Bacon is one of the staples of many American diets, but it’s certainly not the healthiest option.
Turkey bacon is a healthy alternative with the same great flavors but with less fat and calories.
People who are less familiar with this pork-based alternative often wonder how long turkey bacon stays good and how to make it last longer.
Turkey bacon can be stored safely in the freezer for extended periods. When properly packaged to prevent freezer burn, turkey bacon can maintain its quality in the freezer for up to 6 months. To ensure optimal freshness, it’s recommended to use heavy-duty freezer bags or wrap the bacon tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. While safe to consume beyond 6 months, the quality of turkey bacon may begin to decline, so it’s best to use it within this timeframe for the best taste and texture.
How long turkey bacon lasts will vary depending on whether it’s sealed in the original package or opened, and whether it’s cooked or raw.
It’s possible to extend turkey bacon’s lifespan by storing it properly or freezing it. The date on the package is a good guide when it comes to food safety.
Does Turkey Bacon Expire or Go Bad?
Like any other processed meat product, turkey bacon will eventually go bad. Still, the shelf life is fairly long when compared to some other meat items.
A good indication of whether your turkey bacon is safe to eat is to start with the date printed on the package.
If the package is sealed shut (never opened) and the date hasn’t passed, the turkey bacon should be perfectly fine as long as it was kept cold.
Once you open your turkey bacon, however, you can’t just go by the date on the package.
Once air gets into the package there’s always a chance for bacteria to develop. You should always be aware of the signs that indicate that your turkey bacon may have gone bad so that you don’t eat something that could make you sick.
Most processed meat items are labeled with a “sell-by” date. This is not the same thing as an expiration date, as many food items are still good well beyond the date printed on the packaging.
For turkey bacon, it typically stays good for about a week past the sell-by date as long as the package is sealed and the product has stayed cold.
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How Long Does Turkey Bacon Last After Opening?
Once you open a package of turkey bacon, it will not last as long as it would have if you kept the package vacuum sealed.
Still, it’s likely that there will be a time when you open a package of turkey bacon and don’t need to cook all of it. In that case, you should plan to cook the remaining bacon within the next three or four days.
Once you’ve opened the turkey bacon, it’s best to go ahead and cook it before storing it in the refrigerator or freezing the remaining portion.
However, if you plan to cook the remaining bacon within the next couple of days, it will be fine in the fridge as long as you wrap it back up in the package or a fresh piece of plastic wrap.
After you open your turkey bacon, you should cook it right away. If you’re keeping it out on the counter during cooking or until you’re ready to prepare it, you should not exceed two hours without getting the meat chilled back down to 40 degrees (F) or less.
A good rule of thumb for perishable products is to try to keep them out for no more than about 30 minutes off refrigeration.
How Long Does Turkey Bacon Last in the Refrigerator?
You should always store uncooked, raw meat products in the refrigerator or freezer. Typically, turkey bacon will stay good in the refrigerator at least until the sell-by date, or another week or so past that date if you don’t open it.
Once the package is open, you should keep it in the fridge and use the remaining bacon (or throw it away) within the next three or four days.
In any case, it’s always a good idea to inspect meat products before cooking and consuming them if the sell-by date has passed or if it’s been in the fridge for several days after opening.
Using your senses (smell, sight, touch) can help you identify whether the turkey bacon has gone bad or if it’s still safe to eat.
Cooked turkey bacon will last longer in the fridge than uncooked turkey bacon. You should wrap it in an airtight container, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap and get it into the refrigerator within two hours of cooking.
Then, you can keep it in the fridge for several days, but try to finish it up within three or four.
How Long Does Turkey Bacon Last in the Freezer?
Like other meats, turkey bacon will last significantly longer if you freeze it. While it only stays good for about a week in the fridge, it will last for several months in the freezer.
If the turkey bacon was still good when you put it into the freezer, it would stay good for another four to six months.
If you decide to freeze your unopened turkey bacon, just put the package into a large (gallon-size) freezer bag and toss it into the freezer.
It’s helpful to label items with the date so you know how long things have been in your freezer. Freezer tape and Sharpies work best for labeling frozen items.
For turkey bacon packages that are opened, you’ll need to do a little more prep work to help maintain the quality.
Make sure to wrap it tightly in freezer or butcher paper, then place it in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag (get all the air out).
When you’re ready to use your turkey bacon, the safest way to thaw it is in the refrigerator.
You may need to let it sit in the fridge overnight, but it’s the best way to ensure food safety and maintain the flavor and texture quality of the bacon.
How Long Does Turkey Bacon Last After It’s Cooked?
After you cook turkey bacon, you should eat it or discard it within two hours. It’s not a good idea to leave hot foods sitting out on the counter for any longer than that because bacteria growth increases rapidly with time.
However, you can store your extra servings of cooked bacon in the refrigerator and it will stay good for several more days.
You should still try to finish it up within the next three or four days for the best quality.
Tip
Wrapping cooked turkey bacon tightly or storing it in an airtight container will help it last longer in the refrigerator and keep it from drying out or breaking down faster.
When you’re ready to eat it, you can reheat it in a preheated oven or in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
How to Tell if Your Turkey Bacon is Going Bad
There are some clear signals that your turkey bacon may be going bad and you should not consume it.
If it displays any of these features, it’s best to be safe and throw it out. Using your senses is the easiest way to check for signs of spoilage, but it’s not a guarantee that the product is safe to eat.
If you’re not sure that a meat item was kept cold or could have been processed or handled on unclean or cross-contaminated surfaces, you should not consume it even if it looks and smells fine.
Still, you can use these tips to know what to look for when you check your turkey bacon for freshness:
- Appearance: Check the bacon’s color. It shouldn’t be brown, gray, blue, or green. Healthy turkey bacon is a natural pink color. It also shouldn’t look overly wet or slimy.
- Smell: One of the easiest ways to tell if something is going bad is by giving it a sniff. Your body is programmed to identify when items are going rancid and you’ll immediately feel repulsed by such a smell. Turkey bacon that smells sour, foul, rancid, fishy, or just “bad” is probably not good to eat.
- Touch: Good turkey bacon feels soft and moist, but also springy to the touch. When it starts going bad it will probably feel slimy. If the bacon’s surface feels gooey, slimy, or sticky, or if you touch it and then your fingers feel slimy, there’s a good chance it’s going bad.
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The Bottom Line
The best way to ensure that your turkey bacon is still good when you’re ready to cook and eat it is to purchase it while it’s still “in date” and then immediately get it back into the refrigerator when you get home.
Try to cook and use your turkey bacon within one week, though it may last longer in your fridge in the right conditions.
Once you open the package, it will start to break down much faster as the presence of air allows for bacteria to grow.
After turkey bacon is open, you should try to cook it within a few days or freeze any remaining product.
When you store turkey bacon in your fridge or freezer, the most important thing is to make sure that you have it wrapped tightly and place it in an airtight container.
You can use a zip-top freezer bag or another container, but make sure that you get all the air out.
Ensure that your fridge is set at the appropriate temperature to keep all your perishable foods cold enough, and check your meat products using your senses to be sure that it’s still good before you cook and eat it.
My name is Keren Tayler. I am a stay-at-home mama to three lovely girls, Sarah + Rachel + Hannah. Prior to becoming a mom, I had a successful career in the accounting field, steps away from becoming a CPA. I decided to give up on my career in order to raise my own kids (as opposed to letting a nanny do it, no judgment here :)) I learned a lot and I love sharing it with other moms. Along the way, I also became a Certified Food Handler.