The Best Way to Cook Turkey Bacon
Package instructions are always either too vague or inconsistent. We knew we could do better.
See Also
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Taste TestTurkey Bacon
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recipeOven-Fried Bacon
When preparing turkey bacon for our tasting, we found that the package instructions either were vague and inconsistent or called for cooking the strips in a dry (no fat) skillet, which didn't produce the nicely browned, crisp-tender texture we were after. So we experimented to come up with a method that we liked. We tried cooking the strips on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet in a 400-degree oven, a method we often use when cooking pork bacon, but the results were leathery. The better approach was to pan-fry them in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. The oil ensured that the turkey bacon made full, even contact with the heat, but the results weren't greasy; in fact, when we poured out the spent fat, we collected nearly the full 2 tablespoons we'd started with. The browned, crisp-tender results rivaled pork bacon enough that by the end of testing, we made a couple of turkey bacon converts.
Method for four strips of turkey bacon: Preheat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet (traditional or nonstick) over medium heat until shimmering. Place strips in skillet and cook, turning strips every 2 to 3 minutes and adjusting heat as necessary, until bacon is deeply browned and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer strips to paper towel–lined plate and serve.