You're standing over the stove. The smell hits you—that smoky, salty aroma that makes even the most disciplined eaters reconsider their life choices. You grab two slices. Just two. But then you pause, staring at the grease glistening on the paper towel, and wonder: calories in 2 pieces of bacon... how much am I actually looking at?
It's a simple question with a surprisingly messy answer.
Honestly, most calorie tracking apps lie to you. Or, at the very least, they oversimplify things to the point of being useless. If you log "2 slices of bacon," you might see anything from 60 to 180 calories. That is a massive range for something that fits in the palm of your hand.
The short answer (and why it’s usually wrong)
Standard USDA data suggests that two slices of pan-fried, center-cut pork bacon contain roughly 86 to 90 calories. That sounds manageable, right? It’s basically the same as a medium apple or a large egg. But here’s the kicker: that number assumes the bacon is "cooked crisp" and thoroughly drained of its rendered fat.
If you like your bacon chewy, you're eating more energy.
Fat is calorie-dense. Every gram of fat carries 9 calories, compared to just 4 for protein or carbs. When you fry bacon until it’s a brittle shard, you’re literally melting the calories out of it and into the pan. If you prefer it flaccid and slightly translucent, you're keeping those lipid stores intact. You've basically decided to keep the fuel.
Does the cut actually matter?
Absolutely. Not all pigs are created equal, and neither are the parts of them we cure and slice.
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- Standard Pork Bacon: This is usually streaky bacon from the belly. It’s the high-fat classic. 2 slices usually sit around 90 calories if cooked well.
- Thick-Cut Bacon: These are the heavy hitters. A single slice of thick-cut can be double the weight of a standard slice. If you’re eating 2 pieces of thick-cut bacon, you are likely looking at 120 to 160 calories.
- Turkey Bacon: Often touted as the "healthy" alternative. While it’s lower in fat, it’s highly processed. Two slices of turkey bacon usually land around 60 to 70 calories. It’s leaner, sure, but the texture... well, that’s a personal journey for you to take.
- Center-Cut: This is just standard bacon with the fatty ends trimmed off before packaging. It’s the sweet spot for many, coming in at about 80 calories for two slices.
The chemistry of the skillet
Let’s talk about the "rendering" process. It's a fancy word for melting.
When heat hits the adipose tissue (the white stuff), the cell walls break down and release lard. According to research from the Journal of Food Science, the cooking method can change the final caloric density of meat by up to 30%.
If you bake your bacon on a rack, the fat drips away and never looks back. If you fry it in its own grease and then use that grease to fry your eggs, you aren't just eating 90 calories. You’re inviting the whole neighborhood over. A tablespoon of bacon grease adds another 115 calories to your meal. People forget that. They track the "2 pieces" but ignore the "shimmer" on the plate.
Don't be that person.
The sodium and nitrate elephant in the room
Calories are just one part of the story. You also have to look at what that energy is made of. Two slices of bacon pack about 300mg to 400mg of sodium. That’s nearly 20% of your daily recommended limit in just two bites.
Sodium causes water retention.
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Ever wonder why you feel "puffy" the morning after a big breakfast? It isn't the 90 calories. It's the salt holding onto water like a debt collector. Then there are the nitrates. Most commercial bacon uses sodium nitrite to keep that pink color and prevent botulism. While the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified processed meats as Group 1 carcinogens, context is everything. Two slices once or twice a week is a very different risk profile than a daily habit of a half-pound BLT.
Quality over quantity
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at labels. If you go to a local butcher, the bacon isn't uniform. It’s thick, it’s uneven, and it’s often uncured (meaning no synthetic nitrites).
The calories in 2 pieces of bacon from a local farm might actually be higher because the pigs are often raised with more subcutaneous fat. But the satiety—the feeling of being full—is usually higher too. Cheap, watery supermarket bacon often shrinks to half its size because it’s pumped with "brine" (salt water) to increase weight. You pay for water, it evaporates in the pan, and you’re left with a sad, salty ribbon.
Is it actually "Keto-Friendly"?
If you’re on the ketogenic diet, you probably think bacon is a "free" food. Not quite.
While it’s low carb, some brands use sugar in the curing process. "Maple Smoked" or "Brown Sugar Cured" bacon can add 1-2 grams of sugar per slice. It’s not much, but if you’re strictly counting macros, it matters. For most people, those 2 pieces of bacon are a perfect fat-to-protein ratio to stay in ketosis. Just watch out for the "honey-cured" varieties.
How to track it accurately
If you’re serious about your data, stop counting by "slice."
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Start counting by weight.
Raw bacon weight is irrelevant because so much cooks off. The most accurate way to track the calories in 2 pieces of bacon is to weigh the finished, cooked product on a digital scale.
- 15 grams of cooked, drained pork bacon = ~80 calories.
- 20 grams of cooked, drained pork bacon = ~110 calories.
It’s a tiny bit obsessive, yeah. But if you’re trying to hit a specific caloric deficit, "slices" are a gamble. I’ve seen slices that were 10 grams and others that were 30 grams. That’s the difference between a snack and a meal.
Practical hacks for better bacon
- The Paper Towel Press: Don't just let it sit there. Press another paper towel on top. You can remove an extra 10-15 calories of surface fat just by being aggressive with your blotting.
- Air Frying: It sounds trendy, but it works. The circulating air strips the fat away more efficiently than a flat pan ever could.
- Microwaving: Believe it or not, microwaving bacon between layers of paper towels is one of the "leanest" ways to cook it. It’s fast, and the fat gets sucked into the paper immediately.
The big picture
At the end of the day, 90 calories isn't going to break your diet. The problem is usually what accompanies the bacon. The buttered toast, the three eggs, the glass of orange juice—that’s where the "breakfast bomb" happens.
Bacon is a flavor enhancer.
Treat those two slices as a condiment rather than the main event. Crumble them over a massive spinach salad or fold them into a high-protein omelet. You get the smoky "hit" without needing to eat ten slices to feel satisfied.
Actionable steps for your next meal
- Check the label for "Added Sugars": Opt for "Uncured" or "No Sugar Added" versions to keep the insulin response low.
- Choose "Center-Cut": It’s the easiest way to shave off 10-20 calories without sacrificing the actual meat.
- Cook it "Medium-Crisp": You want enough fat to render out so it’s not floppy, but stop before it’s charred, which can create heterocyclic amines (HCAs).
- Drink 16oz of water: Do this immediately after eating. It helps your kidneys process the spike in sodium and reduces that "salt bloat" later in the afternoon.
- Log by weight, not units: If you use an app like Cronometer or MyFitnessPal, search for "Bacon, cooked, drained" and enter the weight in grams for the most honest look at your intake.
Bacon is one of those rare foods that manages to be both a villain and a hero in the nutrition world. It's high in saturated fat and salt, but it’s also incredibly satisfying and packed with B vitamins and selenium. Understanding the calories in 2 pieces of bacon is really just about understanding how you cook it. Master the heat, drain the grease, and enjoy the crunch. High-quality fats aren't the enemy—hidden calories and poor preparation are.