Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast is the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving meal. This turkey breast is perfectly cooked and wrapped in crispy bacon, making it juicy, succulent and tender. It’s easy to prep and it’s sure to please your guests this year!
Table of Contents
Bacon Wrapped Turkey
This bacon-wrapped turkey breast is one of my favorite Thanksgiving turkey ideas. Delicious, easy to make, and so flavorful!
Is it even Thanksgiving if you don’t have turkey? It can be a hassle to cook a whole bird, so turkey breast is a great option for Thanksgiving. And what’s better than wrapping food in bacon?
I’m kind of obsessed with wrapping things in bacon around here (Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots…it doesn’t end there!), so wrapping turkey breast in bacon just seemed like a natural thing to do!
Top Tips for this Recipe
- Don’t skip the brining! It makes such a difference. Leave it to brine for 24 hours if possible.
- Be sure to cover the whole surface of the turkey with bacon.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check the turkey’s internal temperature (should be 160°F).
- Let the turkey rest before carving and serving.
Brining Turkey
It’s really important not to skip the brining process in this recipe! It’s super easy to do and it really does make all of the difference! By brining the turkey breast, it absorbs extra moisture, which results in juicy and succulent meat. It also helps to season the turkey all the way through, so it’s super flavorful.
Ingredients:
- Cold Water
- Kosher Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Peppercorns (optional)
How to Brine
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl large enough to fit the turkey breast, and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Fully submerge the turkey in the brine.
- Cover bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Remove turkey from the brine when ready to cook and pat it dry with paper towels.
It really is an easy process, and it helps a lot with keeping the turkey moist. Just be sure to start the process the day before cooking so you have plenty of time.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast
This easy bacon-wrapped turkey recipe is such a fun Thanksgiving turkey idea, and so simple to make!
-
Brine: Start with brining the turkey (see section above for details or check the recipe card).
-
Wrap in Bacon: Set the turkey breast on a cutting board and wrap bacon around the turkey. *Be sure to cover the entire surface, and secure the bacon with toothpicks.
-
Roast: Place the turkey on the rack, bacon-side up. Then roast the turkey 60 minutes at 340°F. *Internal temperature should be 160°F.
-
Rest: Transfer the turkey to a cooling rack and remove the toothpicks. Let the turkey rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes:
-
If the turkey hasn’t reached 160°F, rotate it and bake an additional 15-30 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F).
-
If the bacon isn’t browned, set the oven to broil and cook the turkey just long enough to crisp the bacon.
Be sure to watch the video to see the step by step process!
Serving Suggestions
This delicious Thanksgiving center-piece should be accompanied by all of your usual and favorite side dishes. Be sure to check these out for some inspiration:
- Sheet Pan Scalloped Potatoes
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Bacon
- Crunchy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
- Best Herb Roasted Potatoes (Simple Seasoned Potatoes)
- Honey Glazed Carrots Recipe with Ginger
Why serve a turkey breast at Thanksgiving?
As we all know, it can be a hassle cooking a whole turkey on Thanksgiving. Timing is everything and it can be really easy to under- or over-cook parts of it. A turkey breast cooks much more evenly and it’s a great option if you don’t have a big crowd to cater for.
Should you use a fresh or frozen turkey breast?
Generally speaking, there is no quality difference between fresh or frozen turkey breast. Just remember to allow enough time for your turkey to thaw before brining it.
Watch the video and See the recipe card for details on how to make Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Breast. Enjoy!
More Thanksgiving Ideas
If this isn’t the right option for your Thanksgiving feast, be sure to check out these other recipes. Plenty of Thanksgiving turkey ideas, plus some other meat options too! And if you need to fill our your menu, browse our Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes and our favorite Thanksgiving Desserts.
- How to Cook the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Juicy Smoked Turkey Breast
- Garlic Butter Roast Turkey Breast
- Crock Pot Turkey Breast Recipe
- Stuffing Stuffed Pork Roast Recipe (Pork Roulade)
- Best Beef Tenderloin Recipe (Beef Tenderloin Roast)
Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
For the Brine:
- 3 quarts cold water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 10 whole peppercorns optional
Other Ingredients:
- 1 boneless fresh turkey breast 3 pounds, NOT a full turkey
- 10-12 slices bacon
Instructions
For the Brine:
- Combine brine ingredients in a large bowl and stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Submerge the turkey, cover the bowl and refrigerate 24 hours. When ready to cook, remove turkey from brine, discard the brine and pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
For the Turkey when ready:
- Set oven to 340°F and spray a rimmed baking sheet and metal cooking rack with non-stick cooking spray. Set the rack over the tray.
- Set the turkey on a cutting board and wrap bacon around the turkey. Be sure to cover the entire exposed surface, of the turkey, and secure the bacon in-place with toothpicks.
- Place the turkey on the rack, bacon-side up.
- Roast the turkey 60 minutes at 340°Test the internal temperature of the turkey (the temperature should be 160°F on an instant-read thermometer).
- If the turkey isn’t fully cooked, rotate the turkey and bake an additional 15-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- *If the bacon isn’t browned, set the oven to broil and cook the turkey just long enough to crisp the bacon.
- Transfer the turkey to a cooling rack and remove the toothpicks.
- Let the turkey rest 15 minutes before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
URGENT REPLY REQUESTED………I’ve got a 9.62 lb frozen bone-in turkey breast that I plan on making for Mother’s Day for my family……..can I use this recipe for that size turkey breast, just increase the brine amounts & bake according to weight?
I haven’t done it that big before with this recipe, but I imagine it will take quite bit longer for those steps!
Hello from Italy! Would this recipe work for a larger boneless, skinless turkey breast? I was able to get one here but it is a whopping 5 lbs, 5 oz!
Yes, I think that would be delicious!
The turkey breast I buy are from Tyson and they have a net around them. Should I remove the net before I put the bacon on. I had somebody that gave me some of this a couple years ago and it was scrumptious. I did not think to ask them how they did it.
I have also seen them at my local grocer around Thanksgiving and I did not have a net on them. The net for binding seems like it would be such a negative because you would have to disassemble the bird
If there’s a net you’d want to remove that before adding the bacon. Make sure its just the breast and not the whole bird. I hope you love the recipe!!
The only turkey breast I could find was bone-in and Frozen. Does this recipe call for a fresh turkey breast? Also when I boned my turkey breast do I leave at flat cuz yours looks thick
I have searched HIGH and LOW for the video that is supposed to accompany Turkey Breast Wrapped with Bacon. NO WHERE!! And I have looked multiple days. I give up
I’m sorry it’s been tough for you! The video should pop up in the bottom corner of your screen!
Can you make this with a bone-in turkey breast?
Can you use a bigger Turkey breast, ones at store are 7 or 8 lbs? How long to cook?
I already know this is a hit because everything is better with bacon!
Bacon is the key to make anything delicious!
Such a TASTY recipe! In love with it, and will be making it over and over!
Thanks, Jennifer!
Bacon makes everything better!
Agreed!!