I Tried 8 Turkey Bacon Brands & the Best Was Crispy & Juicy

One of the most drool-worthy parts of any breakfast spread is a stack of sizzling, fatty bacon—and there are scores of enticing bacon brands to choose from when you want to stock up on this iconic breakfast side. Nowadays, consumers also have plenty of options when they crave the taste of bacon in a lighter, leaner format. 

I'm talking, of course, about turkey bacon. While classic pork bacon is typically made from pork belly that's cured, smoked, and sliced, turkey bacon typically consists of turkey meat that's chopped, reformed into a shape resembling a slab of bacon, and then sliced into strips. 

The turkey variety tends to be lower in calories and fat than traditional bacon, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That's why many shoppers consider it a better choice for their diets. However, Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, notes that this isn't necessarily true for all turkey bacon brands.

"While turkey bacon is often advertised as a healthier alternative to pork bacon, it's essential to consider its nutritional content," Manaker tells Eat This, Not That! "Turkey bacon can contain nitrates and sodium, similar to pork bacon, which can contribute to health issues if consumed in large quantities. Therefore, it is not always the healthier option people might assume." She adds, "Choosing uncured products or those labeled as 'reduced sodium' can help in making a slightly better choice for your diet. However, moderation is key regardless of the type of bacon you choose."

It's not just the nutritional value of turkey bacon that can vary drastically—so can the taste. I recently set out to find the most delicious option by trying every brand I could find at several retailers in my area. Admittedly, I believe that even the absolute best turkey bacon will never be as delicious and crispy as classic pork bacon. However, I've also come to learn that turkey bacon can be pretty darn tasty in its own right—and super easy to prepare on a busy morning. 

I ranked eight turkey bacon brands on taste, texture, and appearance, favoring ones that had a strong, savory flavor and zero dryness (a common issue in turkey bacon, in my experience). Read on for my review of each option, starting with my least favorite and ending with my top pick!

Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon

Oscar Mayer's Turkey Bacon is made from smoked cured turkey that's chopped and formed with added smoke flavor. A 12-ounce pack cost me $4.48.

The look: This brand had some of the thinnest turkey bacon out of all the varieties I tried. It looked as though Oscar Mayer had tried to create the marbled look of classic pork bacon in these chopped and formed slices, and they browned up nicely on the stovetop.

The taste: I was pretty excited to try the Oscar Mayer brand since it looked more attractive than many of the other varieties in this experiment. However, both the taste and texture were a huge letdown. The slices tasted overwhelmingly of unpleasant artificial smoke flavor, plus they were leathery and hard to bite through. Aside from the look, I couldn't find anything to like about this option.

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Applegate Naturals Uncured Turkey Bacon

Applegate Naturals' Uncured Turkey Bacon is made from turkey leg meat that's smoked with hickory. An eight-ounce pack cost me $5.99.

The look: Applegate's turkey bacon was super uniform in shape, slightly thicker, longer, and lacked the subtle marbled effect from the Oscar Mayer brand. The slices browned up nice and evenly after a few minutes on a griddle pan.

The taste: The most expensive turkey bacon I sampled for this taste test turned out to be one of the least enjoyable, unfortunately. While decently salty, the flavor lacked the smokiness and umami factor I crave in turkey bacon. And though not as tough as Oscar Mayer's version, the bacon cooked up floppy and didn't bring much to the table in in regard to texture. It rose above the Oscar Mayer version in this ranking because it, thankfully, lacked the artificial smoke taste. However, I still wouldn't try this brand again.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Trader Joe's Uncured Turkey Bacon

Trader Joe's Uncured Turkey Bacon is made from chopped turkey thigh meat that's seasoned and smoked with applewood and other hardwoods. An eight-ounce pack cost me $3.99.

The look: Shorter than Applegate's turkey bacon, as well as slightly thicker. The slices didn't brown quite as well or as evenly as the two lower-ranking brands, and they looked a little dry on the outside after I seared them.

The taste: Pretty solid, though not without its flaws. Despite my fears that they'd dried out, the extra-thick cut of the slices helped them stay decently moist and easy to eat. I could also detect some natural smoke flavor, which made it an immediate improvement over both Oscar Mayer and Applegate (even though I would have preferred more smokiness).  Overall, this is far from the best turkey bacon I've had, but it could be satisfactory in a pinch.

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Godshall's Uncured Turkey Bacon

Godshall's Uncured Turkey Bacon is made from chopped and formed turkey thighs smoked with hickory and applewood. A 10-ounce pack cost me $4.60.

The look: Every piece of Godshall's Turkey Bacon was almost eerily uniform in shape and size. They were about the same thickness as Trader Joe's extra-thick pieces, and similarly, didn't brown very much.

The taste: This brand was pretty darn similar to Trader Joe's version, but marginally better in a couple of ways. While Godshall's slices weren't crispy by any means, the edges developed a slight crunch that I really enjoyed. And though I could have gone for more oomph with the seasoning and flavor, it had a little more of that smoky, savory taste I'd been yearning for. It's nothing mind blowing, but still undeniably tasty.

John F. Martin & Sons Turkey Bacon

John F. Martin & Sons' Turkey Bacon is made from cured dark turkey meat that's chopped, formed, and smoked with hickory. A 12-ounce pack cost me $3.99.

The look: These strips were longer than all of the others and had a medium thickness—similar to the Applegate Naturals turkey bacon. They didn't develop the attractive golden brown sear I saw with some of the other brands.

The taste: Like all of the other lower-ranking brands in this taste test, the John Martin bacon fell short on texture. The pieces didn't stay quite as moist as the Trader Joe's and Godshall's turkey bacons during the cooking process, maybe because they weren't as thick. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the flavor.

I found the taste of all the lower-ranking turkey bacon brands to be lacking in some way, whether it be because of a lack of salt or smoke. But John F. Martin & Sons' strips had a great balance of savory, salty, and smoky notes, making them closer in taste than I expected to classic pork bacon.

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Never Any! Uncured Turkey Bacon

Aldi's Never Any! Uncured Turkey Bacon is minimally processed and made from chopped and formed turkey. An eight-ounce pack cost me $3.29.

The look: Pretty craveable, especially for a turkey bacon brand I've never seen nor sampled before. These private label Aldi slices had a medium thickness and browned beautifully and evenly.

The taste: I was almost as impressed by the taste of the Never Any! brand as the look. While the flavor wasn't quite as strong and delicious as it was in the John F. Martin & Sons turkey bacon, this Aldi option was pleasantly salty and savory with some smoky notes playing in the background. With slightly crispy edges and that deeply seared exterior, this was also one of the best-textured turkey bacon options of the entire taste test.

Butterball Turkey Bacon

Butterball's Original Turkey Bacon is made from cured, smoked, chopped, and formed turkey meat. A 12-ounce pack cost me $3.98.

The look: Out of all the brands I tried in this experiment, Butterball's turkey bacon looked the most unique. It had irregular wavy edges and that same marbling effect I spotted in the Oscar Mayer brand. It also developed a rippled texture during the cooking process, which made it look slightly more similar to traditional pork bacon.

The taste: I've long believed that Butterball makes some of the best turkey bacon, and I was proven right in this taste test. It had that ultra salty, savory quality I enjoy in traditional bacon. And even though the slice thickness was about the same as the thinner Oscar Mayer turkey bacon, it was easy to bite through and not leathery in the slightest.

This option did feel and look a bit more unnatural and processed compared to the Never Any! and John F. Martin & Sons turkey bacons. However, the drool-inducing taste and pleasant texture still made it rise above the other two brands in my book.

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Great Value Uncured Turkey Bacon

Walmart's Great Value Uncured Turkey Bacon is made from chopped and formed dark turkey meat smoked with hardwood. A 10-ounce pack cost me $3.72.

The look: I could have easily mistaken this Walmart-brand turkey bacon for Aldi's version. It had the same uniformly rectangular texture, medium thickness, glistening sheen, and deep sear.

The taste: I had zero expectations—good or bad—for this Great Value product going into this taste test, but it completely blew me away. These strips are everything I've ever wanted in turkey bacon. The flavor was strong and delicious—salty, smoky, savory, and slightly sweet. It's got an umami-like, addictive quality to it that made me want to keep eating more and more. The texture was also really impressive for a bacon that isn't made from fatty pork. The edges were crispy and toothsome, and the sear added a little bit of texture without drying out the poultry. 

Overall, this hidden Walmart gem was the best turkey bacon I've ever had, and absolutely worth a try for any of my fellow turkey bacon fans.

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