How to Cook Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Tenderloins

Turkey parcel wrapped in pancetta, stuffed with cranberry and orange and served with lemon and sage sauce with roasted winter vegetables, amid festive decorations

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Turkey is often only served during special occasions—Christmas and Thanksgiving, for example—which is too bad, because the meat is high in protein and most cuts, such as the tenderloin, are low in fat. Other than the holiday bias, turkey tenderloin, in particular, may be prepared less often than, say, pork tenderloin because of its somewhat bland flavor. You can change this perception and give turkey tenderloins a flavor boost by simply wrapping them in bacon and either grilling or roasting them.

Grilling

Preheat the grill to medium.

Fry one piece of bacon per tenderloin in a pan just until it begins to brown. The bacon should be pliable enough to wrap around the tenderloin.

Remove the bacon from the pan and pat it dry with paper towels to remove any excess grease.

Wrap one piece of partially cooked bacon around each tenderloin and secure it with one or two toothpicks.

Sprinkle olive oil and pepper over both sides of the tenderloin to taste.

Place the bacon-wrapped tenderloins on the grill and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until the center is no longer pink and the bacon is crispy.

Remove one of the tenderloins from the grill and insert a meat thermometer into the center of it. The internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consumption.

Roasting

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Wrap one piece of raw bacon around each tenderloin and secure with one or two toothpicks.

Drizzle olive oil and pepper over both sides of the tenderloins.

Coat the inside of the baking dish with cooking spray, then lay the tenderloins flat in the dish.

Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven and roast for about 30 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and insert a meat thermometer into the center of the tenderloins. The internal temperature should be at least 165 Fahrenheit.