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Sliced smoked stuffed turkey breast wrapped in bacon weave, showing cream cheese, mozzarella, and spinach filling on a baking sheet

Smoked Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast

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A 4 lb boneless turkey breast, butterflied, seasoned with Cajun, stuffed with cream cheese, mozzarella and spinach, folded closed and wrapped in a bacon weave. Smoked at 300°F over hickory to 160°F, then rested on cubed butter and honey under foil to 165°F. Pour the honey butter over the slices.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Rest 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Turkey
  • 1 boneless turkey breast about 4 lb
  • Cajun seasoning or your favorite, for the inside and bottom
  • 1.5 lb thin cut bacon up to 2 lb, enough for a weave that covers the breast
  • black pepper fresh ground, over the bacon
For the Stuffing
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese freshly grated
  • 1 cup fresh spinach wilted and squeezed dry
  • Italian seasoning to taste, over the stuffing
For the Rest
  • 1 stick unsalted butter cubed
  • honey to taste, drizzled over the butter

Equipment

  • Smoker Pellet grill or any smoker that holds 300°F. Hickory.
  • Parchment Paper For building and flipping the bacon weave.
  • Wire rack The breast goes from the counter to the smoker on it.
  • Toothpicks To pin any open edges.
  • Small sheet pan and foil For the honey butter rest.
  • Meat Thermometer Middle of the meat, then center of the stuffing.

Method
 

Stuff
  1. Butterfly the turkey breast by slicing horizontally through the thickest part without cutting all the way through. Open it flat. Season the bottom and the inside with Cajun seasoning.
  2. Wilt the spinach in a skillet over medium heat, cool it slightly and squeeze out as much water as you can.
  3. Spread the cream cheese over one half of the breast. Add the mozzarella, then the spinach. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Fold the other half over and season the outside.
Wrap
  1. On parchment paper, lay 6 strips of bacon side by side. Fold back the middle strip and the two outside strips, lay a strip across, fold the three back down. Fold back the other three, lay the next strip across, fold them down. Repeat until the weave covers the breast.
  2. Set the breast on the weave with the serving side facing down. Use the parchment to flip the weave up and over the breast, tucking the bacon underneath. Cut the parchment down the middle and peel it off. Move the breast to a wire rack, toothpick any open edges, and pepper the bacon.
Smoke and Rest
  1. Smoke at 300°F with hickory, on the rack, until the thickest part reads 160°F.
  2. Cube the butter onto a small sheet pan and drizzle with honey. Set the breast on top, cover loosely with foil and rest about 10 minutes, until the meat and the center of the stuffing read 165°F.
  3. Remove the toothpicks, slice thick or thin, and spoon the melted honey butter over the top.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 25gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 357mgPotassium: 285mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 824IUCalcium: 98mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Doneness: USDA minimum for poultry is 165°F, and a stuffed breast needs the center of the stuffing at 165°F as well. Pull at 160°F and let the covered rest carry it there.
Timing: Cook time is an estimate. Neither source gives one. Go by the thermometer.
Bacon: Thin cut. The photos show roughly a 6 by 6 weave, about 12 strips; the 1.5 to 2 lb figure is from the written recipe.
Storage: Sliced, airtight, 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months frozen. Reheat slices at 300°F with a little of the honey butter.

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