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No matter how much bacon you cook for any sized group it always seems to disappear in a matter of seconds. Because bacon is almost everyone’s favorite breakfast item knowing how much to buy to feed a large group can be difficult.
One serving of bacon is 15 grams or around 1-2 slices, but most eat more than that. Purchase at least one pound of uncooked bacon for every three to four people. This should be enough for one serving each when served as a side. How pieces each person gets will depend on the style of cut.
Cooking for large groups is already a daunting task but making sure everyone gets enough food, especially bacon, might sound impossible. Luckily, buying and cooking the right amount of bacon for your gathering is possible. Keep reading to learn how much bacon your group needs and how to cook it!
Buying Bacon for Large Groups
Buying enough bacon for a small family may already feel like a guessing game. Bacon in my household usually disappears before the meal has even been served!
If you are in charge of bringing the bacon for the next family brunch, church breakfast, or any other event you want to make sure every member gets to enjoy some. But how much do you need?
How much bacon to buy ultimately depends on the size of your group and how they are going to be fed.
If people are going to be limited to a certain serving size then determining how much bacon you need is a matter of simple multiplication (guests x serving size). But what is the correct serving size of bacon? More so, if guests will be serving themselves buffet style, they will likely grab more than one serving.
A typical serving of bacon is about two slices. Because bacon is nearly everyone’s favorite it may be better to plan on three slices per person instead. Be sure to serve the bacon yourself or notify guests of the limit to ensure everyone gets some.
So how does this translate to group size, check out this helpful table!
| Number of Guests | Slices of Bacon | Amount of Bacon (approximate) |
| 10 | 30 | 2.5 lbs |
| 15 | 45 | 3.75 lbs |
| 20 | 60 | 5 lbs |
| 25 | 75 | 6.25 lbs |
| 30 | 90 | 7.5 lbs |
| 35 | 105 | 8.75 lbs |
| 40 | 120 | 10 lbs |
Most packages of bacon are around 12 to 16 ounces or around one pound. Be sure to round up rather than down in a number of packages. It is better to have leftover bacon (is that even a thing) instead of not enough.
Serving bacon buffet style can be a bit trickier than limiting guests’ serving sizes. Bacon will go a lot faster at a buffet and therefore more will need to be cooked to ensure everyone gets some. So how much bacon should you plan to buy for your buffet?
Buying bacon for your buffet still depends on the number of guests that will be in attendance.
Plan for each guest to eat about a third of a pound of bacon. In other words, you will need a pound of bacon for every 3 guests. See how this translates to group size in the table below!
| Number of Guests | Amount of Bacon |
| 10 | 3.33 lbs |
| 15 | 5 lbs |
| 20 | 6.66 lbs |
| 25 | 8.33 lbs |
| 30 | 10 lbs |
| 35 | 11.66 lbs |
| 40 | 13.33 lbs |
As you can see, serving bacon buffet-style requires a lot more bacon than serving size. Because bacon often comes with a hefty price tag, it may make more sense to buy less bacon and limit serving sizes. Guests will still walk away with smiles and full bellies.
What Cut of Bacon to Use
Bacon is sold in a variety of cuts and flavors making its purchase that much more complicated.
For feeding large groups, we suggest serving less taste-specific flavors. Although peppered bacon might sound tasty to some others may feel the opposite. Stick to something everyone will enjoy, like Applewood bacon.
When it comes to choosing the style of cut for your bacon it becomes a matter of quantity as well. Earlier we discussed portion sizes for bacon. These portions were based on regular (thin) cuts of bacon.
Thick-cut bacon will go further than thin-cut bacon. This means instead of three slices per person, you will only need about two. See how this changes the amount of bacon you should buy on this table.
| Number of Guests | Slices of Bacon | Amount of Bacon (approximate) |
| 10 | 20 | 1.66 lbs |
| 15 | 30 | 2.5 lbs |
| 20 | 40 | 3.33 lbs |
| 25 | 50 | 4.16 lbs |
| 30 | 60 | 5 lbs |
| 35 | 70 | 5.83 lbs |
| 40 | 80 | 6.66 lbs |
Using thick cut brings the amount of bacon needed nearly halfway! But there is still another factor to consider.
Just how some people prefer one flavor of bacon over another, some will prefer a certain type of cut too. In general, more people prefer thin-cut bacon over thick. To please a larger crowd, stick to buying thin-cut bacon for your breakfast.
How to Cook Bacon for a Crowd
Most people cook their bacon in a frying pan or on a skillet. But when feeding a crowd of 30, you most likely will not have enough room in your frying pan for 90 pieces of bacon.
Although you could cook multiple batches that would take an extremely long time, distracting you from preparing the rest of your meal.
Instead of frying your bacon, cook more all at once by baking it!
Not only will it save you cook time, but your bacon will cook more evenly and have an easier clean up too.
Read this recipe by House of Nash Eats
to learn how to cook bacon for your large group.
How to Make Bacon Go Further
Bacon should always be served alongside other dishes. The fewer dishes it is served with the more bacon you will need to buy.
Even if you serve bacon with a few other foods, you may still notice it disappearing quickly.
Make the bacon last longer by cutting it in half. You still serve the same amount of bacon, but people feel like they are grabbing more than they actually are.
If serving bacon buffet style, place it at the end of the line instead of the beginning.
The first item in your buffet should be the main dish or carb. This may be pancakes, muffins, waffles, or donuts. These large items will take up a good portion of the guests’ plates, forcing them to grab less of the other foods down the line.
