Bacon is one of our favorite foods. Really, can anything top that smoky, juicy taste? We use it sparingly to add crackly goodness to soups and pasta, and to make our morning eggs even more delicious. But we never thought much of turkey bacon; it seemed like one of those half-hearted and unworthy substitutes for the real thing, like chocolate pudding with Splenda, or low-fat yogurt.
Well, we were wrong.
We bought turkey bacon on an experimental whim recently, and we realized that we had never really tasted the stuff before. We had it panfried with soup, and it really impressed us with its meaty, savory taste and rich texture.
Here's the key to turkey bacon: You can't mix it up with pork bacon, or look to it to be just like that streaked fatty goodness. It's a different sort of food altogether, but it's delicious in its own right and on its own terms. We often buy it now, but we don't use it as a "low-fat" substitute for "real" bacon; we use it when we want to add a little meat to a dish, and when we want a whole strip of bacon. We still use pork bacon any time we want real bacon flavor to infuse a whole dish, and when we need bacon fat to cook with. Turkey bacon gives off very little fat.
Turkey bacon, as you can see from the package photo above, is usually made from turkey thighs that have been ground and processed into strips. Some are cured; others are not. We enjoy Trader Joe's brand a lot.
Do you eat turkey bacon?
Related: Quick Tip: Freezing Bacon
(Image: Faith Durand)
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Oh, turkey bacon is one my favorite things in the world. I make the whole bag and store it in my fridge for snacks. It is so thin and get so crispy, I make dip and use it as a replacement for chips.
view thill's profile
I love turkey bacon and prefer it to "real" bacon. You're right, though- it's (literally) a different animal. I've even hooked my fiance on the stuff!
view prometheanne's profile
Actually, Trader Joes also has a "center-cut", low nitrite regular pork bacon that has less sodium and less fat than turkey bacon (you have to check the serving size to compare) so I always get this one and indulge everyday!! It is only ~4 g of fat and about 70 calories for two slices of bacon. It also has less cholesterol than turkey bacon - is it added during processing I wonder?
view sassy's profile
Ha. I was just laughing at turkey bacon the other day.
It's mostly chemicals and filler.
And yet the same kind of people who wouldn't want to be in the same room as a hunk of baloney, or a chicken nugget, are suckered in by turkey bacon.
My opinion is: either eat bacon, or don't. You can't have it both ways.
view beth maher's profile
I also think turkey bacon is gross. Dry and flavourless! I can't speak to the better brands out there, but why mess with a good thing? Pork bacon all the way!
view minji's profile
I'd rather just eat less of the real thing and do w/out the added chemicals and fillers.
view rosebud's profile
Count me on the pro-turkey-bacon side of the fence. I agree that it's not even in the same ballpark as regular bacon but that's fine by me. I'm not a fan of regular bacon (I am the only person I know to admit that) but I LOVE turkey bacon. Bonus points if it's cooked over a campfire.
view anninva's profile
i've never had it, but it sounds gross to me.
view fardaesm's profile
also, they've just said on oprah that regular bacon is better for you than turkey bacon because turkey bacon has 25% more sodium but the same amount of calories and fat.
view fardaesm's profile
LOVE THAT TURKEY BACON !!! I zap it in the micro and it comes out really crispy. YUM.....
view gallupgirrl's profile
There is a huge difference between the turkey bacon in the supermarket and what you find at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, both in taste and in chemicals. I occasionally buy the (expensive!) Turkey bacon at Whole Foods, and find that it's fantastic if you bake it in the oven, not so good if you try to fry it. It gets nice and crisp, and it's great with eggs, or as an addition to sandwiches, or general snack. I find it doesn't crumble enough to work for me in salads.
view sugar2s's profile
I grew up eating Turkey bacon and actually (gasp!) have come to love it more than real bacon... We always keep it in the house & its just delish!
I make a mean potato & corn chowder with Sherry that wouldn't be the same without the turkey bacon flavor!
view msfraust's profile
beth maher: Some of us keep kosher, so pork bacon isn't an option.
view fade on violet's profile
Wow! Maybe I should retitle this post: Turkey Bacon, Surprisingly Controversial. ;-)
And just one additional note, too: every sort of bacon potentially has chemicals, additives, and filler. We should always be alert to the ingredient list when buying any sort of processed meat. I probably should have said that in the post, but it also sort of goes without saying, these days.
view faith's profile
Beth: Not everyone eats turkey bacon for health reasons. I eat it because I don't eat any meat from mammals, which means bacon made from pigs is not an option. I don't see the need for getting an attitude about it...
view confusednazgul's profile