Bacon Chicken Bites are a perfect appetizer for any occasion! A mixture of sweet caramelized brown sugar and the spicy heat of cayenne pepper round out the savory and sweet tones to perfection!
BACON CHICKEN BITES
The key to mastering this ah-mazing little appetizer is to purchase the appropriate bacon. I know what you are thinking. Isn’t all bacon “appropriate”? Yes, I believe we are on the same page in terms of bacon always being an acceptable food option. However, if you are going to make this particular appetizer, I would strongly suggest getting the best quality bacon you can find. The juices of the chicken and the bacon blend together and amp the spices of these chicken wrapped bacon bites and take them to a whole new level.
HOW TO SEASON BACON CHICKEN BITES
These bacon wrapped chicken bites are seriously mouth watering. After the first bite, I had to break it down to understand what was happening to make them so delicious. The first thing, bacon, we have already discussed. I believe what happens is that the fat renders from the bacon and seeps into all of the seasonings and naturally carmelizes the brown sugar.
The cayenne pepper does its job just subtly enough to create a little heat behind the sweetness. It is honestly magical what happens with these little guys.
To make the perfect seasoning you only need:
- brown sugar
- chili powder
- paprika
- cayenne pepper
- onion powder – Make your own homemade onion powder for this recipe!
- garlic powder
BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN BITES TIPS
If you happen to only have thick cut bacon, you are going to want to pre-cook the bacon just a little. I would suggest a 5-10 minute headstart. The reason you will want to do this is that otherwise, you may overcook the chicken. You want to give the chicken ample time to cook, but you need to match the timing up. If you go with regular, thin bacon, no need to precook them at all. Just pop them in all together.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
- 1.5 pound package good quality bacon
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.
- Cut each bacon slice in half.
- Wrap each chicken cube with bacon.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Dredge the wrapped chicken in mixture. (We did not use toothpicks, but if your bacon is falling off you can skewer them.) Place on foil-lined baking pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes and then flip the bites over. Bake for another 10 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
- IF YOU USED THICK BACON and PRECOOKED THE BACON they only need to cook for 25 minutes. Still turn them over halfway through cooking.
