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This recipe features perfectly cooked bacon wrapped chicken breast with a caramelized crispy top and a juicy, tender center. Simply elegant, this cooks in less than 30 minutes.
If you love bacon and regularly cook chicken, this bacon-wrapped chicken recipe will become a dinnertime staple.
Bacon-wrapped anything is incredibly delicious (hello, bacon-wrapped asparagus and bacon-wrapped filet mignon), so adding it to chicken is a no brainer.
Crisp on the outside and juicy in the middle, it’s fast, easy, and sure to impress.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- Flavorful. Not only is it savory and full of bacon flavor, but it’s also packed with buttery, garlicky flavors with caramelized sweet notes (it’s similar to crack chicken).
- Healthy. This recipe is high in protein and relatively low in carbs. Pair it with potatoes and green vegetables, and you have a well-balanced dinner.
- Quick and easy. Don’t get thrown away by how fancy it looks. It is easy to assemble and quick to cook.
- Elegant. Like stuffed chicken breast, it’s elegant enough to pass off as a fancy dinner or as we do, a quick weeknight favorite.
Ingredients Needed
You can make this delicious recipe with common and affordable ingredients from your kitchen pantry. Here’s a complete list of what you’ll need:
- Chicken breast. Boneless skinless chicken breasts that are of equal size (length and thickness) for even cooking. I prefer getting them from my butcher for this very reason (the pre-packaged ones vary too much).
- Bacon. Any thin-cut bacon will do. You’ll need roughly two slices to wrap one chicken breast. If you only have thick-cut bacon, slice each one down the middle.
- Salt and pepper. To season.
- Garlic and onion powder. To flavor the chicken without needing to use fresh aromatics.
- Olive oil and butter. A combination of both fats ensures a golden exterior and super juicy flavor.
- Brown sugar. Adding a touch of sweetness helps caramelize the bacon and actually prevents it from falling off the chicken.
- Parsley. To garnish and serve.
How to make bacon wrapped chicken breast
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Season the chicken. Pat dry the chicken breasts and season them with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
Step 2- Wrap ‘em up. Wrap each chicken breast fillet with two slices of bacon. Press the chicken gently with the seam side down.
Step 3- Cook the chicken. Pan-sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar, transfer the skillet to a preheated oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 180C/350F.
Step 4- Broil and serve. Finish the cook on the broiler mode for 4 minutes to make the bacon extra crispy. Rest, garnish, and serve.
Alternative cooking methods
I’ve tested this recipe out to see how it fares both on a grill or in the air fryer, and it works beautifully. Here is how you’d do it:
Grilling method– Once the chicken is prepped, place it on a hot grill and grill for 12-15 minutes, regularly turning it to cook on all sides. Once the chicken is cooked, let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Air fryer method– To make air fryer bacon wrapped chicken breast, you’ll follow the same preparation but must add toothpicks to hold the bacon in place. Next, place the chicken in a greased air fryer basket and air fry at 200C/400F for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Use other cuts of chicken. While chicken breasts are preferred, chicken tenders and chicken thighs can also be used. For tenders, use just one strip of bacon, and for the thighs, you may need up to three strips of bacon.
- Don’t forget to broil. Broiling helps to achieve the perfect caramelization of the sugar layer and allows the bacon to become super crispy. Don’t fret about over-cooking the chicken because it’ll only be for a few minutes.
- Brine the chicken. If you have time, brine or marinate the chicken before wrapping it with bacon. It makes the chicken even more juicy and moist. For a quick brine, I like to soak the chicken breasts for about an hour in a simple homemade brine that combines one tablespoon of salt in 1 1/4 cups of water.
- Don’t stretch the bacon. Stretching the bacon could lead to tears in the covering and could unravel during the cook. If you are worried about it not adhering to the chicken, add toothpicks on both ends. Just remember to discard them before serving.
How to store leftovers
To make ahead. You can freeze the uncooked assembled chicken for up to three months. Just be sure to keep them in a ziplock bag with no air pockets.
To store. Allow the chicken to cool before transferring them to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
To freeze. Place the cooked leftovers in a shallow container and store in the freezer for up to two months.
To reheat. Microwave the chicken for a few seconds to enjoy it hot. Alternatively, sear it in the skillet over medium heat.
Frequently asked questions
The best way to confirm whether the chicken is cooked is by sticking an instant read thermometer into it. When the internal temperature of the chicken hits around 165F, you know your chicken is ready to eat.
Yes! There are no ingredients derived from gluten, so it’s a safe dish to make celiacs.
More easy chicken dinner recipes to try
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Video
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts 6-8 ounces each
- 8 slices bacon thin cut
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Season the chicken breast fillets with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.
- Wrap each chicken breast fillet with two strips of bacon. Start with one strip and then continue with the second strip. Let the chicken press down on the ends of the bacon.
- Add oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, seam-side down, and cook until the bacon is golden, around 3-4 minutes. Do not flip the chicken.
- Sprinkle the top of each chicken breast with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until cooked.
- Heat the broiler and broil the chicken for another 4 minutes.
This bacon wrapped chicken recipe was so easy, quick and totally deliciousI It was beautiful to the eye and tantalized my taste buds! Thank you!