What Is National Bacon Lovers Day?

National Bacon Lovers Day is observed annually on August 20 as an unofficial food celebration honoring bacon and the people who love it.

It shouldn’t be confused with National Bacon Day, another bacon-centered celebration commonly observed on December 30.

Bacon Lovers Day gives people an excuse to celebrate their favorite style of bacon, prepare a bacon-centered meal, experiment with a new recipe, or simply order extra bacon with breakfast.

And there certainly isn’t only one way to celebrate.

You could start the morning with bacon and eggs, have a BLT for lunch, order a bacon cheeseburger for dinner, and finish the day with something adventurous like maple bacon brownies.

That’s the beauty of bacon.

It can show up almost anywhere.

The Ancient Origins of Bacon

Although National Bacon Lovers Day is a modern food celebration, bacon itself has an incredibly long history.

Preserving meat was essential long before refrigerators and freezers existed. Fresh meat spoiled quickly, which meant people needed reliable methods for extending its usable life.

Salt became one of the most important tools for preservation.

People discovered that salting and curing meat could help it last considerably longer. Pork was particularly well suited to preservation, and variations of cured pork developed throughout different cultures.

Ancient civilizations were preserving pork thousands of years ago, meaning the basic concept behind bacon is far older than the modern breakfast plate.

Of course, ancient cured pork wouldn’t necessarily have tasted exactly like the bacon found in today’s grocery stores. Recipes, cuts, curing techniques, smoking methods, seasonings, and preparation styles evolved considerably over time.

But the fundamental idea—preserving pork with salt—has extremely deep culinary roots.

Bacon Develops Across Europe

As pork curing traditions developed throughout Europe, different regions created their own styles.

What people called “bacon” wasn’t always identical to what Americans picture today. Different cuts of the pig could be cured, smoked, seasoned, and prepared in different ways.

Even today, ordering bacon in another country can produce something noticeably different from American bacon.

In the United States, bacon generally refers to streaky bacon made from pork belly. It contains alternating layers of fat and meat that become crispy and flavorful when cooked.

British and Irish styles of bacon often incorporate pork loin, resulting in a meatier and leaner appearance.

These differences are reminders that bacon isn’t one single product. It belongs to a much larger global tradition of curing and preserving pork.

Bacon Comes to America

European settlers brought pigs and their pork-curing traditions to North America.

Pigs became valuable livestock because they could reproduce relatively quickly, adapt to different environments, and provide substantial amounts of meat and fat.

Before modern refrigeration, preserving meat was an essential part of household food preparation.

Families might butcher pigs during cooler months and preserve portions of the meat through salting, curing, or smoking.

Bacon wasn’t simply a delicious indulgence.

It was practical food.

Over time, improved transportation, commercial meat processing, refrigeration, grocery stores, diners, restaurants, and changing American eating habits helped bacon become widely available.

Eventually, bacon became deeply connected with the classic American breakfast.

How Bacon Became a Breakfast Favorite

Mention an American breakfast and certain foods immediately come to mind:

Eggs.

Toast.

Hash browns.

Pancakes.

Coffee.

And, of course, bacon.

Bacon’s savory, salty flavor makes it an excellent companion for breakfast foods that might otherwise be mild or sweet.

Think about the contrasts.

Crispy bacon next to fluffy scrambled eggs.

Salty bacon beside sweet pancakes covered in maple syrup.

Crunchy bacon with creamy avocado toast.

Smoky bacon mixed into cheesy breakfast potatoes.

It’s easy to understand why bacon became such a popular morning food.

But bacon’s culinary story doesn’t stop when breakfast ends.

Why Does Bacon Taste So Good?

Bacon combines several characteristics people tend to enjoy in food.

It is salty, savory, smoky, rich, fatty, and often crispy.

Cooking intensifies many of these qualities.

As bacon heats, fat renders and the surface browns. These reactions produce complex aromas and flavors while changing the texture.

Then there’s the contrast between crisp edges and slightly tender portions.

The aroma is equally important.

Smell plays a major role in how humans experience flavor, which helps explain why bacon cooking in another room can suddenly make someone hungry.

You might not have been thinking about breakfast five minutes earlier.

Then you smell bacon.

Plans change.

The Great Bacon Debate: Crispy or Chewy?

There may be no quicker way to start a bacon argument than asking:

How crispy should bacon be?

Some bacon lovers want every strip extremely crispy.

It should crunch immediately.

No softness.

No flexibility.

Others prefer bacon slightly chewy, where the edges are crispy but the center remains tender.

Then there are people who fall somewhere in between.

Thickness also matters.

Thin bacon tends to become crispy relatively quickly, while thick-cut bacon can provide a meatier texture and substantial bite.

There isn’t necessarily a correct answer.

National Bacon Lovers Day is about enjoying bacon exactly the way you like it.

Different Types of Bacon to Try

If your bacon experience has mostly involved traditional supermarket bacon, August 20 can be an opportunity to branch out.

Applewood-Smoked Bacon

Applewood smoke can provide bacon with a somewhat milder, subtly sweet smoky flavor.

Hickory-Smoked Bacon

Hickory tends to provide a stronger, more traditional smoky profile.

Maple Bacon

Maple sweetness complements bacon’s salty and smoky characteristics.

Peppered Bacon

Coarse black pepper adds a spicy kick that works particularly well on sandwiches and burgers.

Thick-Cut Bacon

Thicker slices create a meatier bite and can work wonderfully when bacon is intended to be a major component of the dish.

Uncured-Style Bacon

Products labeled “uncured” are typically made without certain conventionally added curing agents, though they are still preserved using curing ingredients and should not be interpreted as simply fresh pork.

Trying several styles side by side can make for an entertaining Bacon Lovers Day tasting.

The Classic Bacon and Eggs Breakfast

Sometimes the simplest celebration is the best.

Bacon and eggs remain one of America’s most recognizable breakfast combinations.

Cook several strips of bacon to your preferred level of crispiness and pair them with eggs prepared however you like:

Scrambled.

Fried.

Poached.

Over easy.

Sunny-side up.

Add toast, hash browns, breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, pancakes, or waffles and you’ve created a full breakfast worthy of National Bacon Lovers Day.

Build the Ultimate Bacon Breakfast Sandwich

Want to take breakfast further?

Build a bacon breakfast sandwich.

Start with your favorite bread:

English muffin
Bagel
Biscuit
Croissant
Toast
Brioche bun
Sourdough

Then add eggs, cheese, and plenty of crispy bacon.

You can customize it with avocado, tomato, hot sauce, jalapeños, caramelized onions, spinach, or breakfast potatoes.

For a sweet-and-savory twist, add a small drizzle of maple syrup.

Bacon Pancakes and Waffles

Bacon and maple syrup are one of those combinations that shouldn’t necessarily work as well as they do.

But they do.

Instead of simply serving bacon beside pancakes or waffles, crumble cooked bacon directly into the batter or sprinkle it over the finished stack.

Top with butter and maple syrup.

The result combines sweet, salty, smoky, crispy, and fluffy elements in every bite.

The BLT: Bacon’s Famous Sandwich

Few sandwiches demonstrate bacon’s power better than the classic BLT.

The ingredients are simple:

Bacon. Lettuce. Tomato. Bread. Mayonnaise.

That’s basically it.

But when each ingredient is good, the combination can be exceptional.

The bacon provides saltiness and crunch.

The lettuce adds freshness.

The tomato provides sweetness, juiciness, and acidity.

The mayonnaise contributes richness.

And toasted bread provides structure and additional texture.

Because National Bacon Lovers Day falls in August, it arrives during a time when fresh summer tomatoes can be especially flavorful, making it an excellent occasion for a homemade BLT.

Take Your BLT to the Next Level

The traditional BLT is excellent, but there’s nothing wrong with experimenting.

Try adding:

Avocado
Fried egg
Turkey
Chicken
Cheddar cheese
Pepper jack cheese
Spicy mayonnaise
Garlic aioli
Pickled jalapeños
Caramelized onions

You can also change the bread.

Try sourdough, rye, ciabatta, Texas toast, or a toasted brioche bun.

Bacon Cheeseburgers

If breakfast belongs to bacon and eggs, dinner might belong to the bacon cheeseburger.

A juicy beef patty, melted cheese, crispy bacon, and a toasted bun create an incredibly satisfying combination.

But why stop there?

Build the ultimate bacon cheeseburger with toppings such as:

Barbecue sauce.

Caramelized onions.

Jalapeños.

Avocado.

Mushrooms.

Fried egg.

Onion rings.

Pickles.

Spicy mayonnaise.

Extra cheese.

Or, naturally, more bacon.

Bacon-Wrapped Foods

Bacon has another useful culinary talent:

It can wrap around things.

Bacon-wrapped recipes are popular because bacon adds flavor while creating an attractive crispy exterior.

Popular possibilities include:

Bacon-wrapped chicken
Bacon-wrapped shrimp
Bacon-wrapped scallops
Bacon-wrapped asparagus
Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin
Bacon-wrapped meatloaf
Bacon-wrapped hot dogs
Bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts
Bacon-wrapped dates
Bacon-wrapped jalapeños

Among the most popular choices are bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

These appetizers combine several irresistible elements.

You get heat from the jalapeño, creaminess from the cheese filling, and smoky crunch from the bacon.

A basic version can be made by slicing jalapeños, removing some or all of the seeds depending on your preferred heat level, filling them with a cream cheese mixture, wrapping them in bacon, and cooking until the bacon is done and the peppers have softened.

They make an excellent appetizer for parties, game days, barbecues, and Bacon Lovers Day celebrations.

Loaded Bacon Baked Potatoes

Bacon and potatoes belong together.

Bake a potato until fluffy inside, slice it open, and load it with:

Butter.

Cheddar cheese.

Sour cream.

Green onions.

And plenty of crumbled bacon.

You can turn a loaded potato into a complete meal by adding grilled chicken, chili, broccoli, or pulled pork.

Bacon Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is already comfort food.

Bacon makes it even richer.

Crispy bacon adds texture and smokiness to creamy cheese sauce and tender pasta.

You can incorporate bacon into the macaroni itself or sprinkle it over the top just before serving so it stays crispy.

Add breadcrumbs and bake it for another layer of texture.

Bacon on Pizza

Bacon is also an excellent pizza topping.

It works with countless combinations.

Try bacon with:

Chicken and ranch

Pepperoni and bacon

Bacon and jalapeño

Bacon cheeseburger pizza

Bacon and mushroom

Bacon, pineapple, and jalapeño

Bacon and barbecue chicken

Or make a breakfast pizza using eggs, cheese, potatoes, sausage, and bacon.

Bacon and Potatoes: A Perfect Match

Beyond baked potatoes, bacon works wonderfully with almost every form of potato.

Try adding it to:

Hash browns.

Mashed potatoes.

Potato skins.

French fries.

Potato soup.

Breakfast potatoes.

Scalloped potatoes.

Loaded potato casserole.

One easy National Bacon Lovers Day dinner is loaded bacon cheese fries topped with melted cheddar, crispy bacon, green onions, and your favorite dipping sauce.

Bacon Makes Salads More Exciting

Bacon isn’t usually the first food associated with salads, but it can add a tremendous amount of flavor.

A small amount of crumbled bacon provides crunch and saltiness without needing to dominate the entire dish.

The classic Cobb salad is a perfect example.

Traditionally featuring ingredients such as lettuce, chicken, egg, avocado, tomato, cheese, and bacon, it combines freshness with hearty ingredients.

Bacon also pairs especially well with spinach salads, particularly when combined with eggs, mushrooms, onions, and a tangy dressing.

Bacon in Soups

Bacon can provide a smoky base for soups and chowders.

Potato soup is an obvious example.

Creamy potato soup topped with cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, and bacon tastes like a loaded baked potato transformed into a bowl of comfort food.

Bacon can also complement bean soup, corn chowder, split pea soup, and vegetable soups.

Bacon and Vegetables

Want to convince someone to eat more vegetables?

Adding bacon probably won’t hurt.

Bacon pairs particularly well with:

Brussels sprouts
Green beans
Asparagus
Cabbage
Corn
Spinach
Broccoli
Collard greens

A small amount of bacon can add enough smoky flavor to transform an otherwise simple vegetable side dish.

Bacon for Dessert?

Yes.

Bacon has made its way into desserts, particularly recipes built around the contrast between salty and sweet flavors.

Chocolate-Covered Bacon

Cook bacon until crispy, allow it to cool, and coat or drizzle it with melted chocolate.

Maple Bacon Doughnuts

Sweet maple glaze and salty bacon pieces create a popular bakery combination.

Bacon Brownies

Crispy bacon can be incorporated into rich chocolate brownies or sprinkled over the top.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Maple-flavored cake or frosting can be finished with bacon crumbles.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Small pieces of crispy bacon can add a surprising salty contrast to chocolate and brown sugar flavors.

You don’t have to love every combination, but National Bacon Lovers Day is certainly an appropriate occasion to experiment.

Candied Bacon

One bacon treat deserves its own spotlight.

Candied bacon combines bacon with ingredients such as brown sugar, maple syrup, or spices before baking.

As the sugar caramelizes, the bacon develops a sticky, sweet coating while maintaining its smoky and salty characteristics.

Some versions add black pepper, cayenne, or chili powder for a sweet-and-spicy finish.

Serve it alongside breakfast, crumble it over desserts, add it to burgers, or simply eat it by itself.

Three Popular Ways to Cook Bacon

Everyone has a preferred method.

Skillet

The traditional frying-pan method gives you direct control.

Cook the bacon over moderate heat and turn as needed until it reaches your preferred texture.

Oven

The oven is excellent when cooking larger quantities.

Arrange strips on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they’re cooked to your liking. Cooking time varies depending on bacon thickness and oven temperature.

Air Fryer

Air fryers can produce crispy bacon quickly, although cooking times and temperatures vary considerably between models.

Whatever method you use, handle hot bacon grease carefully.

Don’t Waste the Bacon Grease

Many generations of home cooks have saved rendered bacon fat for cooking.

A small amount can add flavor to:

Fried eggs
Cornbread
Green beans
Potatoes
Gravy
Beans
Brussels sprouts
Sautéed vegetables

If you save bacon grease, keep it in a suitable container and store it safely.

And remember: don’t pour bacon grease down the drain.

Fat can cool and solidify inside plumbing, potentially contributing to clogged pipes.

Throw a Bacon Lovers Day Party

Why celebrate alone?

Turn August 20 into a bacon-themed gathering.

Ask everyone to bring a bacon-inspired dish.

Your table might include bacon cheeseburger sliders, bacon-wrapped jalapeños, loaded potato skins, bacon mac and cheese, bacon pizza, BLT bites, bacon-wrapped chicken, maple bacon cupcakes, and chocolate-covered bacon.

You could even award prizes for:

Best Bacon Dish

Most Creative Bacon Recipe

Best Bacon Dessert

Most Bacon Used in One Dish

Best Bacon Appetizer

It might not be the healthiest dinner you’ve ever hosted, but it could certainly be memorable.

Have a Bacon Tasting

Another fun celebration idea is to create a bacon tasting.

Purchase several varieties, cook them separately, and compare them.

Look for differences in:

Smokiness

Saltiness

Sweetness

Thickness

Crispiness

Pepper or seasoning

Overall flavor

Try applewood-smoked, hickory-smoked, maple, peppered, thick-cut, and traditional bacon.

You may discover a new favorite.

Visit a Local Restaurant

You don’t have to cook to celebrate National Bacon Lovers Day.

Visit a local breakfast restaurant, diner, burger joint, barbecue restaurant, sandwich shop, or café.

Look for something bacon-centered on the menu.

Maybe it’s an enormous breakfast platter.

Maybe it’s a bacon cheeseburger.

Maybe it’s a loaded BLT.

Maybe it’s bacon mac and cheese.

Or maybe it’s a ridiculous bacon creation you would never attempt at home.

Food holidays are also an opportunity to support local restaurants and small businesses.

Make It a Family Tradition

National Bacon Lovers Day can also become a fun annual tradition.

Cook breakfast together.

Let everyone build their own breakfast sandwich.

Create homemade bacon cheeseburgers for dinner.

Try a new bacon recipe every August 20.

Or hold an annual family vote for the best bacon dish.

Simple traditions can turn ordinary days into memories people look forward to every year.

Bacon and Food Memories

Food isn’t only about flavor.

It’s often connected to memory.

The smell of bacon might remind someone of Saturday mornings growing up.

Maybe your parents or grandparents cooked a big breakfast on Sundays.

Perhaps bacon reminds you of family camping trips, breakfast at a neighborhood diner, holiday mornings, road-trip breakfasts, or meals shared with people you love.

A familiar aroma can transport you back years in an instant.

That’s part of what makes food celebrations enjoyable.

We’re not simply celebrating ingredients.

We’re celebrating experiences.

Enjoy Bacon in Moderation

As delicious as bacon can be, moderation matters.

Bacon is a processed meat and can be relatively high in sodium and saturated fat. It is better treated as an occasional indulgence rather than something that needs to dominate every meal.

You don’t need an enormous pile of bacon to enjoy National Bacon Lovers Day.

A few crispy pieces alongside eggs and fruit, some crumbled bacon on a salad, or a couple of strips on a sandwich can provide plenty of bacon flavor.

A food celebration should be about enjoyment—not excess.

Ways to Celebrate National Bacon Lovers Day

There are plenty of possibilities for August 20:

Cook bacon and eggs for breakfast.
Make homemade bacon breakfast sandwiches.
Build a fresh summer BLT.
Order a bacon cheeseburger.
Make bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers.
Prepare loaded bacon cheese fries.
Add bacon to homemade macaroni and cheese.
Make bacon-topped pizza.
Try candied bacon.
Experiment with maple bacon pancakes.
Make chocolate-covered bacon.
Visit your favorite local breakfast restaurant.
Compare several different bacon varieties.
Host a bacon-themed dinner.
Share your favorite bacon recipe with friends.
Try a bacon dish you’ve never eaten before.

Most importantly, enjoy the day.

Happy National Bacon Lovers Day!

There aren’t many foods capable of going from the breakfast plate to the burger grill, salad bowl, pizza oven, appetizer tray, and dessert counter.

Bacon somehow manages it.

Its combination of salty, smoky, savory flavor and crispy texture has helped make it one of the most recognizable foods in American cooking.

But perhaps the greatest thing about bacon isn’t simply the food itself.

It’s the experiences surrounding it.

It’s waking up and smelling breakfast cooking.

It’s sitting around the table with family.

It’s ordering the giant breakfast while traveling.

It’s making burgers in the backyard.

It’s sharing appetizers during a football game.

It’s trying some outrageous bacon-covered creation with friends just because you can.

Food has a way of connecting people, and sometimes something as simple as a few crispy strips of bacon can become part of a memory.

So on August 20, celebrate National Bacon Lovers Day your way.

Make the perfect BLT.

Cook a big breakfast.

Build the ultimate bacon cheeseburger.

Wrap something in bacon.

Try candied bacon.

Experiment with a bacon dessert.

Or simply cook a couple of strips exactly the way you like them and enjoy every bite.

Whether your bacon is extra crispy, thick-cut, smoky, peppered, maple-glazed, slightly chewy, or piled high on a burger, today is the day for bacon lovers to celebrate.

Happy National Bacon Lovers Day!

What’s your favorite way to eat bacon?

Are you team extra crispy or team slightly chewy?

And if you could choose only one, which would you pick: bacon and eggs, a BLT, a bacon cheeseburger, bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, or maple bacon?

Share your favorite bacon dish and see how many other bacon lovers agree!

National Bacon Lovers Day – August 20th