Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken

We made the best bacon wrapped whole chicken in the oven! We stuffed the cavity with garlic, lemon or vegetables and then wrapped with uncured bacon strips for an amazing baked whole chicken at 350 for dinner.

I mean you can’t go wrong with slices of pig really. It’s like hugging your bird! 😉 You can’t get much better than that, but then we filled the cavity with garlic and herbs too. It’s just out of this world and packed with protein too.

Now let’s talk about the star of the show to begin with shall we? If you are in the states you are probably just thinking of traditional strips packaged, thin or thick. There are other choices though. Whichever you choose it needs to be defrosted or fresh, frozen bacon won’t do. More fat is better too for flavor!!

What kind of bacon can you wrap chicken with?

Also known as streaky, American bacon is perhaps the most commonly consumed type. It is made from pork belly in oven and is known for its high fat content and streaks of meat. Canadian bacon, also called back bacon, is a leaner and thicker type of bacon. I wouldn’t use this since there isn’t a lot of fat.

British bacon is closer to what is known as rashers in the United Kingdom. It consists of back bacon, but it includes both the loin and the belly. We used this so it would wrap around nicely. Turkey bacon is a leaner alternative to traditional pork bacon. It is made from finely ground turkey meat and typically contains seasonings and flavors to mimic the taste of pork bacon. I wouldn’t choose this this time.

Each has its own unique flavor profile and applications, making it a versatile ingredient that can add a savory touch to any dish. I prefer thin to smaller pieces like our Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs while thicker works better for longer cook times.

What to Stuff Chicken With

The inside ingredients for your stuffed whole chicken are really up to you. First if there is a bag of gizzards and things you will want to pull that out to make room for the other goodies. We have made this a variety of ways but since we want the pork to crisp on the outside you’ll need to bake it in the oven this go around.

If you want it stuffed I recommend doing so with Pepperidge Farm sausage stuffing by combining cubed bread, sautéed onions, celery, herbs like thyme and sage, and chicken broth. Gently pack the cavity with the stuffing mixture and roast the chicken. This option adds a savory and comforting element to the dish.

Another simpler choice is to just prepare fresh vegetables and push into the cavity as you can see here. Large cloves of garlic are great in the mix too.

You can season the outside like you see here underneath the strips or leave as is as those pieces will add a lot as they are. Another option is to lay them on and sprinkle a bit of brown sugar to the top so it caramelizes as it bakes when you take off the foil.

Ingredient Notes

I am a stickler for the poultry I buy and eat. There are few things I buy organic and free range and this is one of them. I feel like the “others” meat texture isn’t as tender and many times a bit tough. It is well worth the extra few dollars and just my opinion but worth noting. 4 pounds is just about perfect for fitting into a 9×13 pan.

Should I bake bacon wrapped chicken in foil?

The best way to bake a whole chicken in the oven is to cover with foil for at least half the bake time, then remove to crisp the skin. If you don’t want to use aluminum at all you could use a Dutch Oven instead, cover with the lid and then remove at the end.

You are going to cook this low and slow at the beginning when it is covered which will get your meat super fall apart moist. Then increasing the heat later on will get the texture on the outsides just right because crispy chicken skin is the bomb. The bacon needs to crisp up too for this one.

Now one night if you wanted a smaller meal you could try our bacon wrapped chicken breast in air fryer instead.

How do you know when whole roasted chicken is done?

Cooked chicken in thickest part of thigh’s internal temperature should register 165 degrees. You will notice juices run clear once it is done.

Then you always want the bird to rest in the pan, covered for 10 – 15 minutes before removing the chicken to transfer to a serving dish to slice to keep it juicy. Yes this takes longer than just bacon wrapped stuffed chicken breasts, those are closer to 30 minutes but still quick and easy if you ask me.