Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Tender chicken thighs, scented with garlic and brown sugar, wrapped in spicy bacon and roasted to perfection! The chicken is juicy, the bacon is fiery, crisp and smoky, and it’s a party on the palate.
This is such a fun (and easy) way to prepare chicken. The chicken stays extra tender and juicy thanks to the bacon, and it’s infused with great flavor. A dusting of garlic and paprika adds aromatic nuances too, and the brown sugar makes sure everything caramelizes!
I used chicken thighs, but you can use chicken breasts too. When using chicken breasts, cut them into 3 to 4 pieces each. The goal is to have one piece of bacon wrap around the chicken without overlapping. Why? If the bacon overlaps, it might not finish cooking in time – and you don’t want to overcook the chicken. For smaller pieces of chicken, use 1/2 strip of bacon.
Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour of choice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 7-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed, halved through the middle, or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut crosswise into 3 equal pieces
- 1 pound bacon, I used Hormel Black Label with Franks Red Hot
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl or shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the chicken to the flour mixture and turn to coat. Shake off excess seasoning.
- Wrap 1 piece of bacon around each piece of chicken, or use 1/2 piece of bacon for smaller chicken thighs. Bacon should wrap around 1 time without overlapping.
- Place the brown sugar in a bowl or shallow dish. Add the bacon-wrapped chicken and turn to coat. Shake off excess brown sugar (you want a light dusting of sugar).
- Transfer the chicken to the prepared pan and drizzle the olive oil over top.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. If desired, place the pan under the broiler to brown the bacon.
- Brush the pan juices over the chicken and serve.