If your family needs a break from hum-drum chicken dinners, try throwing in some bacon. Savory and packed with addictive salty-sweet vibes, this Bacon Wrapped Chicken Recipe features boneless, skinless chicken breasts wrapped in slices of bacon and rubbed with a brown sugar spice mix. The spice mix is speckled with smoked paprika for an extra delicious BBQ-style flavor, while the fat from the bacon ensures the chicken bakes up tender and juicy. This chicken is as perfect on the inside as it is on the out!
We love this brown sugar spice mix on our bacon wrapped smokies, bacon wrapped shrimp, and our bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. This brown sugar spice rub + bacon = flavor perfection!
No toothpicks or special equipment is required for this recipe. Just 15 minutes of prep and off to the oven it goes for a chicken dinner upgrade the entire family will love! You'll also love our easy, baked Ranchero Chicken -- bookmark it for next time!
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken
- Make Sugar-Spice Rub - Combine the brown sugar and spices in a small bowl and set it aside while you prep the chicken. This rub is very similar to our brown sugar homemade rib rub, and it never disappoints.
- Season the Chicken - Pat the chicken dry, drizzle it with oil and rub it with about a ¼ cup of the spice mixture.
- Wrap It In Bacon - Start at the tapered end of the chicken and begin wrapping it with the bacon, slightly overlapping each time you loop it around. We use this same technique for our bacon-wrapped armadillo eggs!
- Bake - Transfer the chicken to a rimmed pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.
How Long to Cook Bacon Wrapped Chicken
How long you cook Bacon Wrapped Chicken depends on the size of the chicken breasts. As you probably know, their sizes can vary wildly. For example, an organic chicken will typically be much smaller. Because of this, there isn't one specific bake time, but rather a range.
Typically, this dish takes 25-30 minutes to cook through. If you are working with massive chicken breasts, it might even take closer to 35 minutes.
The best practice is to use a probed, instant-read thermometer, check the chicken at the 25-minute mark. If it has yet to reach 165°F, use your best judgment and add to the cook time accordingly. Chicken is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. As mentioned above, this is best gauged with an instant-read thermometer. Another way to tell if the chicken is done is to cut into it; the juices should run clear and the meat should be white, not pink.
How to Get the Bacon Extra Crispy
If you like your bacon extra crispy, you can achieve this texture by broiling Bacon Wrapped Chicken after it has made its way to the proper internal temperature.
Just turn on the broiler, and watch it caramelize to crispy perfection. But! When I say "watch it," I mean really watch it. The broiler is notorious for burning food without a moment's notice, so you have to keep a close eye on the bacon!
Depending on your oven and just how crispy you like it, broiling could take anywhere from 1 minute to 4 minutes. If you're afraid of the broiler, but you love the combination of chicken and crispy bacon, try this chicken bacon ranch bake or our famous loaded Monterey chicken.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts
- Bacon
- Brown Sugar | Light or Dark Brown
- Seasoning | Kosher Salt, Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder
- Oil | Avocado or Canola Oil
There are two important things to keep in mind when you're shopping the ingredient list for this recipe. The first: Smaller chicken breasts are easier to wrap in bacon than larger ones. And, secondly, (and sadly) this is not the time for thick-cut bacon. Go for the thinner slices!
For another delicious and savory chicken dish, add our smoked chicken legs to your recipe lineup.
How to Store Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Store your leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
What to Serve with Chicken Wrapped in Bacon
Serve this smoky, savory, salty-sweet chicken dish alongside anything you'd typically eat with BBQ and more! This dish is perfect for Game Days, and if you need more ideas to go along with it check out these Game Day Recipes!
Below are just a few of our favorite side dishes to pair with it.
Red Mashed Potatoes
Crock Pot Pinto Beans
Roasted Okra
Southern Collard Greens
Old-Fashioned Potato Salad with Egg
Cream Corn Casserole with Cream Cheese
5 More Chicken Recipes to Try
- Stuffed Chicken
- Cornflake Chicken
- Bruschetta Chicken
- Chicken Fried Chicken
- Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon avocado or canola oil
- 1 (12-ounce) package bacon (not thick-cut)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and have ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Combine the sugar and all of the spices in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Then, on a work surface, drizzle them evenly with oil and rub all over until evenly coated. Season each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar-spice mixture (totaling 4 tablespoons of seasoning) and rub/pat all over once more to adhere.
- Start at the tapered end of the chicken breast and begin tightly wrapping it with a slice of bacon, everso slightly overlapping as you loop it around, and adding a second slice of bacon as necessary.
- Transfer the chicken to the prepared pan and distribute the remaining brown sugar-spice across the top of them, and pat the adhere.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes, serve, and enjoy!
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Charis says
This recipe is a keeper. Tried it tonight with an arugula salad.
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Charis!