The Simple Tricks For Cooking Crispy Turkey Bacon In The Oven

If you've been looking to pair a go-to breakfast like three-ingredient egg bites with another food to make a more filling, well-rounded meal, turkey bacon is always a tasty and worthwhile option. Though, whether or not turkey bacon is actually bacon is a matter of personal opinion. Nevertheless, there are a few differences between turkey bacon and other popular breakfast meats. For one thing, when it comes to cooking, this leaner alternative doesn't crisp up as easily as traditional pork bacon.

In order to give turkey bacon a more desirable texture, a few extra steps need to be taken during the preparation process. Fortunately, Chowhound was able to secure some exclusive tips on the subject from chef Billy Parisi. According to Parisi, "turkey bacon naturally has much less fat, so cooking it in a small amount of oil before frying in a pan or baking in the oven will be key."

Luckily, preparing crisp turkey bacon in a conventional oven is fairly straightforward. To start, Parisi suggests lining your baking sheet with parchment paper and cooking the meat at a high temperature, think 425 degrees Fahrenheit. "Lastly," he adds, "pat the turkey bacon dry with some paper towels, and after you spread the slices out on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, give it a gentle brush of oil." Since producing crisp turkey bacon in your oven requires only a few simple steps, you may want to experiment with the process to further upgrade your finished product.

Even though using a small amount of oil helps turkey bacon develop nice color and a better texture, there are a few more steps you can take depending on how crisp you want your meat. To ensure your bacon has crispy edges on all sides, feel free to line your baking sheet with not only parchment paper, but also a wire rack. Placing turkey bacon on a wire rack over your baking sheet allows for more airflow and helps both sides of this breakfast meat cook up evenly.

When it comes to more important tips you should follow when cooking bacon in the oven, giving each strip of meat enough room to cook without overlapping your pieces is crucial. Additionally, if you want your turkey bacon to have more of a crunch, simply leave it in the oven for a few additional minutes. Just keep a close eye on your pan to avoid burning.

Overall, while you can certainly prepare this morning meat alternative over your stove, rely on your oven for more consistent results. Since turkey bacon cooks quite fast, chef Billy Parisi states, "I find that when cooking it in a pan, I need to flip a little more often to get a better browning and crisping on both sides." By using a conventional oven and following Parisi's solid pointers, you're sure to get perfectly crisp turkey bacon each and every time.