This Is The Best Store-Bought Beef Bacon Brand You Can Buy

Like pork bacon (at least in the United States), beef bacon is made from beef belly, though it can also come from brisket or round, the same cuts you'd use to make beef bacon at home. It's not as common as its porky competitor, but you can still find beef bacon at many local grocery stores. That said, some brands are better than others. And in Chowhound's ranking of store-bought beef bacon brands, Certified Angus Beef Brand's bacon just edged out Godshall's for the top slot.

Certified Angus Beef claims it has the highest quality standards around, and based on our tasting of its smoked uncured beef bacon, also known as Schmacon, the company is certainly doing something right. This bacon is flavorful with a touch of brown sugar sweetness from the turbinado sugar and the perfect crunchy texture. Not only does it taste delicious, but for those watching their macros, it has less fat, fewer calories, and less sodium than regular pork bacon. It also has a bit more protein. 

Certified Angus Beef completely impressed us with its bacon, but it was equally impressive for what it wasn't. Unlike some of the other brands on the list, it wasn't too chewy, too gamey, too sweet, or too savory. Certified Angus Beef's slices are wide and thick, and don't shrink into small pieces when cooked. As with many beef bacons, it's meatier than pork bacon with the ideal level of sweet and savory. 

Moreover, it wasn't turkey bacon, which has less of that umami flavor people crave, can be chewy, and doesn't crisp up as well as either pork bacon or the Certified Angus Beef Brand bacon. In fact, while beef bacon may not be the first bacon alternative that comes to mind, many consumers are unsure whether turkey bacon is really bacon, given its many flaws. That makes beef bacon a great choice for a leaner pork bacon alternative that's packed with protein.