Finding the Best Turkey Bacon Brand: A Definitive Guide

Turkey bacon has become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional pork bacon. With its lower fat content and versatility turkey bacon appeals to health-conscious eaters and those avoiding pork for dietary reasons. But with so many turkey bacon brands on the market, how do you determine which one is the best?

In this comprehensive guide we evaluate the top turkey bacon brands based on flavor nutrition, ingredients, price, and more. After extensive testing and research, we provide definitive rankings and recommendations to help you find the perfect turkey bacon brand for your needs.

How We Evaluated and Ranked the Turkey Bacon Brands

To create our definitive rankings we assessed and taste-tested the most widely available turkey bacon brands including both national brands and private label options. Key factors we evaluated for each brand included

• Flavor – How close does it taste to traditional bacon? Is the smoky, salty flavor balanced or overpowering?

• Texture – Is it crispy and crunchy or tough and chewy when cooked?

• Nutrition – Calories, fat, sodium, and other nutritional aspects.

• Ingredients – Are they natural or contain concerning additives? Uncured or nitrate-free?

• Price – Cost-effectiveness based on quality.

• Cooking process – Ease of cooking and how it performed in the pan.

After extensive testing and analysis, we assigned an overall score to each turkey bacon brand. Based on these cumulative scores, we ranked the brands from worst to best to create our definitive turkey bacon brand rankings.

The Best Turkey Bacon Brands Ranked

9. Butterball

Butterball, the iconic turkey brand, disappointingly scores at the bottom of our list. While appreciated for Thanksgiving turkeys, their turkey bacon fell short. The thin slices tore easily when cooking and the texture was overly chewy, akin to deli meat bologna. The flavor was very mild with an artificial taste. Overall, it did not deliver the expected crispy, robust bacon flavor. With an average price of $4, we expected better from this household name.

Pros

• Lowest in sodium (43% less than pork)
• American Heart Association approved

Cons

• Artificial taste
• Thin, overly chewy texture
• Minimal real bacon flavor

8. Oscar Mayer

Another recognizable brand, Oscar Mayer’s turkey bacon is found everywhere but lacks in several areas. The taste is bland, and the appearance is unpleasantly smooth and ultra-processed. While it cooks up crispy, Oscar Mayer does contain MSG and soy. It’s lower in sodium than average but still couldn’t stack up to other brands. Overall, it’s palatable but we wouldn’t get excited about buying it.

Pros

• Lower in sodium
• Cooks up crispy

Cons

• Contains MSG
• Bland flavor
• Ultra-processed appearance

7. Signature Select

Signature Select is a private label brand from Safeway that delivers good value. It has a pleasant smoky wood flavor from natural wood smoking. The texture hits a balance between crisp and tender. While not the most exciting or flavorful, it’s a solid product at a reasonable price point for everyday use. A decent choice if you’re on a budget.

Pros

• Real wood smoked flavor
• Good balance of texture

Cons

• Flavor could be bolder
• Nothing makes it stand out

6. Applegate Naturals

Applegate Farms is known for natural and organic meats free of antibiotics or hormones. Their turkey bacon is a reliably good choice for the health-conscious. It tastes pleasantly like real turkey and has a rich, meaty flavor. The texture errs slightly chewy but overall delivers a satisfying eating experience. It is more expensive but you can feel good about the humanely raised turkeys.

Pros

• Richly flavored real turkey taste
• Humanely raised, no hormones
• Whole30 approved

Cons

• Slightly chewy texture
• Higher price

5. Jennie-O

For a brand focused just on turkey, Jennie-O performs better than Butterball but still falls to middle ground. It has a nice balance of smokiness without being overpowering. The crunch level is also well-executed. While not the most exciting or flavorful, this is a satisfying straightforward turkey bacon option at a reasonable price point.

Pros

• Nice smoky flavor balance
• Good crunch when cooked
• Decent price

Cons

• Nothing unique about flavor
• Ordinary overall

4. Farmland Splendor

You may not expect Walmart’s private label to beat out some big national brands, but Farmland Splendor delivers quality at a bargain price. It has a pleasing texture with crispy ends and chewy middles. The wood smoke taste is subtle. While not extremely robust, it’s a pleasing flavor. For a budget-friendly option, this is impressive turkey bacon to stock up on.

Pros

• Good crispy to chewy balance
• Subtle smoky taste
• Bargain price

Cons

• Flavor could be bolder
• Ordinary overall

3. Wellshire

This premium brand uses organic practices and humanely raised turkeys. Wellshire’s turkey bacon looks and tastes remarkably like real pork bacon. It has a pleasantly meaty chew and robust flavor. The only downsides are the high sodium content and relatively