our Instacart test.) Prices vary, but in our experience this bacon is usually cheaper than what we can get at other stores.

Most people don’t need instructions for bacon, but this package actually comes with directions for pan frying, microwave, and oven. To pan fry, it recommends using low heat and turning frequently until it reaches “desired crispness,” followed by draining it on an absorbent paper towel. To microwave, it instructs consumers to place the bacon between paper towels on a microwave safe plate, then cook on high: 1 1/2 minutes for 2 slices, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes for 4 slices, or 3 1/2 to 4 minutes for 6 slices. Oven directions involve preheating the oven to 350 degrees, then using a flat baking dish and baking without turning for 10-15 minutes, draining afterward on an absorbent towel.

We almost always pan fry our bacon, which is a bit of an art because bacon can easily overcook. In a pinch, we’ll microwave, but we’ve never baked our bacon before.

Our experience with this Appleton Farms bacon has been consistently positive. It cooks easily, doesn’t shrink as much on the skillet as some bacon does, and has a light, crisp taste. The hardwood smoked flavor in this version is just right without being overbearing, at least in our view.

Nutritionally, of course, this is bacon, so be aware.

Appleton Farms Sliced Bacon

Nutrition. (Click to enlarge.)

The Verdict:

Appleton Farms Sliced Bacon is our go-to bacon for most occasions. It cooks up well, doesn’t shrink too much, and tastes awesome. Like pretty much all bacon, it’s a best-in-moderation food, but suffice to say we’re fans. Recommended.

About Joshua

Joshua is the Co-founder of Aldi Reviewer. He is also a writer and novelist. You can learn more about him at joshuaajohnston.com.

65 Comments

  1. “… but we’ve never baked our bacon before.” Joshua, you must try it in the oven! I was a fan of pan frying for the first 40 years of my life until a special guest took a metal cookie sheet from my own pantry and laid out the strips and tossed it in the oven. It melted and sizzled and came out flat and crispy with not a single flip or touch. Since then, I have never dragged out the big electric fry pan and stood there flipping the bacon as it splattered all over the place. The bacon also comes out perfect every time as you can turn the oven down to warm if it is getting ahead of the other items. This works especially well with the thick specialty bacon.

  2. I put mine on tin foil on a pan with side about 3/4 of an inch high in the oven and it does not splatter. This is very good bacon for the price I have paid much more for others and it tastes the same.

  3. This bacon sucks. Turns slimy after package opened one day

    • Mine hasn’t, but if yours did, remember that you can refund (and replace) it under Aldi’s Twice as Nice policy if you want to.

    • This bacon was 90 percent FAT what a waste of money! Never ever again.

    • Yes it does. That bacon is useless now after 20 years of buying bacon from Aldis it’s Now DIFFERENT! All fat. Doesn’t peel. Terrible taste. Never buying Aldis bacon again! Sincerely DISAPPOINTED!

  4. i just opened a package of this and was sorely disappointed.
    i got one strip of half inch thick meat, and the rest was shredded pork.
    lovely breakfast ruined already.
    i wont be buying this brand again.

    • I’ve never had that problem before, but that would certainly be disappointing. Take it back to Aldi. They can refund and replace it under their Twice as Nice policy.

      • Slimey not cripsy afterni put it in oven , super greasy , don’t taste the hardwood smoked flavor , super thin breaking apart .

    • same here they went to the effort to put one good piece in front of the pack then after that is total pork scrap

  5. No meat in my Appleton Farms bacon, just a lump of fat. Gross.

  6. Nancy Montgomery

    I will never buy this bacon again. I barely got 3 ounces of bacon, but had 13 ounces of fat…in one big clump. I needed a cup of crumbled bacon for a recipe and this 16 ounce gave me a little over 1/2 cup.

    • MICHAEL D. CHLANDA

      I agree, I’ve had to practically “burn it”, and even then, it’s still too fat. I try to find the stuff that says microwave, and it doesn’t work. Maybe I could try in my air fryer and it might, but I’ve gone to another brand, even using Butterball turkey bacon, which cost more, but I’m not ever going to buy the Appleton Farms bacon again.

    • Same here. Quality control leaves something to be desired

  7. The Appleton bacon premium was a big joke the had alot of fat tucked under on one side onky meat was the sliver showing on the top. Although this is not a aldi problem it’s Appleton farms trying to rip people off.

    • Bacon is tough and hard to chew up. We tried pan frying instead of microwave and got same tough hard to chew/ teeth breaking bacon!

  8. I use this bacon because it is the only one I could find without added sugar (yes I know there could be up to 2% but it is better than most). Anyway, I have been buying it for about 6 months. Each package gets worse the longer I buy it. The slices are so paper thin that you can barely get them separated. Once you do you end up with a stringy, fatty mess. Yes, there seems to be more fat than normal lately too. The shrinkage is not minimal like you say. I wish I could find bacon without all the extra ingredients that make it more unhealthy. I cook it on a rack in the oven with a cookie sheet underneath. It is the only way to go. Less mess is good!

    • Tonight was the first time making this brand. I have to tell you. This is quality bacon. Excellent flavor. I didn’t remember where I bought the bacon. I’m impressed with this brand bacon from Aldi’s.

  9. For many years I have been purchasing the Appleton bacon from Aldi and have been buying 4-6 pound pkg at a time so I don’t have to drive every week. Bought the yellow and green botton carton and although it does not say THICK and it certainly is thick sliced. I always bought the cream color and burgundy carton but not available anymore. Why didn’t pkg say THICK. Can’t take it back but what happened. Doesn’t say thick slice. Not a fan of this carton.

  10. Worst bacon I’ve had in years. Several slices of PURE fat hidden behind a few slices of real bacon. Aldo, you can do better than that.

  11. Agree. Something has changed. We have been eating aldi bacon for years, a d something has changed recently. We noticed this morning, absolutely no flavor. Completely agree with you on too thin, too thick at times too! It’s a hit or miss. We said a few more weeks we will try again, but if no change we will have to find a new bacon.

  12. I just purchased the Appleton Farms Gourmet thick sliced cherrywood smoked bacon. We haven’t cooked it yet but the slices are nice and thick. 24 oz for $6.99. I pay 9.99 for the Smithfield cherrywood smoked for the same amount. Looking at both packages, very similar! I’m excited to try it. I can only find cherrywood smoked at one local grocery store so was surprised to see this at Adli’s.

  13. Bacon is bacon and actually I buy whatever is the best value. If it is too salty I use a squared rack on a cookie sheet and put it in a cold oven and turn it up to about 450 degrees. It takes a lot of salt away with the drippings into the pan. I am not and never been a fan of salty bacon btw.

    Also, I cook bacon different ways for different thicknesses. Bacon that seems to be cut horribly or it tears in pieces? Well, I take a scissors and make about 1 inch pieces, add some onion and mushrooms and throw some scrambled eggs in and call it a mess, but a delicious one at that.

    People “think” the bacon is bad…Just get creative with it and you might feel a bit better knowing it actually was a good purchase.

  14. I have been a loyal Aldi customer for 4 years, purchasing 3-4 times a week. My favorite item was Appleton Farms maple flavored bacon. When it was in a multifavored box, it was hard to find. It was so popular, you had to get there at the right moment, before it was fished out of every box. But, when it was boxed as a single flavor, they had obviously changed the formula. Not only did it loose its flavor after cooked, it is much more difficult to cook without burning, and its shelf-life is greatly diminished. I’ve given up on it. This new formula is not worth buying. PLEASE RETURN MY FAVORITE BACON TO ITS ORIGINAL FORMULA.

  15. The worst bacon. Packaging is deceiving. Looks good before you take it out and realize it’s all fat. The price is cheaper but it makes sense because it’s half of what you should be getting. Shrinks up into very small pieces.

  16. The blue labeled thick sliced bacon from Appleton farms simply isn’t thick sliced. It is paper thin, so you could see through it. Shrank badly, am very dissatisfied.

  17. I just cooked up some appleton bacon from Aldis this morning. It was 90 percent fat and 10 percent bacon. Absolutely, the worst bacon I’ve ever had! Wish I could add a picture for your viewing pleasure.

  18. I was so disappointed in my applewood bacon. 90%fat hardly any meat.this REALLY upset me. Never disliked stuff from Aldi but sure did this. Never will buy it again.

  19. William W Billeter

    This product used to be awesome. Then a few months back it appears they started cutting the bacon thinner, thus creating the stickiness affect. I have tried doing the low sodium as well as the regular and they are slicing it all now the same way. It is tolerable but will find another product that better meets our needs.

  20. I purchased a package to use over the holidays, but didn’t use it. The “sell by” date is Jan 2, 2020. Today is Feb 7 2020. It has been refrigerated …. can I still use it?

  21. will be very brief because keeps kicking me off! Appleton Farms should be ashamed for putting the last 3-4 slices of nothing but FAT in their package…never in my 60 years of cooking bacon have I had this happen! Their thick sliced bacon is sliced like regular and their premium sliced bacon is soooo thin – hard time getting it apart – plus where is the meat – each slice has three times more fat . Sad, Sad and we liked their bacon. I hope they have enough complaints they will fix this.

  22. What is the COO for Aldi pork products? Is it processed in another country and shipped to the US?

  23. Joanne Lawrence

    Just bought the Appleton bacon from Adli’s. So disappointed with it. No where on the package does it say thick sliced. I opened it up and not only wqs it thick sliced it was nothing but fat. Will never buy there brand again.

  24. I would not even call this package of Appleton Farms sliced bacon hardwood smoked “bacon”. This was a package of fat with the tiniest unflavorful bacon. They should not be able to sell this as bacon, it was not. Aldi’s should remove from their shelves,

  25. Never shopped at aldi until this week. Bought there Appleton farm bacon. Could not believe the garbage. There were actually 4 slices of bacon at each end of the package and pure sliced fat in between that did not even have a hint of meat on it. If this is the kind of supplier Aldi supports I for one will never shop there again. Shame on you Aldi

  26. Aldis Appleton Farms thick cut bacon is way overpriced and if they mean paper thin as thick cut then they need educated. It’s only gotten worse with each package bought. This use to be my GO TO store but not anymore. Seems the quality and quantities are going down while the prices go up. It’s a shame really. I was an avid shopper at Aldis.

    • I agree… I purchased “thick cut” and it was so thin I could see through it!! Flavor was good, but will never purchase again when I want thick cut!!

  27. Patricia McCormick

    I fry bacon in a no stick pan with lid on on medium flame. Turning once. Remove from stove before removing lid. Comes out great and clean cooktop. Appleton Farms bacon a favorite not salty mild bacon flavor. Does not overwhelm Just perfect.

  28. I tried boxed appleton bacon for the first time…and it will be my last. Outside of the package looked great, then I opened it and had about 3/4 of fat ( used a scale ) which I pulled off very easily because it was all on the bottom of the strips.
    What a waste of money…Don’t try this product.

  29. This was the worst bacon i have ever purchased. It was 90% fat. I had to use 2 packages to get about 8 strips worth of bacon. It was totally slimy fat with very little bacon in the center. I will never buy this brand again. So disappointed. In case you want the lot # 021653

  30. I’ve been buying Applewood bacon for a while now. I like it better than Costco bacon. I used Oscar Meyer for years but got a bad package and haven’t bought since. I fry 2-3 packages at a time and freeze so bacon is always available if needed. I ladle grease into a jar as i go along. I also let it sit out for at least 30 minutes so that it’s easier to separate.First package was perfect as usual- second package- gross! Strips were shredded, extremely salty and cooked in curly ques. This is what the OM brand did also. Ughh. I promptly returned and got a refund but there was no bacon in the store. They haven’t had the low salt bacon in over a month now. The regular bacon is hard to come by so when we find it we buy at least four packages.

  31. Our experience is the opposite of yours. After very bad experiences with the Applewood bacon low salt, we went with the Costco Kirkland brand. It has worked out very well and it would be hard to get us to try anything else.

  32. Worst bacon I have ever had, it was literally a lump of meat with uneven slicing that was just piled in the package with no discernible structure. It was almost all big pieces of fat with barely any meat and super salty.

  33. i got the same kind of bacon all fat very little meat so thin it could not even be seperated

  34. bacon was no good all fat to many times

  35. Apparently I am in the minority in the fact that I like this bacon. However, it is NEVER available. I have been to various Aldi locations many times over the last three months and I have found it in stock ONLY ONE TIME. If Aldi cannot keep an item on the shelves then they need to stop offering it altogether. There is never a problem with bacon availability at Kroger so I don’t know what the issue is with Aldi.

  36. Kristen Blackburn

    I just opened this bacon to cook it and it was mostly fat. I am so disappointed. I guess I will take this back to Aldi and/or show them the pictures I took. I usually don’t have any issues with Aldi bacon but this time it was terrible.

  37. William Billeter

    Many months ago I too complained about this bacon. Recently I thought I would give it a try. Much, Much better. Guess they got the message. Purchased mine in Cranberry Township, PA

  38. Worst bacon ever. Would love to post a picture.

  39. Appleton bacon is the best bacon I’ve bought anywhere, bar none. That said, some varieties are better than others, e.g., have different fat content.

  40. Awful!! Total fat shrunk down to less than the length of my index finger!! Will NOT BUY Again!!

  41. This used to be my favorite bacon. The last 2 packages I bought were half fat. I had to throw it way. What happened to the quality bacon I was used to getting?
    I am so disappointed. That was what I looked forward to on Saturday mornings.

  42. bacon mostly fat lately

  43. Antony Andre' / renaissance artist and artisan

    Appleton bacon
    Shrinks like bacon
    Tastes cured
    Cooks easily
    BUT IT FALLS APART AND ALL YOU GET ARE PIECES…NO STRIPS.
    BUY ANOTHER BRAND
    OVERALL ALDI IS A GREAT LOCATION FOR GROCERIES….
    Antonyandre.artist

  44. Not our experience, we highly recommend this Bacon. We do microwave it.

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