Last Updated on 4th August 2022 by
I never considered cooking any kind of bacon in the oven until I read about someone else doing it online. After trying it out, I’ve become a convert, and I want to share with you how to cook turkey bacon in the oven perfectly.
There are definitely some advantages to cooking turkey with this method. Of course, you don’t end up with all the grease you would in a frying pan. It’s a healthier method of cooking that doesn’t require any oil and that gives you perfectly crispy turkey bacon every time.
Why Use Turkey Bacon instead of Pork Bacon?
A lot of people switch over from traditional pork bacon strips too using turkey bacon. The reason for this is that turkey bacon is a leaner, healthier kind of meat. It tastes similarly, so it makes for a good substitute.
You can cook turkey bacon in a skillet, but the problem is it won’t come out crispy like pork bacon would in skillet cooking. How to cook turkey bacon to get that same crispy texture that we all love from our bacon? The answer is to cook it in the oven, and I’ll show you how to do that.
How to Cook Turkey Bacon in Oven
Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. This helps make the food easy to clean up after cooking.
Lay out your bacon on the sheet flat and in a single layer. The edges might overlap a little bit, and that’s okay, but you don’t want too much overlap. Do not stack any pieces of bacon on top of each other. This will prevent them from cooking evenly and completely.
One of the big advantages to cooking turkey bacon in the oven is that the bacon will cook evenly without much effort from you. All you have to do is arrange the bacon properly on the baking sheet.
Bake the turkey bacon for about 10 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit and then flip it over. Cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the bacon is done.
You should keep an eye on the bacon to make sure it doesn’t overcook and burn. It isn’t necessary to flip the bacon over, but that will give you bacon that is crispier. That’s why we’re cooking it in the oven, after all.
How long to cook turkey bacon in oven is up to you. It just depends on how crispy you want it. Once you flip it, for a softer turkey bacon, cook it for just five minutes. For a crunchier texture, cook for a full 10 minutes more.
How to Cook Turkey Bacon in Microwave
I’ve showed you how to cook turkey bacon in the oven, now I want to tell you about microwave cooking. This is definitely a quicker and simpler way to cook your turkey bacon, but it’s harder to get that crispy texture. If that doesn’t matter to you, then let’s talk about how long to cook turkey bacon in microwave.
This method doesn’t take long at all and is a little bit simpler than the oven baking method. Just use a microwave safe plate and lay down a layer of paper towel on the plate. Then, put your turkey bacon down on the paper towel in a single layer. Once again, be careful about having too much overlap.
How long to cook turkey bacon with this method? You can cook it for about 50 seconds and see if it is done. If it needs longer than that, put it back into the microwave and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Continue cooking in 30-second intervals until the bacon is finished. How long it takes to cook will depend on how much turkey bacon you have in the microwave at once.
Now you know how to cook turkey bacon in the microwave, which is definitely the fastest way to cook this meat.
How to Cook Turkey Bacon on Stove
You can also cook your turkey bacon on the stove, but it’s not my preferred method because of the grease spatter and the fact that it’s tough to make it come out crispy. Once again, though, this is a pretty simple way to cook your turkey bacon.
You either need to use a nonstick pan or a little cooking oil in the pan to keep the bacon from sticking to your pan. If it sticks, it will burn and will be tough to get up. We don’t need to put much oil down in the pan for this method.
Use a medium heat and cook your bacon for about 8 to 10 minutes. Be sure not to crowd the pan and give your bacon enough space to cook, also remembering to cook in a single layer. Flip the bacon about every two minutes to keep it from burning on any one side.
How to Cook Turkey Bacon in the Air Fryer
I’ll share with you one last method for how to cook turkey bacon, and that’s by using an air fryer. The advantage to using this method is that there’s very little oil or grease involved, and it comes out healthier than if you were to cook it in a pan. Air fryers are very easy to use and are often a healthy alternative to the typical frying method.
I’m going to reiterate that you need to give the bacon enough space and only put it into the fryer basket in a single layer. That’s very important if you want your turkey bacon to cook evenly.
How long to cook turkey bacon in air fryer? I cook a few strips of bacon at a time in the air fryer for five minutes at 390 degrees Fahrenheit. At that point, the turkey bacon needs to be flipped over and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
Be sure to handle your bacon with care no matter which method you are using and use tongues to pick it up and flip it. In the frying pan, you can use a spatula to flip your turkey bacon.
There you have it- a few simple methods for cooking turkey bacon. No matter which where you prefer, it’s easy enough to cook it and make it come out perfectly every time. How you cook it will depend on what appliances you have available and whether you want the turkey bacon crispy or soft. It may also depend on how quickly you want it cooked. How long can you store turkey bacon in the fridge? You can find our guide to cooing, storing and freezing all kinds of bacon
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
Shawn Carter
Monday 5th of April 2021
The secret to crispy turkey bacon is frying it in about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. This might seem like a lot, but the oil will ensure that the bacon makes constant, even contact with the heat, which allows for optimal crispiness
affiLEEiates20
Monday 5th of April 2021
Thank you for the tip!