Easy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Beef Bacon
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Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with beef bacon are every bit as delicious as they look! Boneless skinless chicken thighs are wrapped with smoky beef bacon and then baked until perfectly tender and juicy. This is a super simple one-pan weeknight dinner that everyone will love and it takes 15 minutes to prep. Serve with steamed rice and Green Beans with Mushrooms for an easy and delicious meal.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs couldn’t be easier to make! All you have to do is toss a package of boneless skinless chicken thighs with a drizzle of oil and spices then wrap each one with bacon. It takes a few minutes to complete and dinner is ready in no time!
- It freezes well! These chicken thighs taste amazing when reheated and they remain juicy and flavorful.
- It makes a filling and delicious weeknight dinner served with Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Heavy Cream, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms, this 4-ingredient Macaroni Salad Recipe, Instant Pot Pinto Beans, or Garlic Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken thighs – You’ll need 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are always juicy and they are hard to overcook. If you have bone-in chicken thighs, it’s best to remove the bone before wrapping it with the bacon to ensure even cooking.
- Bacon – I used beef bacon to wrap the chicken thighs. The one I use is found exclusively at Whole Foods, but there are other brands available in other grocery stores or in your local butcher shops.
- Olive oil – Even though there is plenty of fat in the bacon, a little bit is used to coat the chicken with the spices.
- Spices – Cayenne pepper, dried thyme, paprika, and onion powder plus a little bit of salt and pepper seasonings the chicken and enhances the smoky savory flavors of the bacon.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Beef Bacon
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mix chicken with oil and spices. Rinse and pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. Place chicken into a large mixing bowl with olive oil and spices. Stir to coat with a pair of tongs or a fork.
- Wrap chicken with bacon. Place a piece of bacon on a plate, top with a chicken thigh then wrap with bacon. Place the chicken into a baking dish with the ends of the bacon facing down. Repeat with remaining chicken and bacon.
- Bake in a preheated oven until the chicken is fully cooked and at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the bacon is crispy. Optional: turn on your broiler for 1 minute to crisp up the bacon even more.
- Serve bacon-wrapped chicken thighs with steamed rice and a side salad. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions —
Should you cover chicken thighs while baking?
No, you want the bacon to crisp up while it’s baking in the oven.
Does chicken wrapped in bacon stay pink?
Nope! If you’re using boneless chicken it will be fully cooked even though it’s wrapped with bacon. If your chicken is still pink, it’s not done yet. If you’re using bone-in chicken the meat will take a bit longer to cook all the way through.
Looking For More Recipes?
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus in the Air Fryer
- Beef Bacon in the Air Fryer (Ninja Foodi)
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs
- The Best Beef Bacon BLT Sandwich
- How To cook Beef Bacon in the Oven
- Southern Turnip Greens with Turkey Bacon
- Smothered Chicken Wings
- Braised Boneless Leg of Lamb
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Easy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Beef Bacon
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with beef bacon are every bit as delicious as they look! Boneless skinless chicken thighs are wrapped with smoky beef bacon and then baked until perfectly tender and juicy. This is a super simple one-pan weeknight dinner that everyone will love and it takes 15 minutes to prep. Serve with steamed rice and Green Beans with Mushrooms for an easy and delicious meal.
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Servings: 6 chicken thighs
Calories: 287kcal
Cost: $15
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish or an 8×8-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 package of beef bacon about 8 slices, 1 piece per chicken thigh
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Rinse chicken thighs then pat dry with paper towels. Place them into a large mixing bowl with olive oil, paprika, thyme, cayenne, salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Use a pair of tongs or a fork to stir until the chicken is completely coated in the spices.
- Place a piece of bacon on a plate, top with a chicken thigh then wrap the bacon around, place the chicken thigh in a 9×13-inch or 8×8-inch baking dish with the ends of the bacon facing down. Repeat with remaining chicken and bacon. You might need to use 2 pieces of bacon if you have large chicken thighs.
- Place the baking dish in the center of a preheated oven to bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bacon is browned and the chicken is cooked through- at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit using a meat thermometer.
- Optional: Turn on the broiler on the high setting. Broil the bacon for 1 minute until browned.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and a salad. Enjoy!
Notes
How To Store/ Make Ahead
- Store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Reheat in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until heated through and the bacon is crispy again.
- Freezing: Allow chicken thighs to cool completely then portion into freezer-safe storage containers or plastic bags. Keep frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen covered in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until heated through.
Tips and Tricks
- Bacon: I’ve only used beef bacon for the recipe. Turkey bacon might dry out too much during the baking time.
- Chicken thighs: Make sure to use boneless thighs. Bone-in meat will take longer to cook which could burn the bacon on top. If you have bone-in thighs you can easily remove the bone by cutting along both sides of the bone, then either running a sharp knife underneath the bone or folding and flipping the chicken so that the bone is on one side and the meat is on the other then cutting the bone off. I also like to remove the skin from the chicken to reduce some of the fat in this dish and because it won’t crisp up underneath the bacon.
- Other types of meat: Use chicken breasts. Cook chicken for 20 – 25 minutes or until the chicken is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit using a meat thermometer.
- Spice: If you don’t like spice feel free to reduce the amount of cayenne pepper used or omit it entirely.
Nutrition
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.
