2021.7.20

Turkey Bacon vs. Dry-Aged Bacon: What’s the Difference?A slice-by-slice comparison of the two products, from how they’re made to key nutrition facts and more

*Currently, uncured turkey bacon is unavailable at Costco warehouses across Japan.

Jones Dairy Farm’s Uncured Fully Cooked Turkey Bacon is now available at all Costcos throughout Japan. As you head to the store to pick up our latest product, you might be wondering, what’s the difference between turkey bacon and pork bacon anyway?

In this article, we take a look at key differences between Jones’ Uncured Turkey Bacon and award-winning Dry-Aged Cherrywood Bacon, from production processes to nutrition facts and more. After you’re done reading the facts, visit our Recipes page for ideas on how to make the most of each product.

Also read: What Does ‘Uncured’ Mean? The Real Difference Between Cured and Uncured Bacon

How it’s made — Turkey Bacon vs. Dry-Aged Bacon

Jones Dairy Farm’s Uncured Turkey Bacon is a processed meat that is made by chopping or grinding turkey meat, adding seasonings, then forming the meat into “bellies.” At Jones Dairy Farm’s manufacturing plant in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, we naturally smoke our Uncured Turkey Bacon with real cherrywood chips. The “bellies” are then sliced, with each slice having an unbeatable smoky and authentic flavor.

Jones’ Dry-Aged Cherrywood Bacon is made from hand-trimmed center-cut pork bellies, known for its tender and deliciously fatty qualities. After curing the trimmed pork belly with a century-old family-crafted brine, the bacon is naturally smoked in small batches over real cherrywood chips for up to 12 hours. Lastly, the bacon goes into a special aging room where it dry-ages for up to a month, which intensifies the great bacon flavor.

Jones’ Uncured Turkey Bacon and Dry-Aged Bacon are both certified gluten-free, MSG-free and free of all United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Big 8 food allergens.

Located in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, Jones’ manufacturing plant is the production site of all Jones Dairy Farm products. Read this article for a tour of Jones complex, including the iconic farmhouse pictured in the company logo.

Nutrition facts and calories

The key difference between turkey bacon and conventional pork bacon is that turkey bacon contains fewer calories and is leaner than bacon made from pork.

Here’s a slice-by-slice nutritional comparison of Jones’ Uncured Turkey Bacon and Dry-Aged Bacon:

Uncured Turkey Bacon (1 slice – 15g)	Dry-Aged Bacon (1 pan fried slice – 9g)
Calories: 30	Calories: 50
Total Fat: 1.5g	Total Fat: 4g
Protein: 3g	Protein: 3g

For more nutrition facts, visit our Products page.

Fully cooked vs. raw — preparing Turkey Bacon and Dry-Aged Bacon at home

Like most pork bacon, our Dry-Aged Bacon slices are raw and must be cooked before consumption. On the other hand, our turkey bacon is fully cooked. As a result, you can enjoy our turkey bacon slices straight out of the package with essentially zero preparation time.

Both products can be heated in the microwave, oven or on a pan in under 15 minutes, making either product a simple and convenient option for at-home cooking. Visit our Products page for specific preparation times and instructions.

Jones’ Dry-Aged Cherrywood Bacon (pictured above) can be prepared in a pan over medium heat in about 3-6 minutes.

Does turkey bacon taste different from pork bacon?

Turkey bacon and pork bacon are made from two completely different meats, so they will vary in taste and texture.

Our Dry-Aged Bacon comes from a pork belly, which is rich in fat and provides a salty, meaty and hearty bite. The Jones Dairy Farm Uncured Turkey Bacon is made from thigh meat, which is much leaner than pork but is formed to provide a similar experience to pork bacon.

At Jones Dairy Farm, we naturally smoke both our Uncured Turkey Bacon and Dry-Aged Bacon with real cherrywood chips in small batches, so you never lose out on that rich, smoky and authentic flavor in either variety.

Check out YouTuber Matsukenn’s (MatsukennVlog) review of Jones Dairy Farm’s Uncured Turkey Bacon below: