Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

These mouthwatering good Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts are easy to prepare and always a big hit with guests! They are quick party-worthy bite-size appetizers that can be prepped in advance.  Friends and family just love this dish.

I am absolutely convinced that everything tastes better wrapped in savory bacon. As a kid, this was one of my favorite holiday appetizers.  The crisp and crunchy texture of a water chestnut tastes particularly good wrapped in crisp bacon and basted with a delicious spicy Asian sauce. These fun and tasty appetizers can be prepped ahead, stored in the refrigerator, and then baked and basted right before your guests arrive.

This easy appetizer is perfect for your holiday party or dinner party.  The bacon is a cinch to wrap around them and secure with a toothpick.  The sauce is easy to put together and can be made ahead of time. You will love them and wish you had made a double batch!

How do you make Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts?

Start by cutting your bacon strips in half.  Then wrap each piece of bacon around each water chestnut and secure it with a toothpick. Next, place them on a baking sheet that has been covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper, as this recipe can get a little messy with the basting sauce.

Now melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the garlic and cook until fragrant or about one minute.  Turn off the heat and carefully add the brandy.  Turn the heat back on to low and simmer until reduced by half.  Add soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, and ketchup. Simmer the mixture until it is slightly thickened.

Finally, bake the water chestnuts in a preheated oven for about 12 minutes.  Now remove them from the oven, drain any excess bacon grease, and baste them. Return them to the oven.  Continue to baste every 7-10 minutes until the bacon is golden brown and crispy.

Helpful tips for making this Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts Recipe

• Canned whole water chestnuts can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.
• For optimal taste, use good quality smoked bacon that is nitrate-free and not thick bacon. I like to use center-cut bacon because the fatty ends are removed.
• Brandy fumes are flammable, so turn off the flame before adding the brandy.  Wait about 1 minute and turn the heat back on to medium-low.
• You can substitute rice wine (sake) for the brandy or eliminate it if you do not cook with alcohol.
• Soak your toothpicks for at least 30 minutes in water before using them.
• Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil because the basting sauce can make quite a mess on the pan.
• If you prefer, you can use a broiler pan or place an ovenproof wire rack over your baking sheet. 
• Cook them until the bacon is browned and crispy and the sauce is baked into the bacon.
• For best results, serve warm, so plan your baking time accordingly. However, they are still delicious at room temperature.

What can you substitute for the water chestnuts?

Some people don’t like water chestnuts …cough..cough Re (a dear friend of mine). Feel free to try these other flavor suggestions.

• Meatballs, either fresh or frozen
• Pineapple, either fresh or canned
• Chicken Chunks reduce cooking time to about 25 minutes
• Little Smokies
• White Button Mushrooms but reduce cooking time to about 25 minutes
• Dried Figs but reduce cooking time to about 25 minutes
• Chicken Livers but reduce cooking to about 25 minutes

More appetizer recipes to try!

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut Recipe

A delectable easy party appetizer of bacon-wrapped water chestnuts basted in a slightly sweet, tangy Asian sauce. You will love the taste and texture of the saltiness of bacon combined with the crunch of the water chestnuts. 

5 from 16 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: appetizers

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 32 appetizers

Calories: 77kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 2 cans of water chestnuts 8 ounces each
• 1 lb bacon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 large cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the bacon in 1/2 and wrap each slice of bacon around one water chestnut, securing it with a toothpick. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn the heat off and add brandy.  Turn the heat back to medium-low and reduce the brandy mixture by 1/2. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, and ketchup. Simmer down until slightly thickened, approximately 10-15 minutes.
• Bake wrapped water chestnuts for 30-40 minutes or until the bacon is golden brown and slightly crisp.  Baste with the sauce every 10 minutes.

Notes

• Canned whole water chestnuts can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery.
• For optimal taste use good quality smoked bacon that is nitrate-free and not thick bacon. I like to use center cut bacon because it has the fatty ends removed.
• Brandy fumes are flammable so turn off the flame before adding the brandy.  Wait about 1 minute and turn the heat back on to medium-low.
• You can substitute rice wine (sake) for the brandy or eliminate it altogether if you do not cook with alcohol.
• Soak your toothpicks for at least 30 minutes in water prior to using them.
• Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil because the basting sauce can make quite a mess on the pan.
• Cook them until the bacon is browned and crispy and the sauce is baked into the bacon.
• For best results serve warm so plan your baking time accordingly.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 212mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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This post was originally published on August 15, 2015, and was republished on March 17, 2020, with new content.