7 Store-Bought Turkey Bacon Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

Turkey bacon is one of those products for which trial and error really matter when choosing the best brand. If you're like me, you've already streamlined your grocery list at home so you can cruise through the store without getting stuck sorting through five brands of the same product. Instead, I tried them for you, so you don't have to guess your way through your shopping list. Though you can read the nutrition metrics on the package and peer through the plastic to get a sense of the color and texture, there's really no telling how it will taste after it's cooked — as I discovered during my taste test of seven popular turkey bacon brands. 

Though some brands' flavors pleasantly surprised me, there is something to be said for appearance and how packaging and presentation can turn you off before you even try a product. Read on to find out which brands were worth buying, and which were a bit of a flop, so you can pass right by them at the grocery store. 

Butterball's turkey bacon spooked me before I could even get it into the pan, so it didn't get off to a great start. It was a rubbery, light-pink texture, speckled with darker spots that, overall, reminded me of baloney — and not in a good way. It was the most obviously mechanically processed of the bunch by far, and when I was cooking it in the pan, I realized the bacon was bubbling where it made contact with the surface, looking more like melting rubber than like meat sizzling in the pan. 

The chewy texture was what caught my attention, but the flavor was salty and underwhelming. With 30 calories per slice and only two grams of protein, it is lower in calories than some other options, but not low enough to make up for the fact that it has one-third as much protein as some of the other brands. Though Chowhound liked the Butterball cook-from-frozen turkey, its turkey bacon isn't something I can say many positive things about.

The appearance of Jennie-O's turkey bacon was also quite unappealing, but not as offensive as Butterball's. It drastically improved from the pale pink color it had before cooking to a redder, crispier result after being in the pan. I was apprehensive trying this one due to the strange, uniform texture and the coloring that reminded me of jerky. But I was somewhat surprised to find that the flavor was not as bad as it looked, especially considering that the packaging mentions that it is flavored with liquid smoke. It tasted the most like ham with a hint of actual bacon, and was the saltiest of the bunch — which worked in its favor. However, I didn't like its smoothness, which made it a bit rubbery and gave it a dried-meat-like texture. 

The saltiness almost placed this brand in fifth place rather than sixth, but with only two grams of protein per slice and the strange appearance, I decided I would not reach for it before the fifth-place turkey bacon if they were both set out in front of me again. 

The Applegate Naturals turkey bacon also had a big transformation from raw to cooked. When I put the slices in the pan, the edges were crumbling and reminded me of chipped chopped ham, which was off-putting. But after cooking, it was quite crispy and held its shape, to my surprise. 

The flavor was a bit lacking overall, and each piece was thinner than in other brands. It did have ample saltiness, though, which worked in its favor. I love a savory breakfast, so being hickory-smoked and having no added sugar was also a plus. With five grams of protein in each piece and only 30 calories, this brand narrowly earned fifth place over the Jennie-O turkey bacon. The company also clarifies on its website that its products are "Applegate humanely raised" and Certified Humane. 

The 365 Organic Turkey Bacon was quite disappointing for me as someone who generally enjoys other products from this brand. It smelled flavorful and bold while cooking on the stove, so I was expecting the flavor to match. As far as consistency and mouthfeel, the texture was crispy and satisfying. But the overall flavor was lacking. It wasn't as salty as I would have liked, and I kept waiting for the flavor to kick in as I chewed — but it never really did. This turkey bacon didn't have any major offenses, it just didn't really impress, either. 

With 45 calories per slice and six grams of protein, though, it wasn't too far off from the Applegate Naturals, which had that strange appearance in the pan and ultimately decided the rankings. The overall look and protein content saved this brand from a lower position. So if you're more focused on nutrition metrics and less worried about the appearance, you might opt for the Applegate before the 365 Organic. 

The Appleton Farms turkey bacon, at first glance, looked more unnervingly composite and rubbery than some of the other brands, but its satisfying texture ultimately placed it in the higher rankings. It developed a nice crispiness while cooking without drying out, and had a thicker cut than the others, which made each bite fuller. This brand certainly had a meatier texture (more like real bacon) than some of those sliced thinner, but had fewer calories. It was also quite salty — which I'm expecting out of bacon of any kind. 

Though the texture and saltiness were on point, the overall flavor was not as bold as that of the first- and second-place brands. This turkey bacon is hardwood smoked, which I always prefer to an artificial smoke flavor. If the overall taste had been as satisfying as the texture, this brand would have been closer to the top of the list. 

I thought the Godshall's turkey bacon would end up in first place when I tried it halfway through my taste test. Though it didn't have the most appetizing appearance of the bunch, the texture and flavor outperformed its looks. It was thick-cut and satisfying to bite into — and it didn't cook down too far, so it had a balance of crispiness and meatiness. Of the brands I tested, this one leaned the most towards tasting like regular beef bacon, though it was only a slight lean in that direction. 

The 50 calories and six grams of protein per slice are reflected in the overall mouthfeel of this brand's turkey bacon. The packaging also mentions that this brand's turkey bacon is real wood smoked, which I prefer to liquid smoke flavoring in general. Overall, this option was solid, and if it's the only one you've got at your local grocery, it's worth being placed in your cart.

The Wellshire turkey bacon was the last one out of the seven that I tried, and while I certainly could tell that I was reaching the threshold of how much turkey bacon one person can enjoy, I knew when I tried this one that it was immediately going to the top of the list. It cooked easily in the pan, getting crispy without sticking to the bottom like other brands, and looked the best after cooking. I also appreciated the ample saltiness.

With 50 calories per slice and six grams of protein, the Wellshire turkey bacon falls on the higher end of both nutrition metrics, and it pays off with the bold flavor and satisfying texture. Out of all the brands, the Wellshire turkey bacon was the most flavorful and would hold up best in another bacon recipe, like in a sandwich or a sheet pan breakfast for the family. 

I cooked two pieces of each brand's turkey bacon at a time in a pan on the stove and tasted the slice that looked better — though I think next time I would cook everything at once, since turkey bacon can be prepared in the oven. Or to save more time, I might even make it in the air fryer for quicker crispiness. 

I took appearance largely into account, as a couple of the brands looked particularly off-putting. I paid attention to texture and mouthfeel, overall saltiness and flavor, and the nutrition metrics. Calories and protein content, specifically, were often the deciding factor when two brands had similar quality of flavor and texture. I noted whether brands mentioned farming practices and whether the flavor was from traditional smoking or artificial smoke flavoring. Personally, I view turkey bacon as something entirely different from regular bacon, so it only played as an observational factor in my evaluation; I'll let others have the conversation about whether turkey bacon is really bacon.