Bacon Wrapped Chicken

These amazing bacon-wrapped chicken breasts are sprinkled with a brown sugar and paprika dry rub, then wrapped in bacon, sprinkled again with the rub, and baked to golden brown perfection. The chicken stays tender and juicy, the bacon cooks up crisp, and the flavor of the rub compliments the whole dish. Serve with roasted asparagus, mashed potatoes, and a garden salad.

How to make Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Take the chicken and bacon out of the fridge and let it sit while you mix the rub. In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper together.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place an oven-safe metal rack on top of aluminum foil. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle each chicken breast with 1 teaspoon of the dry rub mixture. Using your clean hands, rub the mixture over both sides of the chicken breast. Wrap each chicken breast in 2-3 slices of bacon and place them on the metal rack seam side down. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the bacon.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can place the chicken under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to get the bacon extra crispy but keep a close eye on it as things can quickly become overdone under a broiler.

Helpful Recipe Tips

• The dry rub can be made up to months in advance and stored in an airtight container in a dry place.
• Bring the chicken to room temperature by removing it from the refrigerator 40 minutes before starting the recipe.
• This recipe also works well with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Wrap the bacon as best you can with the seams side down. If you need to, cut the bacon as you go to make it easier to wrap or to tuck it under the piece that proceeded it.
• Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Instant-read meat thermometers are a real blessing in the kitchen.
• Sprinkle with fresh herbs and spices like parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, or Italian seasoning.
• Serve with any of many sauces like comeback sauce, boom boom sauce, honey mustard sauce, or yum yum sauce.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or in the oven wrapped in an aluminum foil tent at 275 degrees until warm.

Can you freeze bacon-wrapped chicken?

Before baking – prep the chicken according to the recipe. Then place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The breasts should not be touching. Place the baking sheet on a level surface in the freezer until frozen. Move the chicken breasts to a heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. This technique is known as flash freezing, and it allows you to remove as few or as many chicken breasts as you want from the freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, remove the chicken from the fridge and bring it to room temperature for about 40 minutes. Bake according to recipe directions.

After baking – once baked, place the chicken on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper without the breasts touching. Place the baking sheet on a level surface in the freezer until frozen. Move the chicken breasts to a heavy-duty freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature for about 40 minutes before reheating. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or in the oven wrapped in an aluminum foil tent at 275 degrees until warm

More chicken recipes

Chicken Alfredo

Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Cajun Chicken

Chicken Croquettes

Peanut Butter Chicken

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Brown sugar and paprika dry-rubbed seasoned chicken breasts are wrapped in bacon and baked to golden perfection for extra tender chicken blanketed in crispy bacon. 

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 336kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8-12 slices bacon not thick cut bacon
• 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Chopped fresh thyme or parsley

Instructions

• Remove the chicken and bacon from the fridge 30-40 minutes before starting this recipe.
• In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper together. 
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place an oven-safe metal rack on top of aluminum foil.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle each chicken breast with 1 teaspoon of the dry rub mixture. Using your clean hands, rub the mixture over both sides of the chicken breast. Wrap each chicken breast in 2-3 slices of bacon and place them on the metal rack seam side down. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning evenly over the bacon-wrapped chicken breasts. 
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can place the chicken under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to get the bacon extra crispy but keep a close eye on it as things can quickly become overdone under a broiler. 

Notes

• The dry rub can be made up to months in advance and stored in an airtight container in a dry place.
• Bring the chicken to room temperature by removing it from the refrigerator 40 minutes before starting the recipe.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Wrap the bacon as best you can with the seams side down. If you need to, cut the bacon to make it easier to wrap or tuck it under the piece that proceeded it.
• Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Instant-read meat thermometers are a real blessing in the kitchen.
• Sprinkle with fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, or basil.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or in the oven wrapped in an aluminum foil tent at 275 degrees until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 716mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 453IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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