This is a bacon-wrapped turkey breast that gets first seared in the pan and then finished in the oven. It comes with an onion white wine gravy that gives it extra flavour. If you have a pan that goes both on the stove and in the oven, you can conveniently use it throughout the whole process.
If you are not cooking turkey often in fear of it coming out too dry, you've found the perfect recipe to get you out of this slump. The addition of bacon slices all around the turkey breast gives it both moisture and flavour. The end product is a juicy turkey breast roast with a flavourful bacon finish. You can enjoy it as it is, or top it with the gravy.
Ingredients and equipment
- Turkey breast
- Bacon slices
- Yellow onion
- White wine
- Olive oil
- Cream
- Cornstarch
For detailed quantities, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
I like to make my roasts in a cast-iron casserole dish that I can use on the stove first and then set in the oven. A butcher's twine will help ensure the bacon slices stay in place in the first part of the procedure, when searing the meat on the stove. Make sure it's 100% cotton.
How to make bacon-wrapped turkey breast
This bacon turkey roast might look like it requires a lot of effort, but it's actually pretty easy to make. Here come easy instructions to guide you through the process.
1. Lay out bacon slices over the parchment paper, slightly overlapping. Place turkey breast in the middle.
2. Wrap the bacon around the turkey breast by gently lifting the parchment paper and peeling it back.
3. Truss the meat by looping butcher's twine all around it in order to ensure the bacon stays in place.
4. Heat the casserole dish on the stove and warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the meat and sear on all sides, turning it around every other minute to ensure all of it gets to touch the hot pot.
5. In the meantime, slice the onion into half moons. Remove the seared meat from the casserole dish, warm up the rest of the olive oil and add the onions. Sweat on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
6. Return the meat to the casserole dish, pour in the white wine, cover with aluminium foil and place in the preheated oven at 200C (392F). Cook for 30 minutes or until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 75C (167F).
How to make the white wine gravy
Here comes the bonus in this recipe: the gravy. You could eat it alone, with some mayo, or even cold, in a sandwich. But the white wine and the onion that's been keeping it company in the oven can be turned into a delicious sauce to go with it.
Remove the turkey roast from the pot and pour everything that's left (onion, wine and meat juices) into another container. Add the cream and blend until smooth. Pour into a pan and set on medium-high heat. Mix cornstarch with water and pour into the gravy, constantly mixing until it reaches boiling temperature so it thickens some.
Remove the butcher's twine, slice up the meat and place back into the casserole dish. Pour warm gravy all over it. The dish is ready to serve. Please notice that the roast is easier to cut when cold, so if you have time I would recommend to slice it when cold, and reheat once back in the dish with the gravy.
Pairings and substitutions
- Not a fan of pork? You can try turkey bacon. Keep it mind that it's leaner and you may require one tablespoon more of olive oil to sear, as it will not release as much fat as the bacon.
- Can't find turkey meat? Chicken can sub but keep in mind that it's smaller so it will need less time in the oven.
- Don't have butcher's twine? You can try to keep the bacon in place with toothpicks. It might be a bit more challenging, you can see what I did in this chicken involtini recipe.
- What wine should you use? As a general rule I like to use in my dish a wine that I will drink with it. So if you don't plan on drinking any wine and you just have a simple cooking wine, it will certainly do. But if you fancy a glass with your meal, think of a white with some body to go well with the richness of the bacon. Chardonnay is an excellent grape, but it comes in many styles. So when choosing go for something with a fuller body (malolactic) and possibly not too much oak, just a hint will be wonderful. I personally went for exactly that, from South Africa, and it was delicious with this bacon-wrapped turkey.
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Bacon-wrapped turkey roast
Equipment
- Casserole dish
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Butcher's twine
- Hand blender
Ingredients
- 400 g turkey breast
- 200 g bacon slices
- 1 yellow onion medium
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 150 ml white wine
- 60 ml cream
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 60 ml water
Instructions
- Lay out bacon slices over the parchment paper, slightly overlapping. Place turkey breast in the middle. Wrap the bacon around the turkey breast by gently lifting the parchment paper and peeling it back. Truss the meat by looping butcher's twine all around it in order to ensure the bacon stays in place.
- Heat the casserole dish on the stove and warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the meat and sear on all sides, turning it around every other minute to ensure all of it gets to touch the hot pot. In the meantime, slice the onion into half moons. Remove the seared meat from the casserole dish, warm up the rest of the olive oil and add the onions. Sweat on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Return the meat to the casserole dish, pour in the white wine, cover with aluminium foil and place in the preheated oven at 200C (392F). Cook for 30 minutes or until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 75C (167F).
- Once cooked, remove the turkey roast from the pot and pour everything that's left (onion, wine and meat juices) into another pot. Add the cream and blend until smooth. Set on medium-high heat. Aside, mix cornstarch with water and pour into the gravy, constantly mixing until it reaches boiling temperature so it thickens some.
- Remove the butcher's twine, slice up the meat and place back into the casserole dish. Pour warm gravy all over it. The dish is ready to serve.
Notes
- Please notice that the roast is easier to cut when cold, so if you have time I would recommend to slice it when cold, and reheat once back in the dish with the gravy.
- The nutritional information provided is made with an online calculator and only meant to be used as a guideline.
