This is how long to cook bacon wrapped chicken thighs in the oven that comes out so moist and fork tender with strips of crispy bacon slices hugging each one on the outside. Our family goes crazy over these for dinner.
Chicken thighs with bacon are super addictive. Using thick cut bacon all the way around you get the juicy chicken inside you love with a salty crunch on the outsides. Roasted perfectly every time.
I mean you can do the same thing with any proteins really. If you prefer chicken breasts boneless skinless or we have even made Bacon Wrapped Salmon the same way. I like uncured Boars Head if I had to choose the best.
We do love making Bacon Wrapped Whole Chicken but some nights there are just a few of us so we don’t need the whole bird. THIS is how to do the same thing with dark meat or boneless skinless chicken breasts too. 15 minutes of prep time is all you need.
Ingredient Notes
You are going to want boneless skinless chicken thighs ideally so they are easier to wrap and coat with seasonings all the way around each piece. These are a bit more expensive but if you serve bone-in you will lose a lot of the pork wrapped as you try to cut it off the bone.
I like uncured smoked bacon that is fresh or thawed for this, not thick cut either because that doesn’t get as crispy. We left as is with just light seasons but you could add brown sugar on the outside to make candied bacon.
As for seasonings we keep it simple with some garlic powder, paprika, thyme is nice too. Salt and pepper to taste before and when serving is great to have on hand too.
Can you wrap chicken with frozen bacon?
I think that is a bit obvious as a no answer but Frozen Bacon won’t work in this case because it isn’t flexible. You would need to defrost at least part of the way to be able to bend it and tuck under one another.
Can you wrap frozen chicken thighs with bacon?
Frozen Chicken Thighs in Oven won’t work in this case either. As the meat thaws with the heat it would make the pork wet and wouldn’t crisp. The overall texture would just NOT be good.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs Recipe
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 8 medium chicken thighs, boneless skinless used
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels.Season both sides with salt, black pepper, paprika, and dried thyme.
- Take each chicken thigh and wrap it with 2 slices of bacon. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with any remaining seasoning. Carefully transfer the chicken thighs to the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and continue baking an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (at 165F.) and the bacon is crispy.
- * If crispier bacon is desired and the chicken is cooked through, turn on the oven broiler and broil for 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.
- Serve hot with your favorite vegetables, rice, or salad.
Notes
What color should chicken thighs be when cooked
Interior meat should light brown or white with pinkish-brown tones, depending on whether it’s bone-in or boneless and how it’s cooked. Juices should run clear, not pink or red with an internal temperature of 165F or higher.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Substitutions
For a lower fat idea, if you wanted to use Turkey Bacon in the Oven for lower fat that works too. I will say that you will get less flavor out of it because fat=flavor but a variation you that will work.
If you wanted to compare baked vs. sautéed in a cast iron skillet we do have information on Chicken Thighs on Stove here too. What I would do is set to medium heat to get it to 165 degrees F in the center, then increase the heat to high to crisp the outsides to your liking.
How Long to Cook Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
That depends on how large and thick your pieces are of course but typically 40 minutes does the trick. You can bake Chicken Thighs at 425 for faster results but wrapped like you see here I like longer in this case.
bone-in option
Yes these are a bit more expensive but especially in this case the outsides will fall off if you have to dig into the meat to dislodge the bone if you don’t. If that isn’t an option for you, here are instructions on Bone-in Chicken Thighs at 350 instead.
If you use different proteins in the future you just adjust according to how much smaller the middle is vs. these. Little Smokies with Brown Sugar would of course take a fraction of the time, you just monitor the crisp you want on the outsides.
FAQ
For best results you would want to heat a skillet over medium high heat with a bit of chicken broth inside. Put in your meat when hot with a lid on top for a few minutes to steam them and add some moisture to them.
No, that wouldn’t work since it wouldn’t be flexible. You will want to use raw bacon strips around raw meat and bake together. If you want to crisp the pork at the end, switch to a higher temperature or broil for just a few minutes.
