Sizzlean was a popular “50% leaner” bacon alternative produced by Swift & Co. from 1977 until it was discontinued in 2005. Unlike modern turkey bacon, Sizzlean was a unique fabricated meat product made from a cured blend of pork shoulder, beef, and turkey. While many believe it failed, the brand was actually a victim of corporate acquisitions by Conagra Brands, which ultimately phased it out as an “orphan product.”
The “Move Over, Bacon” Revolution
For over two decades, that iconic tagline defined a breakfast shift. Marketed as a “50% leaner” alternative that wouldn’t shrink away in the pan, Sizzlean became a household name throughout the late seventies and eighties. Most food history sites today dismiss it as a failed experiment, but the reality is more complex. While it never outsold traditional pork belly, it carved out a massive niche by offering something bacon couldn’t: a meat-forward bite with significantly less mess. But did that leaner profile actually deliver on flavor?
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What Did Sizzlean Taste Like?
- The Hybrid Profile: Fans often describe the taste as a cross between traditional bacon and beef jerky. It had a deeper, savory “umami” punch than modern turkey bacon.
- Texture & “Bubbles”: As it fried, it developed distinct little bubbles of fat. It offered a chewy-crisp texture that satisfied the craving for a “crunch” without the brittleness of overcooked pork.
- The “Synthetic” Critique: While it won over many, critics were often put off by the uniform, “fabricated” look of the strips, which lacked the natural grain of a whole muscle cut.
- The Fry-Up Test: Despite rumors that it wouldn’t get crispy, you could achieve a solid crisp—though it leaned more toward “firmly meaty” than “shatteringly crunchy.”
What Was Sizzlean Made Of?
Sizzlean could be compared to today’s turkey bacon in that it was a fabricated breakfast strip product. This means it consisted of meat products there were ground up very fine and then pressed into form. Despite what some sources seem to think, the original version of the product was not a beef bacon. Instead, it contained not only turkey but leaner cuts of pork shoulder and beef. An “all-beef” version was also introduced, although it still contained added turkey.
Sizzlean Taglines
Commercials for the product used several taglines, all very similar:
- “Don’t bring the bacon, bring home the Sizzlean.”
- “Move over, bacon, there’s something leaner!”
- “Move over, bacon, now there’s something meatier!”
When Was It Discontinued?
Although the product and others like it such as Firebrand beef breakfast strips, never had a large share of the bacon market, they enjoyed consistent sales for many years.
Swift & Co. sold Sizzlean through the 1980s and 1990s, but by the early 2000s, it began to disappear from shelves. It was completely discontinued by 2005. Like Jello Pudding Pops, many people remember the product fondly and search for why it is no longer available.
Why Was Sizzlean Discontinued?
By 1990, Swift had been acquired by ConAgra Foods, and the company pulled it before selling off its meat-oriented brands. I was not able to find why, specifically, ConAgra discontinued the brand. Possibly it was due to declining sales, but there could be many other reasons for the product being pulled.
As one commenter said, maybe it was just an orphan product. If we take a cue from the pharmaceutical industry, this would mean that it was a decent product that was not commercially viable, making it similar to Jello Pudding Pops.
🥛 The “Orphan Product” Phenomenon Sizzlean isn’t the only market leader that vanished despite a loyal following. For another fascinating look at how a top brand became an “orphan” and disappeared, read the story of What Happened to Colombo Yogurt?
However, I doubt the profit margin was the sole problem. More likely, the strips just failed to “find a home” at ConAgra. The company may simply have chosen to discontinue certain products to focus on others. And, this brings us back to my comment about market share.
While the brand may have lost some of its market share through the years, if you want a product to thrive, you have to give it some love in the form of advertising dollars. It may not have failed in terms of no profit or even no sales, but a product can also fail because it never gobbles up an appreciable helping of the market share and, in the meantime, it burns up resources which could be used for products that would produce more profit in the long run.
So, you see, a product does not have to be a total failure to fail. Our favorite fake bacon, no matter how much we miss it, was always a niche product, even in its heyday. It was never going to become bacon’s brother from another mother.
Will It Ever Be Back?
- The Trademark Status: Records show that the Sizzlean trademark is currently owned by Quality Brands, LLC, a company known for acquiring and licensing classic brand names.
- The “Actual Product” Reality: Just because the name exists doesn’t mean the recipe does. Because Sizzlean was a specialized fabricated meat product, any future revival would likely be a completely different formula than the 1980s strips you remember.
- The Verdict: While a product called Sizzlean could technically hit shelves again, there are currently no plans for a relaunch of the original Swift & Co. recipe.
Key Summary: What Happened To Sizzlean
- The “50% Leaner” Claim: Launched by Swift & Co. in 1977, Sizzlean was marketed as a healthier, meatier alternative to traditional pork bacon that wouldn’t shrink in the pan.
- A Unique Meat Blend: Unlike modern turkey bacon, Sizzlean was a fabricated meat product made from a cured mixture of lean pork shoulder, beef, and turkey.
- The “Orphan Product” Fate: The brand didn’t fail due to poor sales; it was discontinued by 2005 after corporate acquisitions by Conagra Brands shifted focus away from niche labels.
- Iconic 1980s Marketing: The product is best remembered for its “Move over, bacon!” taglines and its unique “chewy-crisp” texture that resembled beef jerky more than pork belly.
- Current Availability: While the Sizzlean trademark is currently held by a licensing company, there are no active plans to bring the original recipe back to grocery shelves.
📋 Sizzlean Quick Facts
- Main Ingredients: A cured, fabricated blend of lean pork shoulder, beef, and turkey.
- Fat Content: Marketed as 50% leaner than bacon; it contained approximately 37% fat compared to the 60-70% found in traditional pork belly.
- Manufacturer History: Originally produced by Swift & Co.; later acquired by Conagra Brands.
- Final Discontinuation: Phased out entirely by 2005 to focus on core profitable labels.
- Current Status: No longer in production. The trademark is currently held by Quality Brands, LLC.
📖 More Fascinating Food Brand Histories
If you enjoyed the story of Sizzlean’s rise and fall, you’ll love these deep dives into other iconic brand mysteries and milestones:
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- The First Frozen Pizza Brand: Tracing the origins of the freezer aisle staple.
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- The Invention of Bubble Gum: How a stray experiment became a global phenomenon.