Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast will be the star of your Thanksgiving meal! Juicy and tender meat seasoned with brown sugar rub and wrapped in crispy bacon for the best turkey recipe ever!
And for other methods, be sure to check out my air fryer turkey breast and Instant Pot turkey breast.
Table of contents
This bacon wrapped turkey breast recipe is creative, delicious and is sure to please all your holiday guests this year!
Years ago I mastered how to cook boneless turkey breast, and then I perfected my bone-in turkey breast. So why not up the ante this time of year and include something covered in bacon, too? It really adds a celebratory touch, I think!
Juicy turkey breast with a brown sugar rub and savory, crispy bacon, my mouth is watering just thinking about how good it was. I know your family will love it just as much as mine did!
Plus, roasting a turkey breast is a great option for a smaller gathering when you don’t need to cook a whole bird. This Thanksgiving turkey recipe is easy, mouthwatering, and just downright delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Bacon Wrapped Turkey
- Juicy: Easy roasting method with optimal oven time and temperatures ensures this turkey is never dry!
- Flavorful: A garlic herb rub, plus there is a reason everything tastes better with delicious bacon. It’s salty and smoky!
- Festive: Impress your family and guests with this turkey wrapped in bacon! It’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Ingredients Needed
This recipe for bacon wrapped turkey uses simple ingredients you have in your pantry right now. What’s not to love?!
- Turkey breast: I used a 3 lbs boneless turkey breast with skin on. You can use fresh one or previously frozen turkey breast that has been fully thawed. There is no difference in taste and quality IMHO.
- Olive oil: This helps the rub adhere to the turkey skin.
- Brown sugar rub: Brown sugar, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt and ground black pepper. For an alternative seasoning, I also have this turkey rub recipe with a few more additional savory spices.
- Bacon: 10-12 slices of any kind of bacon, even turkey bacon! I recommend to use a brand you know and like.
How to Thaw a Turkey Breast
I have detailed post on how long to defrost turkey breast but here is a quick overview. The best way and safest way is to thaw a turkey breast on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator.
Place it unopened on a large plate or baking dish to catch any juices, just in case. Thaw smaller breast overnight and larger breast for 1-2 days.
Another quicker method I learnt from Good Housekeeping is to thaw turkey breast in cold water. Place it in the packaging in a large bowl with cold water and ice. You may also change it once or twice to keep water ice cold. Plan on 30 minutes per pound of thawing time.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast
To bacon wrap a turkey breast is easier than you think! You don’t even have to do a bacon weave with your bacon strips, but you may if wish.
To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and place metal wire rack on top of your baking sheet pan and spray it with cooking spray.
- Make the rub: In a small bowl, add brown sugar, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, pepper and stir. You can use same amount of fresh thyme for even more flavor.
- Season the turkey breast: Place turkey breast on a plate or work surface and pat dry with paper towel, so the oil will stick to its surface. Then brush with olive oil and rub with spice mixture, making sure to cover each side of the turkey breast. You can also sprinkle on the rub as well.
- Secure bacon on turkey: Wrap strips of bacon on top of the turkey breast, overlapping each other a bit and making sure to cover entire turkey breast. As you have 2-3 slices layed, secure it with toothpicks on both sides.
- Bake and rest: Transfer onto prepared baking sheet and bake uncovered for 90-95 minutes, it’s about 30 minutes per pound. Or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminium foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Resting is important to ensure juicy turkey breast.
Safety Tip
As per USDA guideline, your turkey is safe to eat when thermometer registers 165 F in the thickest part of the breast. While we remove it from the oven at 160 F to prevent it from over drying, meat will reach 165 F while resting.
How Long to Cook a Turkey Breast?
Cook time for turkey breast covered in bacon is about 30 minutes per pound. It is all about the weight. Of course, every oven bakes a bit differently, so yours could take a few minutes less or more.
Here I did the math for you and am including cook times from 2 lbs to 10 lbs turkey breast, including minutes and hours.
- 2 lbs – 60 minutes or 1 hour
- 3 lbs – 90 minutes or 1.5 hours
- 4 lbs – 120 minutes or 2 hours
- 5 lbs – 150 minutes or 2 hours 30 minutes
- 6 lbs – 180 minutes or 3 hours
- 7 lbs – 210 minutes or 3 hours 30 minutes
- 8 lbs – 240 minutes or 4 hours
- 9 lbs – 270 minutes or 4 hours 30 minutes
- 10 lbs – 300 minutes or 5 hours
Over 6 Lbs Tip
For the larger turkey breast weighing 6 pounds and over, you may have to cook it at 35 minutes per pound. Start with recommended 30 mins per lb, and then check with a thermometer and go from there.
Expert Tips
- Instant read thermometer: This is the best way to check the internal temperature of your turkey breast to ensure it is cooked through.
- If turkey isn’t cooked: If your turkey breast is larger, cook it for 35 minutes per pound. If it is still not cooked, rotate the turkey and bake for additional 15-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
- If bacon isn’t browned: Move turkey to upper shelf and broil until bacon is crispy. Watch not to burn!
- Roasting pan: You can use a roasting pan or even a Dutch oven without a rack.
Serving Suggestions
Before serving, don’t forget to remove the toothpicks from your oven roasted bacon-wrapped turkey breast. And also make sure to slice using a sharp knife!
You can also remove toothpicks after slicing, if it’s easier for you to keep pieces of bacon in place.
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, there are so many favorite sides that go with turkey to choose from!
Here are a few of our favorite side dishes:
- Mashed potatoes
- Garlic green beans
- Cranberry sauce with maple syrup
- Roasted mini sweet peppers
- Cauliflower stuffing
How to Store and Reheat
- Store: Refrigerate roast whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Reheat: I find the best way to reheat any turkey breast is by microwaving it for a few minutes. Or using an air fryer same way we use air fryer to reheat a chicken breast. I do not recommend to reheat it in the oven because meat will dry out.
- Freeze: Freeze leftovers sliced, shredded or cut into bite sized pieces in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator.
FAQs
The rule of thumb is to plan 1/2 lb of cooked turkey per person. It also depends on whether you are serving all adults or including kids. This recipe serves 6-8 people.
You don’t have to. While you certainly could do a dry brine or wet brine, my perfect turkey breast recipe doesn’t require it. It’s the perfect roasting method that ensures juicy, flavorful results!
The process of wrapping a turkey breast is really much easier than you think, especially when you compare to covering a whole turkey in bacon!
Place the turkey breast on a cutting board or plate and wrap slices of bacon all the way around entire breast, one right next to the other. You could weave bacon or make a bacon lattice, but you don’t have to!
Use toothpicks to secure the bacon to the turkey. This ensures it stays moist while roasting! It’s like an extra layer of juicy protection.
Move cooked turkey breast to the upper shelf and turn on broiler. Broil for a few minutes until bacon is crispy. I recommend not to walk away and watch it closely. Broling happens fast and it could burn your dish in seconds.
Yes. Dressed turkey breast can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let turkey come to room temperature, then proceed with roasting.
More Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
Discover more methods to cook your turkey this holiday season plus all my favorite healthy Thanksgiving recipes!
Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless turkey breast or boneless turkey roast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 10-12 slices bacon
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place metal cooking rack on top of baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, add brown sugar, garlic powder, thyme, salt, pepper and stir.
- Place turkey breast on a plate and dry with paper towels, then brush with olive oil and rub with seasoning. Wrap bacon on top making sure to cover entire surface and securing it with toothpicks.
- Transfer onto prepared baking sheet and bake uncovered for 90-95 minutes, about 30 minutes per pound, or until internal read thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees F.
- Remove from the oven, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Remove toothpicks, slice using a sharp knife and serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite side dishes.
Notes
- Make ahead: Dressed turkey breast can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let turkey come to room temperature, then proceed with roasting.
- Store: Refrigerate roast whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Freeze leftovers sliced or cut into bite sized pieces in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator.
- If turkey isn’t cooked: If your turkey breast is larger cook for 35 minutes per pound. If it is still not cooked, rotate the turkey and bake for additional 15-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
- If bacon isn’t browned: Move turkey to upper shelf and broil until bacon is crispy. Watch not to burn!
- Roasting pan: You can use a roasting pan or even a Dutch oven without a rack.
You must have removed twine wrap before wrapping bacon?
Yes
Took a chance and tried this recipe for Thanksgiving. I am shouting a big thank you!!! This turkey breast was amazing. Such great flavor and super moist. And I never make a moist turkey even with all the different things I’ve tried in the past. We really loved it. Thanks again!!!!
Yay, my pleasure, Gloria! Happy Thanksgiving!