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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Main Dish ยป Poultry

    Bacon Wrapped Chicken

    Published: Mar 1, 2019 ยท Updated: Aug 13, 2019 ยท Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    lettuce with bacon wrapped chicken on white plate and yellow striped napkin

    Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast is a great way to liven up your typical chicken dinner. This easy recipe only has about 15 minutes of prep time, and you can make them in the oven or on the stove.

    two pieces of bacon wrapped chicken breast over lettuce

    Why you should make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast

    Chicken can get really boring really fast. I mean, who wants to eat plain chicken breast all the time? Or ever? Not me!

    Since bacon is one of my favorite things (like most of the world), I decided I'd wrap a piece of chicken in some bacon to make it more exciting. And it does the trick.

    What is Bacon Wrapped Chicken

    Bacon wrapped chicken is exactly what the name implies: a piece of chicken wrapped in bacon.

    This recipe marinates the chicken before cooking to give it a little extra flavor. Then it's wrapped in chicken to give it that unbeatable bacon flavor.

    olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, bacon, chicken breast

    Why this recipe works

    The nice thing about using the bacon is that you don't have to add fat to the skillet or baking dish because the bacon adds fat to 1) keep it from sticking and 2) help prevent your chicken from drying out.

    If you've ever tried baking chicken, you know it's easy to ruin it because it can dry out by the time it is cooked through. And no one wants a dry chicken breast.

    raw chicken breast with marinade, marinated chicken breast, wrapping bacon around chicken

    How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast in the Oven

    You have two options with making it in the oven. The first is to just put your bacon wrapped chicken in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet and bake. This is easier and doesn't require anything extra. For the downside, your chicken might not be as crispy.

    The second option in a little more time consuming and requires a cooling rack; however, using a cooling rack helps the chicken cook evenly & make the bacon crispy. Place a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.

    My personal preference is the bake in a casserole dish because it is less cleanup and tastes as good. The cooling rack step isn't a necessary step in my opinion, but it's totally up to you what you decide to do.

    How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast on the Stove

    Cooking the chicken on the stove is a little faster, but you do have to pay closer attention to your chicken. The bacon can easily burn before your chicken is cooked all the way through.

    Add the chicken breast to a large skillet over medium heat; this helps keep your bacon from burning. Be sure not to overcrowd the skillet; you may have to do this in two batches.

    Cook the chicken about 7-10 minutes per side until chicken is done and bacon is cooked. You want to keep an eye on the bacon to make sure it's not burning, so you might need to turn the heat down to medium-low and cook a little bit longer.

    bacon wrapped chicken cooking in a skillet and bacon wrapped chicken baking in a casserole dish

    Tips for Making Bacon Wrapped Chicken

    If you have really thick chicken breast, be sure to pound them with a meat mallet or heavy skillet to get them to even thickness. Otherwise, the chicken will not cook evenly & might make your chicken dry or not done in the middle.

    The best ingredients for the recipe

    I recommend using center cut bacon in this recipe, so you don't end up with a ton of bacon grease and super greasy chicken. I don't recommend using a super thin cut of bacon because it could end up burning before your chicken is done.

    Make Ahead Tips

    You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance. Otherwise, the cooked bacon wrapped chicken breast are best in enjoyed immediately after cooking, so I wouldn't do anything to make ahead of time.

    bacon wrapped chicken breast on top of lettuce

    Variations

    Substitutions:

    If you don't have fresh herbs, you can easily use dried herbs. Same with garlic.

    Another option is to use chicken tender or chicken thighs. I haven't tested with either, but the concept is the same. Your cooking time will be a little different time with be a little different -- less time for chicken tenders, more time for chicken thighs -- so I recommend using a meat thermometer to check.

    Alternative prep & cooking methods:

    I've baked and pan-fried the chicken. I assume you could grill these as well but haven't personally done it. See the FAQ below for tips to grill the bacon wrapped chicken.

    Storage Tips:

    Once cooked, store the leftover bacon wrapped chicken breast in the fridge in an airtight container. They should keep for up to 3 days.

    To reheat, you can heat in a dry skillet over medium heat until warmed through. To microwave, cover lightly with paper towels and microwave on 50% power for a minute or two, flipping halfway through cook time until heated through. 

    bacon wrapped chicken breast on white plate with spatula and green napkin

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you cook this bacon wrapped chicken on the grill?

    Yes, I think you can cook this on the grill. However, you want to be careful because the bacon grease dripping can cause flareups. I would recommend cooking off of direct heat and using a grill pan to keep the bacon on the chicken when cooking.

    Can you make bacon wrapped chicken with chicken thighs?

    Yes, you can use chicken thighs in this recipe. Follow the same directions. The cooking time will likely be a little different because chicken thighs generally take a little longer to cook.

    What to serve with this dish

    Since this is just for protein, you'll need some veggies and carbohydrate sides. I like a salad and some roasted potatoes or cooked grain like rice or quinoa.

    If you opt to bake the chicken and want to make an easy side dish, you can roast vegetables and potatoes at the same time. Add some chopped vegetables + olive oil + seasoning to a pan and roast them along with the chicken.

    Final thoughts:

    Baked chicken is boring, this bacon wrapped chicken is not. You'll wonder why you ever ate plain chicken after enjoying this tasty chicken!


    MORE CHICKEN BREAST DINNER RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:

    • Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
    • Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo
    • Chicken, Bacon and Spinach Pasta
    • Artichoke Salsa and Lemon Chicken
    • Mozzarella Chicken and Tomatoes

    two pieces of bacon wrapped chicken breast over lettuce

    Bacon Wrapped Chicken

    Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast is a great way to liven up your typical chicken dinner. This easy recipe only has about 15 minutes of prep time, and you can make them in the oven or on the stove.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Meme

    Ingredients

    • 4 4-6 ounce chicken breasts boneless, skinless
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoon fresh thyme
    • 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
    • ยผ cup lemon juice
    • ยฝ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • ยผ teaspoon salt
    • ยผ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 4 slices center-cut bacon

    Instructions

    • Put all the ingredients, except bacon & optional rosemary, in a zip top bag or shallow glass or plastic container. Make sure the chicken is coated in the marinade.
    • Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 18 hours.
    • For each chicken breast, wrap a piece of bacon loosely around the chicken. Repeat with remaining chicken and bacon.

    Pan-fry the chicken:

    • Add the chicken breast to a large skillet. Be sure not to overcrowd the skillet; you might need to do this in two batches.
    • Cook the chicken about 7-10 minutes per side until chicken is done and bacon is cooked. Enjoy!

    Roast the chicken:

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Optional: Place a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
    • After wrapping the chicken with bacon, place the chicken breast in a casserole dish, on a rimmed baking sheet, or on the prepared cooling rack.
    • Put in the preheated oven and bake 30 minutes. Drain off any excess bacon grease.
    • Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes until chicken is done. For crispy bacon, turn the oven to broil and broil for 2-4 minutes. Remove from oven, and enjoy!

    Notes

    *You can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and/or rosemary for the fresh herbs.
    *You can substitute ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder for the fresh garlic.
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    [showhide type="post" more_text="Click here for Nutrition Facts" less_text="Clear Nutrition Facts"]
    *

    Nutrition Facts
    Bacon Wrapped Chicken
    Serving Size
     
    1 piece
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    233
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    9
    g
    14
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    13
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    98
    mg
    33
    %
    Sodium
     
    434
    mg
    19
    %
    Potassium
     
    561
    mg
    16
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    2
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    33
    g
    66
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    310
    IU
    6
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    17.8
    mg
    22
    %
    Calcium
     
    27
    mg
    3
    %
    Iron
     
    1.2
    mg
    7
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    *
    [/showhide]

    What to use in this recipe:


    This post was originally published July 10, 2012. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.

    Meme

    Doesn't this recipe look good?! You should probably share it:

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    Comments

    1. Michelle says

      July 12, 2012 at 9:05 am

      Love this post! I too haven't been in the mood to cook - here it's just too hot. Funny that it's never too hot to bake a treat though lol. I love this recipe. Super yummy and simple. Perfect for the summer we're now starting to have. Thanks so much for linking up to Creative Thursday this week. Have a great weekend.
      Michelle

      Reply
      • memeinge says

        July 13, 2012 at 10:37 am

        Thanks! You're right - it's never too hot to bake! Hope you try this recipe; it's pretty tasty.

        Reply
    2. Terry says

      May 31, 2019 at 8:10 pm

      5 stars
      This is an awesome recipe

      Reply
      • Meme says

        May 31, 2019 at 11:29 pm

        Thanks so much, Terry!! Hope you enjoyed it! xo

        Reply

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    Meme (a brunette female) is holding umbrella and spinning around in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing a denim jacket, skirt, and blue shoesHi, I'm Meme, a thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist from Alabama living in San Diego. Here to help you enjoy food, feel better in your body at any size, and live free of diets & shame.
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