Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Chicken – These delicious skewers feature juicy chicken breast tenders wrapped in bacon, then oven-baked and brushed with a spicy sweet chili sauce. They’re easy to make in about 30 minutes and perfect to serve as a party appetizer or fun main dish!
Why We Love Oven-Baked Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders
How do you make a tasty chicken tender even better? Why, put it on a skewer and wrap it in bacon, of course! Whether using whole chicken breasts cut into strips or chicken tenders, this Bacon Wrapped Chicken recipe is utterly irresistible!
It’s super easy to prepare in only about 30 minutes with 3 main ingredients, plus salt and black pepper. (But do those even really count?) Here we use an Asian sweet chili glaze to season the chicken pieces. It balances the richness of the crispy bacon strips with a punch of sticky, sweet, and lightly spicy goodness. But feel free to mix things up with your favorite sauces!
This bacon-wrapped chicken breast recipe can be made as a main dish to pair with just about anything, as a finger food party snack, and as chicken skewers. The tenders are also terrific for meal-prepping to add some easy and delicious protein to any meal!
3 Ingredients You Need
- Chicken breast – ready-to-use tenders, or purchase whole boneless skinless chicken breasts to cut into tender-sized strips
- Bacon strips – NOT thick-cut slices of bacon
- Sweet chili sauce – your favorite brand
Plus a bit of salt and pepper, each to taste.
How to Make Sweet and Spicy BaconWrapped Chicken
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet and cover it with parchment paper.
If using whole chicken breasts, instead of chicken tenders, cut them into 1 ½ inch strips the length of the chicken breast. (Essentially the shape and size of chicken tenders.)
Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and toss to coat on all sides.
If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes in water, then thread one skewer through each chicken strip, leaving a handle on one end.
Wrap each chicken strip with one strip of bacon, making sure to tuck both ends of the bacon under as you lay them on the baking sheet.
Bake the chicken for 15 minutes. Then remove it from the oven and brush the chicken strips with sweet chili sauce.
Get the Complete (Printable) Bacon Wrapped Chicken Skewers Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Place them back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Recipe Variations and Tips
- Chicken – Ready-to-use chicken tenders are super handy. However, feel free to instead use whole breasts cut into strips, boneless chicken thighs, or even frozen breaded tenders.
- Bacon – Swap pork for turkey bacon, if you prefer.
- Sauce – We love the sweet and spicy blend of Asian sweet chili sauce. But you can mix things up and instead use regular hot sauce, buffalo sauce, bbq sauce, chipotle bbq sauce, or other favorite sauces!
- Skewers – If using skewers, make sure to soak them in water 30 minutes before cooking the chicken so the skewers don’t burn in the oven.
- Glaze – Cook the chicken for the full 15 minutes before adding the glaze. Glazing the chicken strips too soon will cause the sauce to caramelize quickly and overcook the chicken.
- Don’t overcook – Chicken breast tenders cook fast and will easily dry out if cooked too long. I suggest checking for doneness on the low end of the cook time.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe can be made as a main dish to pair with any sides! The sweet chili sauce is great with fluffy white rice, or keep things low carb with cauliflower rice and veggies… Try these Panda Express super greens, air fryer green beans, crunchy napa cabbage salad, or simple steamed broccoli.
Keep the bacon wrapped chicken breast tenders on skewers and serve as fun appetizer or party snack. They’re delicious as-is or with any creamy dipping sauce. We love the contrast of the sweet and spicy chili with ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken strips refers to any long, narrow pieces of cut chicken. These are typically strips of breast meat, but technically can be sourced from any part of the chicken. Tenders, on the other hand, are a specific cut of meat found underneath the breast. These pieces tend to be more supple and tender than the strong front-of-bird breast meat.
Yes, as long as the sweet chili sauce you purchase is GF, the whole recipe is gluten-free and low(ish) carb!
A good chili sauce has just the right balance of spicy, sweet, and a bit tangy/sour. You definitely should taste a hint of fiery heat on the tip of your tongue. However, the sweetness rolls in quickly so all you are left with is yummy flavor and not a molten fireball in your mouth.
These bacon-wrapped chicken pops are great to make ahead for meal prepping! They will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Looking for More Easy Chicken Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Sweet n’ Spicy Chicken Lollipops
- Crispy Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Asian Chicken Sliders with Slaw
- Spicy-Sweet Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Recipe + VIDEO
Ingredients
- 2 – 2 ½ pounds chicken tenders or chicken breasts
- 12 ounces bacon strips thin, NOT thick-cut
- 1 cups sweet chili sauce (GF if needed)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set out a large rimmed baking sheet and cover with parchment paper.
- If using whole chicken breasts, instead of chicken tenders, cut them into 1 ½ inch strips the length of the chicken breast. (Essentially the shape and size of chicken tenders.)
- Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and toss to coat on all sides.
- If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes in water, then thread one skewer through each chicken strip.
- Wrap each chicken strip with one strip of bacon, making sure to tuck both ends of the bacon under as you lay them on the baking sheet.
- Bake the chicken for 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and brush the chicken strips with sweet chili sauce. Place them back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
give this to me year round! this was everything that I wanted it to be and more! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!