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Bacon-Wrapped Turkey with Maple and Mustard

  • 12 Servings
  • 15 mins Prep Time
  • 4 hrs Total Time

Ingredients

  • 10 strips bacon
  • 1 Fresh Young Turkey (about 14 lbs.)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 cups chicken broth or turkey broth
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Serving Size Per 1/12 recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 310
Calories from Fat
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g
Saturated Fat
Trans Fat
Cholesterol 165mg
Sodium 720mg
Total Carbohydrates 9g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 8g
Protein 59g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. This is a representation of the nutrition label. The actual nutrition label on the product may vary slightly.

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange half of the bacon strips side by side on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Weave remaining strips over and under to create lattice pattern. Freeze for about 15 minutes or until firm.

  • Step 2

    Meanwhile, remove neck and giblets from turkey; reserve for roasting pan. Pat turkey dry with paper towel. Whisk together maple syrup, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper; rub all over turkey, including under skin and inside cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen string and tuck in wing tips. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan. Place bacon lattice over top to cover breasts and legs. Arrange onions, celery and carrots around turkey.

  • Step 3

    Cover with foil and roast for 2.5 hours, basting occasionally with drippings. Remove foil; cook for 30-45 minutes or until thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast reads 165°F.

  • Step 4

    Remove kitchen string. Transfer turkey to cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

  • Step 5

    Meanwhile, skim off fat in roasting pan; stir in broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring to scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan; bring to boil. Whisk cornstarch with water; slowly whisk into pan. Simmer for 6-8 minutes or until thickened. Strain and stir in parsley. Serve with turkey and cranberry sauce, if desired.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey FAQs

Cooking a bacon-wrapped turkey on a smoker takes longer than oven-roasting due to the lower cook temperature. Typically, it’s recommended to smoke turkey at a temperature between 225 and 275 degrees Fahrenheit. That means it can take anywhere from 15 minutes per pound to 45 minutes per pound for your turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Take your bacon-wrapped turkey out of the smoker when its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Note that the internal temperature will continue rising for a few minutes after the turkey leaves the smoker. You can monitor the internal temp of your turkey in the smoker with a digital probe meat thermometer.

Covering your turkey with foil will help keep it from drying out during the roasting process. But when exactly should you apply it? Wrap your turkey with foil before placing it in the oven and take the foil off after oven-baking the turkey for 2.5 hours. Return the turkey to the oven after taking off the foil, then keep cooking until the turkey is brown and crispy on the outside and fully cooked on the inside. Bacon-wrapped turkey, or any other turkey dish, is ready to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part.

Cook a foil-wrapped turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The time it will take for your turkey to reach this temperature will depend on the turkey size and the temperature of your oven.

For this recipe, we recommend cooking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to get a crispy turkey exterior with moist meat on the inside. Don’t forget to take off the foil during the final quarter of your cooking time. If you leave the foil on, your turkey will not brown and crisp beautifully.

Enjoy the best of both worlds by oven-baking your turkey wrapped with strips of bacon. You can get a fresh whole turkey for the recipe from Shady Brook Farms. Click here to discover where to buy Shady Brook Farms turkey near you.

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