Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast Recipe

Name: Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2-3 pound boneless turkey breast; 10-15 bacon strips; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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This delicious bacon wrapped turkey breast is the perfect main course for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any time you want to enjoy roast turkey. Flavorful boneless turkey breast or turkey crown is coated with a delicious glaze and topped with a bacon weave. It looks really impressive, and tastes amazing, but only requires 10 minutes of effort in the kitchen!

Close up of turkey breast slices with bacon.

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Why you'll love it
Ingredients
Bacon weave
Instructions
Top tips
Serving suggestions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Frequently asked questions
You might also like these recipes
Recipe
Food safety tips

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Thanksgiving turkey is a classic in USA, and Christmas turkey is a longstanding tradition in the UK. No matter where you live, chances are that you might one day find yourself cooking a turkey entree, and if you're looking for an easy but successful recipe, then this is the one!

This bacon wrapped turkey breast is really juicy, and perfectly tender. The lean meat paired with the crispy bacon and flavorful glaze is a huge success every time I serve it. Pair it with your favorite side dishes for the ultimate holiday meal.

Best of all, this turkey breast recipe is much easier to prepare than it looks. In fact, this dish only requires 10 minutes of effort in the kitchen, which leaves you time to focus on your loved ones (or your favorite sides).

Check out my Easy Turkey Steaks for more turkey dinner ideas!

Why you'll love it

Really easy to make roast turkey entree
Tastes fantastic
Adjust the seasoning to suit your preferences
Works for any size turkey breast
Turkey breast cooks much faster than a whole turkey
Gluten free, dairy free and nut free turkey main course
This bacon wrapped turkey recipe serves between 2 and 8 people depending on the size of the turkey breast

Ingredients

Turkey breast: I like to use boneless turkey breast, but this recipe also works well with a bone-in turkey breast, sometimes also known as a turkey crown. The base recipe works for a 2-3 pound breast (around 1 kg), so keep in mind that if you use a larger breast, you will need more of the other ingredients as well.

Bacon: Use your favorite bacon strips. I like to use regular streaky bacon, as it stretches quite well. You can try to use turkey bacon, but it should be quite flexible to allow us to effectively wrap the turkey.

Olive oil: Makes a great base for the glaze. You can substitute with vegetable oil or canola oil if you prefer.

Maple syrup: Gives the turkey a lovely autumnal flavor. Don't worry, this won't make the meat sweet. You can use a little brown sugar instead if you prefer.

Mustard: A little Dijon mustard is a fantastic addition to the turkey glaze. You can use yellow mustard if you prefer, or omit this ingredient.

Seasoning: I use a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and thyme. It might sound like a lot, but the seasoning really makes a difference, and the result is absolutely delicious.

The ingredients needed to make this recipe.

Bacon weave

Bacon weave or bacon lattice; this is simply a sheet of bacon that's weaved together and cooked on top of the turkey.

You can prepare the weave as a kind of blanket that you then put on top of the turkey, or weave the bacon directly on top of the marinated turkey breast.

Place a bacon strip down at the end of the turkey. Then, place more bacon strips next to the first one until you've covered the turkey breast with bacon strips going horizontally across the meat. These are the horizontal bacon strips.

If you're assembling the bacon weave next to the turkey breast, just place bacon down until you've covered the length of the turkey breast.

The remaining bacon strips should all be placed in the opposite direction, lengthwise down the breast. These are the vertical bacon strips. Start the weave by gently lifting up the edge of the bacon strips that you first put down, on one side of the turkey. Place your new bacon strip down by alternating placing it over and under the existing bacon strips.

Then, grab the next bacon strip. Lift the horizontal bacon strips from the opposite edge compared to where you started your weave. Repeat the process of alternating placing the bacon strips over and under the existing strips, but this time you start in the opposite direction compared to last time. So if you started the first vertical strip by placing it over the first horizontal strip, you will start the second vertical strip by placing it under the first horizontal strip.

Repeat this process with all bacon strips. Wrap bacon around the edges of the turkey breast to seal the meat.

💡 TIP! Struggling to get the bacon weave down? Check out this easy video guide on how to make it.

Instructions

You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page

One: Combine the seasoning, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and olive oil in a small bowl. Stir to incorporate the ingredients evenly.

Two: Use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon or coat the turkey evenly in the glaze. Make sure to cover the entire roast, including the bottom of the meat.

Three: Cover the turkey breast with a bacon weave. Place turkey in a roasting dish, with the bacon side up, and the ends of the bacon strips tucked underneath the meat.

Roast for about 1 hour at 350 F, or until the internal temperature reads about 155-160 F or 68-72 C. Turn up the temperature or broil the turkey for a few minutes to make the bacon crispy if you want.

Remove the turkey from the oven, and leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes covered by aluminum foil or a clean kitchen towel. The turkey breast will continue to cook while the juices settle into the meat, and reach a total temperature of 165 F / 74 C before you can carve and serve it.

Step by step images showing how to make this recipe.

Top tips

The best way to ensure juicy turkey breast is to brine it first. It's an additional step, but makes a big difference to the final outcome.
You can adjust the seasoning to taste, but I highly recommend adding at least some form of seasoning.
The turkey should be placed direcly in the roasting dish to make it as juicy as possible.
Increase the temperature for the last few minutes of roasting, or broil the turkey for a few minutes to allow the bacon to become golden and crispy.
Wait until the internal temperature reaches 74 C / 165 F before you slice and carve it.
A larger turkey breast will require a longer cooking time and additional bacon. See cooking time adjustments in the recipe notes.

Serving suggestions

This easy bacon wrapped boneless turkey breast is a fantastic main course for any roast dinner, and is well suited for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, or during the holiday season.

Turkey breast is best served with a flavorful sauce like Gluten Free Turkey Gravy or Red Wine Jus. You can also pair it with any side dishes that you like, such as Crispy Roast Potatoes, Steamed Brussels Sprouts, Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Green Beans, Slow Cooker Red Cabbage or Potato Stuffing.

Check out What To Serve With Roast for more meal inspiration!

Sliced turkey breast on a serving platter, with yorkshire puddings, gravy, green beans, cranberries and potatoes on the side.

Variations

Other seasonings: Feel free to substitute the seasoning with any herbs or spices that you like. Dried herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary, or basil are great options. You can also try adding lemon zest, garlic herb seasoning, cumin, turkey spice blend, or chicken seasoning.

Bone-in turkey breast: You can make this recipe using turkey breast with bone as well. This will require an increased cooking time, and extra bacon since the breast will be larger.

Equipment

I always recommend using a meat thermometer whenever you roast any meat, whether it's turkey, chicken, beef, pork, or anything else. A meat thermometer allows you to ensure that you've cooked the meat perfectly. By using one, you can avoid accidentally undercooking the meat, but you will also avoid overcooking the turkey to "make sure it's properly cooked".

Additionally, you will need a pastry brush, a small spoon or whisk, and a bowl to prepare the turkey glaze or marinade.

You can roast turkey breast in an oven-safe dish. I often use a roasting pan, but any casserole dish, pie dish, sheet pan or baking sheet, or even a large cake pan will work well. To keep the meat juicy, you should avoid using roasting racks.

💡 TIP! Avoid using roasting racks when you roast boneless skinless turkey breast. The meat actually benefits from being cooked in its own juices, and this will make the turkey tender.

Storage

Store any leftover turkey in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.

I like to shred, cube, or thinly slice leftover turkey. You can use the meat in a variety of recipes, either as a substitute for shredded chicken, as a sandwich filler, or in soups and casseroles.

Frozen leftover turkey stores really well, and is great to have on hand for quick and easy future dinners. You can add it to any stew, pasta, salad, or soup for a delicious yet simple meal.

Frequently asked questions

Why do you put bacon on a turkey?

The crispy, salty bacon pairs perfectly with the tender and lean turkey meat. Covering the turkey breast with bacon also means that you don't have to keep basting the meat, and it gives you a tender result even if you didn't brine the turkey before cooking.

How can you tell if turkey breast is done without a meat thermometer?

If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can ensure that the turkey is done by piercing it with a skewer or fork into the thickest part of the meat. Look closely at the juices; if they come out clear, the meat is cooked. If they have a pink tint, the meat needs more time.