Now, don’t freak out. I was once like you – horrified, curious, and overall disgusted by the thought of spam. Canned meat. How could that ever be something enjoyable? But spam has had a bit of a revival, some might say an overdue day in the sun. There are lots of new flavors on the scene – hickory smoke, Korean BBQ, Gochujang, jalapeño, and… one that might seem to break away from tradition: turkey spam.
I gave up pork a little over 4 years ago, and while I don’t miss it too much (except you, pepperoni *kiss kiss*), I do really miss how widely available pork is. Nearly every dining situation now makes me pause and pivot. Meat sauce over pasta? Pizza toppings? Biscuits and gravy? Breakfast sausage? All the good stuff is pork based. Eliminating a big sector of food meant I had to scrounge around and find some suitable and convincing replacements, and even through my mother’s screams of disgust and shock, I bought the turkey spam and decided to give it a try.
Turkey Spam Preparation and Taste Test
But how the hell do I cook this thing? As I hinted at above, my mother never even entertained the thought of cooking with spam. She was viscerally affected by the can itself – I can’t imagine her reaction if she ever saw the inside contents.
I saw some videos floating around on Instagram and YouTube of Korean and Japanese influencers cooking with spam, and I was entranced. Spam fried up in a skillet and served over rice? With a fat fried egg? Kimchi? Be still my heart. I needed to try it.
At the time, the only place in my area that consistently carried turkey spam was Walmart. A single can cost $3.98, which I didn’t think was terrible, but it was a teeny bit more expensive than the standard pork varieties. I popped open the can (which reminded me of cat food – already off to a bad start) and shimmied the cubed meat onto a cutting board to shave off some slices. I prepped my skillet with a neutral oil and laid down my slices to start fryin’.
The smell, once I got them browned up a bit, was actually pretty enticing. And even though I was still horrified at the thought of eating canned meat, once I re-directed my perspective on what I was seeing, it was really just like frying up a piece of ham or thick-cut bacon. I cut my slices at varying widths, anywhere from an eighth to a quarter inch thick. Once everything was browned to my liking, I popped ’em on top of a hot bowl of rice, added two crispy fried eggs and some kimchi, and gave it a try. The moment of truth. How disappointed was I about to make my mother?
But y’all… I can’t lie. This stuff was so good. Being that I never tried traditional pork spam, I cannot verify if it tastes similar. But looking at the ingredients for both, it seems the only difference is the protein.
The thinner slices were crispy and delicious. The thicker slices didn’t seem to crisp up all the way through, so there was a bit of a crusty barrier before the soft meat inside – this, I did not like. It almost gave me the impression that it wasn’t cooked all the way through, even though it was. Note to self: keep the thin slices.
The Verdict – Could Turkey Spam Actually Be… Good?
As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I’m really not too difficult to please in terms of food. I can usually find something I like in many dishes I try, even if I don’t order or make them ever again. I’m proud that I tried something out of my comfort zone, even if it’s a solid staple in others’ comfort zones.
Here are my final thoughts:
Taste: 8.5/10 – Spam is spiced ham, right? So, it stands to reason that the turkey version carries a lot of the same spiced elements. I’m not sure what exactly these spices are, but I tasted the flavor rainbow: slightly sweet, smoky, and of course, salty as all be.
Texture: 7.5/10 – The thinner slices are my preference. The thicker slices have a spongy texture underneath the crispy crust that sent me into a sensory nightmare. The crust though… I do love that crispy crunchy crust!
Value: 9/10 – Being that I only cook for myself, I can get many meals out of one can of turkey spam. The downside is that I have to use the entire can before it gets slimy.
Availability: 6/10 – As I mentioned before, Walmart is my Ol’ Reliable in terms of consistently carrying this product (but the downside is… venturing into Walmart, an experience all in itself). Kroger stores in my area may or may not have it. A local, smaller grocer carries it as well, but at a higher price. Hopefully, with more brands offering turkey options for their meat products, we’ll see some more consistent offerings in more locations.
Nutrition: 8/10 – Now, I am not the picture of health, and this is still a highly processed food. My nutrition comparison is simply how it matches up against the traditional pork option, not how nutritional it is overall. Looking at these two labels, it’s pretty clear that the turkey spam is lower in calories, total, and saturated fats. The cholesterol, sodium, and carbs are all the same, but the turkey version does boast a couple more grams of protein. For what it’s worth, y’all. Everything in moderation.
Overall rating: 7.8/10
Do I recommend this product? Yes, even if you won’t purchase it again, it’s worth giving it a shot. Do I recommend eating this daily? Of course not, but in a pinch or on a night when you just don’t feel like cooking too much, it’s an easy option.
Have Y’all Tried This?
So, I did it. I took the spam plunge and survived. What about y’all? Leave me a comment and share some of your favorite recipes using this suspicious meat in a can. And if you’ve tried any other spam variety, lemme know your thoughts on those, too!
Until next time,
Megan
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