Bacon Wrapped Turkey Recipe (The Best Turkey You'll Ever Eat!)

Whether you’re a bacon lover or not, wrapping a turkey in bacon is a great way to tenderize and add moisture! Learn how to do it with this easy and delicious bacon wrapped turkey recipe. It will be the best turkey you’ll ever eat!

This is a great way to cook a heritage turkey or an organic turkey that doesn’t have flavoring injected. The grease from the bacon is absorbed by the turkey as it’s cooking, making it flavorful and moist! Although we prefer bacon wrapped turkey with pork bacon, you can also use turkey bacon! We like to use Applegate organic bacon. We use this recipe all the time to cook our home raised Bourbon Red turkeys.

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How Long to Cook a Turkey?

Turkey should be completely thawed before cooking. It takes approximately 15-20 minutes per pound at 325F for a turkey to reach 165 degrees. So you can expect a 15lb. turkey to bake 4-5 hours, give or take.

Bacon Wrapped Turkey Recipe

1 12-16lb. turkey, thawed
12-15 strips bacon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or coconut oil
1 small onion, quartered
1 large carrot
3 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
handful of toothpicks

To cook a bacon wrapped turkey, preheat oven to 325F.

Rinse turkey in cool water and place in a large roasting pan.

Stuff turkey with butter or coconut oil and whole vegetables. Lightly salt and pepper the outside of the turkey.

Lay the strips of bacon across the turkey, securing each end with a toothpick. Cover with a lid or foil and bake until the turkey reaches 165F (about 20 minutes per pound of bird).

Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. When the turkey reaches 155F, remove the foil so the bacon will get crispy. Continue baking until the thermometer registers 165F.

Carve and enjoy your flavorful, tender bacon wrapped turkey!

To make a simple gravy, heat the turkey drippings on the stove. Mix 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1 cup milk or half and half and stir it into the drippings. Cook, stirring until thickened. Add pepper to taste and serve over turkey.

This recipe also pairs well with our favorite Orange Honey Cranberry Sauce Recipe.

Bacon Wrapped Turkey Leftovers Recipes

Leftover turkey? Try a turkey bacon sandwich with cranberry sauce and cream cheese = Yum!

When we’ve eaten most of the meat off the turkey, we like to simmer the bones and vegetables it was stuffed with to make a rich turkey broth. If you’ve never had turkey soup, you’re missing out! Once the turkey broth is finished, I remove the bones and add a variety of homegrown vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, onion, celery, peas, parsnips, garlic and potatoes. Toss a little of the meat back in and enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!