This bacon wrapped chicken is chicken breasts seasoned with brown sugar and spices, then wrapped in bacon and baked until caramelized. An easy chicken dinner with only 10 minutes of prep time.
Bacon wrapped chicken breast looks so impressive, but requires very little effort. It’s great for a casual family dinner, yet looks fancy enough for company. It’s one of my favorite chicken dishes along with chicken adobo and rosemary chicken.
I have a household full of bacon and chicken lovers. We eat chicken dinners often and this chicken is one of our favorite dishes to have in the dinner rotation. It only takes minutes to prep, then simply bake your chicken to crispy golden brown perfection and enjoy!
This chicken goes great with sides like crispy brussels sprouts, smashed potatoes and honey glazed carrots. Add a couple of sides and make a great meal!
HOW DO YOU MAKE BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN?
The best part of this baked bacon wrapped chicken is the seasoning. Brown sugar and a variety of spices are mixed together in a bowl and rubbed on the chicken before it’s wrapped in bacon and baked in the oven. It’s an extremely fast dinner to prepare and it will be eaten just as quickly.
Any type of chicken is fine for this recipe, such as thighs or drumsticks instead of breasts. It’s important to note that no matter the chicken you choose, be sure that each piece is roughly the same size so it will cook evenly. You’ll want to avoid using a thick cut bacon for this recipe as it will take much longer to cook.
If you like your bacon crispy like I do, it’s fine to broil your chicken for about 2-3 minutes at the end of the cooking time. Watch closely though; the sauce has sugar in it and will burn quickly if left to broil for too long. It’s worth the extra effort since the crispy bacon, in my opinion, adds the perfect texture to the dish.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN CHICKEN IS DONE?
The best way to tell if you chicken is cooked is by slicing it open. If it’s white all the way to the middle, then it’s done. However, if you don’t want to slice into your chicken before you serve it, a meat thermometer comes in quite handy. Stick the thermometer through the middle of the chicken, stopping about midway through. The safe temperature you’re looking for is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 75 degrees Celsius.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN?
This chicken recipe calls for up to 30 minutes of baking time. Since all ovens aren’t created equally, the times for baking can vary greatly. Some wrapped chicken recipes can take as long as 40 minutes to bake. It also depends on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Larger, thicker breasts will take longer to cook. This recipe assumes an average sized chicken breast of 4-5 ounces.
We love to serve our bacon wrapped chicken with mashed potatoes and broccoli. However, it goes great with a lot of other side options.
OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Bruschetta Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry
- Chicken Santa Fe
- Monterey Chicken
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Video
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 8 slices bacon do not use thick cut
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Rub half of the spice mixture all over the chicken breasts.
- Wrap each chicken breast in 2 slices of bacon. Place the chicken breasts, seam side down in a baking pan or ovenproof skillet.
- Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar mixture over the top of the chicken.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is crisp and chicken is cooked through, basting the chicken occasionally with the pan drippings.
- If you prefer extra crispy bacon, broil for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.
Made this last night and it was a huge hit! Was going to try another bacon-wrapped chicken recipe that had come across my Facebook feed, but when I searched for it, your recipe caught my eye instead. So glad it did! I used thick cut bacon because that was what I had, and I did cook the chicken a bit longer because of that. I also finished it under the broiler as suggested — delicious! I served it with a combination of sweet potato and russet potato wedges and roasted asparagus. Yum.
Great recipe, stuffed with harvarti and shallots served with rice and peas. Yum
Just made this and it is the best. My kids have moved it to the top of their favorite list. I made a few with just the rub for my picky eater and he loved it without bacon. I see this becoming a new normal.
I made this recipe for my dinner guests tonight. It was a HUGE hit! The chicken was amazing.
I served my chicken over rice cooked in pineapple juice and cayenne pepper, with sauteed red and yellow bell peppers, pineapple chunks, jalapeno, and garlic. I then made a sauce to go over everything out of leftover pineapple juice, garlic, and brown sugar.
AMAZING!!!!
I have not tried this…YET! I plan to make it for dinner tomorrow night , but I’d like to stuff the chicken with cream cheese and jalapeno. Would that change the cook time? Also, would adding 2 more chicken breasts change the cook time?
Thanks!
Sounds like this recipe would be a better fit for you! https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/jalapeno-popper-chicken/
Thank you!! That’s perfect!
I am taking chicken out of the freezer now JUST to make this! I am super excited! I only have chicken tenders – any different advice on how to cook?
Just bake for less time as the chicken tenders will cook much quicker than whole breasts!
Just made this for my small family I used white sugar instead of brown just cause I didn’t have brown, I also used Creole seasoning instead of paprika for a little more heat and flavor. Oh it was great! Paired it with cheddar broccoli rice . my son who is 5 and the pickiest of eaters ate 2 PLATES!
All I had was thick cut bacon 10-20min extra cook time work for it?
That should be fine!
Do i cook the chicken uncovered or covered
Uncovered!
The chicken came out so moist and delicious! i’ve even used boneless thighs!
Substituted golden monk fruit for brown sugar; it’s delicious and keto.
Thank you! I was looking to make it Keto myself.
I bet this would be great stuffed with ham and mozzerella and topped with grilked pineapple.
That sounds like a great idea!
Subbed honey for brown sugar. Little healthier and Bangin!!!
I do not have brown sugar. Can I use honey instead?
That should be fine!
Any idea how to reheat after cooked and refrigerated?
I’d reheat in the oven or toaster oven to crisp up the bacon!
Tried this recipe tonight & it did not disappoint! My children (3 & 2) absolutely loved it too! Definitely recommend! So easy & so good!
Could I cook these on a coal BBQ?
Yes that would be fine!
OMG I made this last night and I only used 2 chicken breasts with the same amount of brown sugar and spices. I baked it in my toaster oven and the smell thru out my house was great. I baked it with frozen breasts and the bacon was beautiful and crisp. The sauce from the frozen chicken and the brown sugar made a syrup that I put in a little bowl and served it as a dipping sauce. I served them with Raman chicken noodles and peas on the side. This was the best. Thank you
Vicki
Can I prepare this a few hours ahaed and put covered in fridge til ready to pop it in the oven?
Yes that will work just fine!
Could I prepare and then freeze to cook another time?
Yes that would work but you’ll want to thaw before you bake it!
I like the chicken rub ideal. I’ll use that now. I have made bacon wrapped, stuffed chicken breasts. I fillet the breasts and put chopped onion and grated cheddar cheese on, then wrap them.
i made this last week for my extremely picky family and they all absolutely loved it! We had it with baked potatoes and broccoli and i followed the recipe exactly and just doubled it for my big family. i’m making it again tonight as requested by my children. The brown sugar “rub” is amazing and could stand on its own without even the bacon but of course we’ll be using the bacon. My kids said “how could you go wrong with chicken, bacon, and brown sugar together”. i completely agree. Thanks for the recipe! This will definitely be in the rotation from here on out.
I made this tonight and my husband and I really liked it! Unfortunately, I had run out of paprika but I will add it next time I make this. I served it with a cheddar/Gouda rice dish and it was a great combo. I will definitely share this and make it again!