BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts will be one of your new favorite chicken dinners, made with juicy chicken breast wrapped in savory bacon and smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce, ready in under an hour!
This is a quick summer recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight, just like these Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks and BBQ Instant Pot Ribs. I also love using this Sweet & Spicy Gluten Free BBQ Sauce!
BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts are a perfect weeknight dinner because they’re quick and easy to make with only 3 ingredients, chicken breast, bacon, and BBQ sauce! This is a staple chicken recipe in my house because it’s not complicated, and it’s FAST and uses a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken Breast. I make this with boneless skinless chicken breast. You can also use other chicken pieces, like chicken thighs or drumsticks. The cooking time might vary if you use a different cut of chicken, depending on what size it is.
Bacon. Avoid using thicker cuts of bacon, to make sure everything cooks on time and the bacon has a chance to get crispy in the oven. A thicker cut might end up more on the soggy side.
BBQ Sauce. Use your favorite BBQ sauce. If you want a few homemade BBQ sauce options, try out this Peach BBQ Sauce, Honey BBQ Sauce, and Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce.
How to Make BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Use 2-3 slices of bacon to wrap each chicken breast evenly.
- Place the chicken in the baking dish. Once all pieces are wrapped, pour 1 cup of BBQ sauce over chicken and spread evenly with a spoon. Reserve 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce in a separate container, so it doesn’t mix with the raw chicken utensils.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes in a preheated oven, or until chicken is cooked through. Brush remaining 1/2 cup BBQ sauce over the finished chicken and serve.
Jacqui’s Tip! Make a small cup out of aluminum foil (using a coffee cup as a mold), and pour the bacon grease into the tinfoil. Place it aside until the grease hardens, then throw the tinfoil and grease away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken wrapped in bacon takes about 40-45 minutes to cook at 400°F.
This can vary if you use a different cut of chicken. For example, drumsticks cook more quickly.
The inside of the chicken should be white with no pink pieces. If you’re not sure if your chicken is cooked through, I recommend using a meat thermometer and making sure the chicken breast has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
While the bacon helps keep the chicken juicy, you can still dry out the chicken if you cook it for too long. Watch the time closely. The cooking time can vary depending on what size chicken breasts you have.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat in the oven or the air fryer for best results. The microwave may result in dry chicken.
Jacqui’s Tip! Make this with other chicken pieces, like chicken tenders, chicken thighs, or chicken wings! Adjust the cooking time depending on what you’re making.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken in the Air Fryer
You can easily make this in the air fryer! It’s a great alternative when you only want to make 1 or 2 pieces of chicken, or don’t want to clean up a whole baking dish. Check out my other air fryer recipes here.
- Wrap the chicken in 2-3 pieces of bacon. Place the chicken in a lightly greased air fryer basket, leaving room between each piece.
- Set the air fryer for 400°F and cook for 18-20 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the chicken to determine if it’s ready. If needed, add an additional 8-10 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165°F.
- Pour BBQ sauce on top of chicken once done.
What to Serve With Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
I recommend serving this with a fresh salad, baked potatoes, or roasted potatoes. Here are a few more options:
- Crispy Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
- Easy Almond Coleslaw
- Honey Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Greek Pasta Salad
Cooking Tips
- If you want extra crispy bacon, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes, or until bacon crisps up. Watch really closely so it doesn’t burn, because the broiler is REALLY hot.
- Another trick for crispy bacon is to cook the chicken on a wire rack. Place the wire rack over a baking sheet that’s wrapped in aluminum foil (to catch the grease). The wire rack allows the heat to get to every side of the chicken, which you won’t get in a regular baking dish.
- You’ll probably only need 2 slices bacon for each piece of chicken, but the larger pieces may need 3.
- Add more sweetness to the recipe by rubbing 1 tablespoon of brown sugar on top of the bacon before adding the BBQ sauce.
- Or leave off the BBQ sauce completely, and make a brown sugar spice mix with brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, kosher salt, and paprika. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over bacon evenly before baking. You can also replace the sugar with maple syrup.
- I like smoke flavored bacon slices, but this would work with whatever your favorite is. Make sure that your bacon slices are gluten free, because not all smoke flavor is, so you have to check.
- Add a teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for some extra flavor and heat. Add a teaspoon paprika for a really nice flavor and color. I also top with green onions for some freshness.
- You can also mix together a teaspoon onion powder, teaspoon garlic powder, and teaspoon paprika. Rub the spice mixture on the chicken before wrapping in bacon. I don’t rub the chicken breasts with salt because the bacon is salty enough.
- You can also make this on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (about 4-6 pieces)
- 12 slices bacon, gluten free
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, gluten free
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Use 2-3 slices of bacon to wrap each chicken breast evenly. Place the chicken in the baking dish, tucking the bacon ends under the chicken.
- Once all pieces are wrapped, pour 1 cup of BBQ sauce over chicken and spread evenly with a spoon. Reserve 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce in a separate container, so it doesn't mix with the raw chicken utensils.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Brush remaining BBQ sauce over the finished chicken and serve.
Notes
- Reserve 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce in a separate container, so it doesn’t mix with the raw chicken utensils.
- If you want extra crispy bacon, turn the broiler on for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until bacon crisps up. Watch really closely so it doesn’t burn, because the broiler is REALLY hot.
- You’ll probably only need 2 slices bacon for each piece of chicken, but the larger pieces may need 3.
- Wrap the chicken in 2-3 pieces of bacon. Place the chicken in a lightly greased air fryer basket, leaving room between each piece.
- Set the air fryer for 400°F and cook for 18-20 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the chicken to determine if it’s ready. If needed, add an additional 8-10 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165°F.
- Pour BBQ sauce on top of chicken once done.
Nutrition
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