Smoked Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast

Smoked turkey is one of the best reasons to get a pellet smoker. Okay, there are lots of best reasons (or excuses) to invest in a pellet smoker. But this recipe for smoked bacon wrapped turkey breast starts with the simple steps of brining the turkey and and dusting it with seasoning. After that’s done, the final step is even simpler: drape bacon over the netted turkey breast and throw the whole thing on the Traeger for a couple of hours. After a 30 minute rest, the reward for patience is slicing the turkey and enjoying the juicy sweet yumminess.

Next time you wander through the frozen meat section, make it your mission to find this frozen turkey football. Butterball (trademark) and other companies, do all the work for you. They remove, skin and debone one side of a turkey, then insert the two-plus pounds of meat into a net that bundles it into this compact shape.

While I discard, with some grumbling, the gravy package as a waste of money and wish the whole package contained just turkey, the compact shape makes it a breeze to prepare in the oven, slow cooker, grill or on the smoker.

You will need to plan ahead for this recipe as there is thawing time (an overnight rest in the fridge for defrosting), brining time and then smoking time to juggle. But it is hands-off during most of the 24-hour prep time and the taste makes it well worth the wait.

As an added bonus, this recipe is actually three recipes in one.

1. A simple quick brine good for any poultry
2. A basic dry rub good for all sorts of pork and poultry
3. The method for combining the brine and rub into making smoked turkey breast wrapped in bacon

Here’s a brief overview of the techniques used in this recipe:

Brining affects the texture, juiciness, and taste of your meat. After a few hours in a brine, the salt penetrates deep into the meat and brings out a ton of flavor. Kosher salt is ideal for this process, with its bright taste and large grains that dissolve easily into the surface of meat, highlighting the natural flavor. There is a bunch of science of how brining works that you can find on the internet if you are interested. But, suffice it to say, once you start brining meat, especially turkey, you won’t go back.

A dry rub is a great way to further enhance the flavor of meat. For this recipe, I use a dry rub that doesn’t scream BBQ but still gives the meat some color and flavor.

This yummy turkey goes great with this great corn and avocado salad.

Smoked Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Chef Lisa
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 3-4 hours
• Total Time: 24 hours
• Yield: 6-8 1x
• Category: Poultry
• Method: Smoked
• Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Description

While there are several steps to this turkey dish that must be done it advance, the most of the prep is hands-off and the result is a juicy, flavorful main dish.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 3-pound frozen turkey breast roll
• 8 slices bacon

For the brine

• 1-quart cold water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt (if using table salt, which I hope you won’t, use 1/8 cup)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the dry rub

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• dash of cayenne pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Thaw turkey breast roll in package overnight (or for 12 hours) in refrigerator.
2. Add brine ingredients in a container and stir well until salt and sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove turkey from package and pat dry. Discard gravy mix.
4. Place turkey (in the netting) in a gallon-size zip-close bag. Pour brine ingredients into bag and seal. Squeeze the bag to distribute the liquid around the turkey and return bag to refrigerator for 4-8 hours.
5. Remove turkey from the brine and place on baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine.
6. In a small container, combine dry rub ingredients.
7. Using your hands, sprinkle and pat the dry rub all over the turkey roll.
8. Wrap the 8 slices of bacon over the turkey roll. You can get fancy and weave the bacon together, but I tend to drape the bacon over the turkey and tuck in the ends.
9. Start the smoker using your preferred wood pellets for smoking turkey. Set the smoker temperature to 225° F.
10. Carefully place wrapped turkey on the smoker grates and smoke until internal temperature reads 160° F, about 3-4 hours.
11. Remove turkey from smoker and let rest for 30 minutes for juices to distribute back into meat.
12. Slice the smoked turkey as desired and serve with bacon slices.

---

Notes

Don’t rinse the turkey in the sink; just pat it dry with paper towels to keep the surround surfaces free of raw turkey juices. Any leftover rub should be discarded as it also will have raw turkey juices from your hands and fingers in it.

Cook to internal temperature of the meat rather than time. Cooking time varies and is dependent on your smoker and the ambient temperature outside. Remove when the thermometer reads about 160°F, the turkey will continue cooking as it rests (called carry over) and will be perfect and juicy after 30 minutes. Smoking meats are naturally a little pink. This is not an indication that the turkey is undercooked.

Related posts:

Bacon Wrapper Pepper Poppers Smoked Tri Tip Wet or Dry Turkey Brine Roasted Turkey with Herb Butter and Maple Glaze