Bacon wrapped chicken thighs is a flavorful main course you can make in only 30 minutes.
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My family eats chicken very often. As it’s cheap, convenient and super versatile, it’s just such a fantastic ingredient that kind of always works. In fact, I’ve shared many of my family’s favorites in the past – from chicken soups to chicken breast mains, and even some slow cooker chicken and air fryer chicken recipes.
So it was about time I shared this super easy, but delicious main: bacon wrapped chicken thighs. This is one of my go-to dishes when I want to make something that’s really simple, but looks more impressive.
This dish is perfect for those quick weeknight dinners, but they are also great for entertaining or special occasions. I think they are a great substitute for roast chicken in your Sunday dinner, or as an entree for celebratory dinners.
As it’s dairy free, gluten free and nut free, this recipe is also suitable for most dietary requirements!
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Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this super simple dish. Here is what you need and why:
Chicken thighs: You can of course wrap any cut of chicken in bacon, but I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. These cook relatively fast, and are super juicy and flavorful. If you use chicken thighs with bones in, you will have to increase the cooking time.
Bacon: You can use your favorite type of bacon, but I prefer streaky, thin pork bacon for this recipe. I find that this bacon wraps well as it’s more elastic than turkey bacon or other types of bacon.
Seasoning: You will want to season the chicken before you wrap it. I use salt, pepper and garlic powder for a really simple, but delicious flavor, but you can season it however you like.
Vegetable oil or butter: Use your favorite cooking oil or butter to cook the chicken in. Whichever one you choose to use comes down to personal preference.
Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 400 °F / 200 °C. At the same time, prepare your cast iron skillet or other skillet.
Season the chicken thighs all over with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fold the chicken thighs up, and wrap them in bacon slices. Stretch the bacon to make a really tight wrap. I use two bacon slices per chicken thigh, but this can vary depending on how long the bacon is or how big the chicken thighs are.
Heat up some oil, or melt some butter, in your skillet on medium to high heat. Add the bacon wrapped chicken thighs, but make sure to leave some space between each piece. Leave them to sear for a few minutes until the bacon is golden, then flip and repeat on the other side.
Next, transfer the chicken to your oven to allow them to cook through. If you’re using a cast iron skillet, you can place this directly in the oven. If not, you should move the chicken pieces to a baking dish, and place this in the oven.
Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F / 74 °C. I like to use a meat thermometer with a wire, as it allows me to read the temperature of the chicken in real time while it cooks. There’s no dry chicken in my house!
Leave the meat to rest, then serve it with your favorite side dishes.
Top tips
Here is my best advice to help you make this dish perfectly:
- The secret to juicy chicken is to use a meat thermometer. It will tell you when the chicken is cooked just right, so you have one less thing to worry about. I use mine every time I cook meat.
- I prefer to make this dish in a cast iron skillet, as it’s safe to use in the oven. If you use a regular pan, you will have to transfer the chicken thighs to an oven safe casserole dish before baking it.
- Make sure to wrap the bacon tight to prevent it from falling off. You can also secure it with some toothpicks.
Serving suggestions
Bacon wrapped chicken thighs are best served as a main course for lunch or dinner. I love to pair them with some tasty side dishes, and here are some of my favorite options:
- Kale Sweet Potato Salad – A hearty and filling salad with feta cheese, chickpeas and cranberries.
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges – Everyone loves potato wedges, and the air fryer cooks them perfectly crispy.
- Carrot Rice – Flavorful carrot rice is a bit more interesting than plain white rice, and really easy to make too!
- Honey Roasted Potatoes – Sweet, crispy roasted potatoes with a fluffy center. These are absolutely amazing.
- Cheesy Tex Mex Sour Cream Sauce – A fantastic sour cream sauce with a spicy kick.
Variations
Here are some of my favorite variations of this dish:
Stuffed: You can stuff the chicken thighs before you wrap them with bacon. Try stuffing them with mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes, cheddar and broccoli or sauteed vegetables for a delicious twist.
Glazed: Feel free to add a glaze to the chicken before you place it in the oven. Honey, apricot jelly or maple syrup are all great pantry staples which makes for a really easy, but tasty glazes. You can also make or buy other types of glaze.
Different seasoning: The flavor of the chicken can be changed up by using different seasoning and spices. Feel free to experiment, but I really like thyme, paprika, chili powder, onion powder or fajita seasoning with chicken.
Leftovers
Leftover bacon wrapped chicken thighs can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a microwave, skillet or air fryer for a few minutes, and serve them warm with your favorite side dishes.
You can also dice the leftover chicken to use in other dishes, such as casseroles. This is one of my favorite ways to use up any leftover meat if I don’t feel like eating the same dish two nights in a row.
Frequently asked questions
It might be tricky to achieve this using thick back bacon pieces. Streaky bacon is better suited for wrapping food items.
Yes, however keep in mind that these chicken thighs typically have a longer cooking time. You will also have to pick the bones out of the chicken, which ruins the bacon roll. I suggest using boneless chicken for this recipe.
You might also like these recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Pulled chicken thigh tacos
- Lemon pepper chicken breast
- Honey Mustard Chicken Breasts
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Drumsticks
Recipe
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
- 8 bacon strips
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 400 °F / 200 °C. At the same time, prepare your cast iron skillet or other skillet.
- Season the chicken thighs all over with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fold the chicken thighs up, and wrap them in bacon slices. Stretch the bacon to make a really tight wrap. I use two bacon slices per chicken thigh, but this can vary depending on how long the bacon is or how big the chicken thighs are.
- Heat up some oil, or melt some butter, in your skillet on medium to high heat. Add the bacon wrapped chicken thighs, but make sure to leave some space between each piece. Leave them to sear for a few minutes until the bacon is golden, then flip and repeat on the other side.
- Next, transfer the chicken to your oven to allow them to cook through. If you’re using a cast iron skillet, you can place this directly in the oven. If not, you should move the chicken pieces to a baking dish, and place this in the oven.
- Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F / 74 °C. I like to use a meat thermometer with a wire, as it allows me to read the temperature of the chicken in real time while it cooks. There’s no dry chicken in my house!
- Leave the meat to rest, then serve it with your favorite side dishes.
Video
Notes
- The secret to juicy chicken is to use a meat thermometer. It will tell you when the chicken is cooked just right, so you have one less thing to worry about. I use mine every time I cook meat.
- I prefer to make this dish in a cast iron skillet, as it’s safe to use in the oven. If you use a regular pan, you will have to transfer the chicken thighs to an oven safe casserole dish before baking it.
- Make sure to wrap the bacon tight to prevent it from falling off. You can also secure it with some toothpicks.
- Leftover bacon wrapped chicken thighs can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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