Juicy and moist turkey meat with crispy bacon on top - needless to say, it is The Best Thanksgiving Turkey With Bacon recipe out there!
This post is all about the best thanksgiving turkey with bacon stripes recipe. Turkey is moist and juicy from bacon strips along with a delicious gravy on the side.
Imagine making the Best Thanksgiving Turkey With Bacon, the moistest and most juicy thanksgiving dinner.
... And I am going to stop you right there because you don't need to imagine anymore! It's here!
I got the PERFECT Thanksgiving turkey recipe that guarantees you to have the juiciest and most moist turkey you'll ever taste! And that's not all! From this recipe, you'll also be able to serve crispy bacon and be able to make the most delicious gravy to go with your fabulous turkey.
I absolutely promise you once you try this recipe, you're going to write this down and bookmark this recipe forever. You're going to return back here every year looking for this recipe. It's not only the BEST Thanksgiving turkey with bacon that you can make when family and friends gather around the table this year.
Thanksgiving turkeys are sadly renowned to be dry and flavourless. It's such a shame because when you know how to make it, you'll be surprised at how easy it is to make the best turkey on Thanksgiving Day. It' doesn't have to be dry as long as you follow some simple rules.
In all honestly, this recipe is a game changer! My Chinese side of the family hates turkey. They think turkey meat is flavourless and impossibly dry. However after they tried this recipe they are more excited to celebrate Thanksgiving, and a huge bragging moment to show off to friends about how I make the absolute Best Thanksgiving Turkey With Bacon.
Yes, the cooking hours are long, but 90% of the time it is very hands-off.
Why Try This Recipe?
I got some professional tips on a fail-proof recipe for you! I've been using and making this turkey for 10 years now! No joke!
And every time I make it, the turkey always come out the moistest and juiciest turkey every year. I'm known in the family for the most important task for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner: to make this Best Thanksgiving Turkey with Bacon Strips.
The Best Turkey Gravy
Okay, enough about the turkey, what about the gravy? I'll be sharing with you the recipe for the best thanksgiving gravy to go alongside this turkey.
The gravy is made from the turkey's marinate and the juice of the turkey and bacon's drippings. It is absolutely heavenly. Your home will be poofing out delicious aromas of fall and Thanksgiving - everyone will be knocking at your door asking to join in.
This turkey gravy recipe is an easy one! When your turkey is done cooking and it is having its 30-minute time-out time, this is the moment to make your hot steamy bowl of gravy.
Use Turkey Carcass to make another meal
I'll also be sharing with you what to do with the turkey carcass as well after it is done. Because of the long marinating hours of the meat and carcass of the turkey, the left-over bones are also packed with flavour.
Know Anatomy of the Turkey
Turkey has two different meat: dark meat and white meat. Dark is along the legs because the leg moves a lot and needs oxygen, the meat is dark. White meat is on the breast because it is less active.
Why do we need to know this? Because we know where we need to bast the turkey more. For example, we know the chest is the driest part of the turkey, so the bacon need more impact and TLC along the chest to give it more moisture so it doesn't dry out.
Woven Bacon Strips
Bacon helps retain moisture in the turkey. Weaving the bacon strips along the breast and leg of the turkey helps trap moisture better than simply lying the stips on it one by one. Weaving the bacon strips also helps lock in the position of the bacon. When bacon gets cooked, the shrink and curls up, and by weaving it, we solve all that.
We don't just add bacon to the turkey because we are addicted to bacon (ok, maybe just a little), but because bacon helps moisten the meat. It acts as a fatty moisturizer for the dry part of the turkey so it doesn't dry out. Besides using bacon, we are also cooking the turkey at a lower temperature to further moisten the best thanksgiving turkey without drying it out.
Seasoning
We are making a simple seasoning that is jam-packed with flavour! In the seasoning, we have onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, paprika, and salt.
Once it is all finely chopped and grated, we heat a pan of hot oil and pour it over the ingredients. This is what we will use to marinate the bird overnight.
How Much Turkey Do You Need per Person?
Each turkey comes in different sizes and knowing how many people you're serving is essential in picking out the perfect size turkey. Here is a general guideline on how much turkey you need per person and the cooking time for how long to cook your turkey:
As a general rule: 1 pound (0.45kg) per regular eater
or 1.5 pounds (0.65kg) per heavy eater
Weight in kg | weight in lbs | time in 325°F | people |
|---|---|---|---|
1.9 - 2.7 kg | 4 - 6lbs | 2 - 2.5 hours | 4 people |
3.6 - 5.4kg | 8 - 12lbs | 2.5 - 3 hours | 8 people |
5.4 - 8.2kg | 12 - 18lbs | 3 - 4 hours | 12 people |
7.3 - 11kg | 16 - 24lbs | 4 - 6 hours | 16 people |
11 - 13kg | 25 - 28lbs | 5 - 7 hours | 25 people |
Defrosting the Turkey
If you're buying a frozen turkey, it's going to take time to defrost. I like to initially defrost it overnight on my countertop. Make sure you have a deep dish because there will be water dripping out as it defrosts. The next day I leave it in the fridge for the remainder of the time to defrost the whole turkey completely.
On average, it will take 2-3 days to completely defrost the turkey.
essential tools
For the Best Thanksgiving Turkey With Bacon recipe, there are a few essential tools you will need. They are:
Turkey Baster
Every 30 minutes you will need to bast the turkey with its juices. This turkey baster equipment will suck the juice in and easily extrude the juice from the tip. I've been using this for a long time and it is my thanksgiving essential item to bast the turkey cleanly and efficiently.
Thermometer for turkey and oven
These two things are a must. The turkey thermometer helps ensure the turkey is cooked properly, so you're not serving a raw turkey after investing hours of work in the oven! It would be devastating to do all the work but later find out you have to put it back in the oven. Or worse, put it in the microwave.
The oven thermometer helps measure the temperature of the oven so it has a steady temperature. The newer oven models have a thermometer inserted into the oven either digitally or by a meter. If your oven doesn't give you a temperature read, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. Doesn't have to be fancy. The oven thermometer will give you the confidence that you're on the right track to cooking this turkey right!
Heatproof Gloves
Getting injured while making a turkey is no fun. And because we need to bast the turkey every 30 minutes, the chances of getting burned are higher especially moving a heavy turkey around. A heatproof glove is an essential item for me every time I'm in contact with the oven, but especially with this recipe.
Turkey cutting knife / electric cutter
Getting a good meat knife for cutting the turkey is a must. Breaking into this beautiful moist and juicy turkey is what the wait is all about. Don't use a knife that doesn't ensure a clean cut. I hate seeing you go through all this work and you tearing the meat with unsharpened knife and start to tear the meat apart than cutting into it.
If you consider yourself a fancy person and all about the presentation, an electric meat cutter will definitely showcase all sorts of wowness at the table. I mean why not? You spent all this time and effort making this beautiful perfect turkey, why not go the extra mile and carve into the turkey with some extra style and flair?
How to cut the turkey
Okay, so you got the knife to cut the turkey, now what? knowing how to cut the turkey is essential at the table so the pieces of turkey you serve are perfect in every slice.
I like to start off with the breast first. I cut my first piece closest to the leg, against the grain, on a bias, About half an inch thick. Once I feel I hit a bone, I do a few quick cuts horizontally and lift off my first slice. Once everyone has a piece of turkey breast, I start to dissect the legs of the turkey and leave it on the side for anyone who wants the legs and thighs.
I love serving the turkey whole because it gives a wow value especially when it is over 15kg pounds! Another serving method is cutting into servable portions.
This way it saves the hassle of cutting at the table and jeopardizing elbowing someone in the face (it happens). When you cut it into a plate you can still create a wow factor by decorating around the turkey slices.
In the second bottom image below, I decorated it with some homegrown produce like: lettuce, orange slices, tomatoes, gai lan flowers, and zucchini flowers. and I place the bacon strips on the side.
Other meals using the turkey carcass
Some other ideas on using the turkey carcass. The carcass is filled with flavour since the cavity is marinated and filled with flavour.
We first need to boil down the carcass to extract the flavours from the bones and meat (maybe even add in some of the marinate juice at the bottom of the pan). Once we have the turkey stock, here are some other ideas for using the carcass to make another meal:
- Congee - use the turkey stock and add your rice and ginger and make a delicious bowl of congee!
- Turkey noodle soup - just like your regular chicken noodle soup, but instead of using chicken stock, we are using our homemade turkey stock!
- Chinese Noodle soup - boil vegetables and your choice of meat in the stock. Cook the noodles separately, and combine everything together. Don't forget to garnish with some spring onions and your favourite chili oil!
- Turkey chili bean stew - just like your regular bowl of chili beans, we are making it with turkey stock, onions, red beans, tomato paste, and your favourite spices!
Fool-Proof Professional Tips
Pro Tip: 1: use toothpicks to attach the bacon
Once the bacon is woven to the breast and legs, use toothpicks to attach the bacon to the turkey. Don't stick them too deep into the flesh because when you're done cooking the turkey, we will need to take out every single piece of toothpicks. We wouldn't want someone chewing or worse, poking, their mouth with a toothpick.
The best time to pick them out is when you've plated the turkey and when it needs to rest for 30 minutes.
Pro Tip # 2: Poke holes along the leg and breast of the turkey
Using a fork, vigorously poke deep holes into the legs of the turkey and the breast. Give it with enough spacing. If you poke the holes too close to another you can potentially break the skin which is something we don't want.
Poke holes when the turkey is fully and completely defrosted.
Holes help the marinate to quickly marinate the turkey fast and better.
Pro Tip #3: weave the bacon strips
Not only does the simple weave makes the turkey look amazing but it ensures the bacon stays intact when it is being cooked. When the bacon strips are being cooked, they will start to shrink and will move. The weave ensure everything stays intact therefore, the turkey retains its moisture
Pro Tip #4: Bast the turkey often: 30 minutes intervals
Basting the turkey often keeps the turkey moist and without drying the meat. Basting the turkey every 30-45 minutes is essential for the turkey to retain moisture. Use the turkey juice and bast it over the bacon strips.
Pro Tip #5: Let the turkey wait 30 minutes on the table before carving
The turkey needs to rest for the meat to soak the flavour in while. Cutting the turkey too hot leaks all the moisture out in the air. It is essential for the turkey to rest at least 30 minutes before carving into it so you can have the Best Thanksgiving Turkey With Bacon.
Best Thanksgiving Turkey with Woven Bacon Strips
Equipment
- food processor
- turkey baster
- large roasting pan
Ingredients
- 7 kg defrosted turkey
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 whole garlic
- 1 large white onion
- 1 package smoked bacon stips
Gravy
- neck of the turkey
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp flour
- salt and pepper to your taste
Instructions
Turkey Preparation
- Wash the defrosted turkey and dry with paper towel.
- Using a fork, poke holes along all parts of the turkey legs and breasts. Space them out evenly and not so close together or the skin might break. Use 1 tbsp of kosher salt and rub all over the turkey. Set aside.
Marinate Preparation
- Use a frying pan and add the canola oil. Heat until it smokes.
- In the meantime, combine all the spice together: rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, paprika and salt.
- In a food processor, chop finely the whole bulb of garlic and onion. Combine well with the spices. Put in a heat proof glass bowl.
- Pour the hot oil on top of the bowl of spices, and stir well to combine everything.
- To marinate the turkey, wear gloves first. Place the turkey in a dish that is deep and that will also fit inside your fridge. Take a handful of the marinate and start to rub the turkey all over it. Be vigerous and rub hard. Rub the cavity of the turkey as well. If you have extra marinate, put it on top of the turky and inside the cavity.
- Plastic wrap the turkey and place it in the fridge. Marinate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Cooking the Turkey
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Place rack in the middle of the oven, and take out the other racks.
- Take the turkey out, move the turkey to the large roasting pan, and discard the plastic wraps.
- Start to weave the bacon strips on top of the turkey. Make sure it overlaps the legs and breasts.
- For each end of the bacon strips, secure it on to the turkey but poking it with toothpicks. I recommend to count the number of toothpicks used, so when you take it out, you have taken them all out and not forget one of them.
- Lay a sheet of tinfoil on top of the the turkey securely.
- Place the turkey inside and set the timer for 3.5 hours. (15-20 minutes per pound).
30 Minute Interval Basting
- Open the oven door and remove the tin foil, move the rack out a bit (not all the way because it is heavy and it will flip!!) and bast the turkey with the juice at the bottom of the pan. Give it a good bast for the legs and breasts. Put the tinfoil back on top and close the oven door.
Final Stages of Cooking
- Use a meat thermometer and insert it to the thigh of the turkey. Turkey is done when it reads 170°F in the thickest part of the thigh.
- For the last one hour of your cooking time, remove the tin foil and let bacon get crispy.
- When it is time to remove the turkey, allow it to sit outside for 30 minutes before carving.
Turkey Gravy
- Once the turkey is moved from the large roasting pan, take the juice out of the pan. Defat the oil from the juice.
- Take the neck of the turkey (included inside the raw cavity of the turkey when you defrost it), and put it in a pot along with 2 cups of water. Boil in medium low heat for 20 minutes along with the juice of the cooked turkey. Discard the neck.
- In a large cooking pan, fry the flour until brown and fragrant, 2 minutes. Take out the whisk and start to stir when you pour the juice in the cooking pan. Keep whisking until the gravy becomes well blended and with no flour lumps. Cook for 5-10 minutes on low.
- OPTIONAL: Put the chunky gravy into a blender if you want a smooth puree consistency.
- Salt and pepper to your taste.