Bacon wrapped chicken thighs are easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner. In this recipe, boneless and skinless chicken thighs are seasoned with Cajun seasoning, a little bit of salt and pepper, that’s it. Then they are wrapped in bacon, sprinkled with brown sugar and baked until the bacon is golden brown and the chicken is juicy and flavorful.
We use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe but bone-in will work too (as long as they’re skinless). I love cooking with chicken thighs because they’re pretty hard to mess up. Even with long cooking times they don’t dry out.
This bacon wrapped chicken makes a great weeknight meal. With just a few ingredients you’ll have a flavorful main dish the family will love. Pair the chicken with steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, rice or your favorite side dish.
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Ingredients
- Chicken – Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are ideal for this dish, but bone-in works well too.
- Bacon – Use your favorite brand and variety. Avoid using thin sliced.
- Seasoning – Cajun seasoning, salt (coarse salt like kosher salt or sea salt works well) and black pepper add flavor to the chicken.
- Sugar – Brown sugar to add a little sweetness and it goes well with the Cajun seasoning
You will also need:
- Casserole dish or other oven-proof, rimmed baking pan or dish
- Cooking spray
Recipe tips
- Trim any fat off the chicken, the bacon contains enough already.
- Try not to overlap or do multiple layers of bacon because it will not crisp up like a single layer will.
- Go light on the salt, because bacon is salty already and the Cajun seasoning probably contains salt. Check the ingredients list on the package to confirm. If it does not contain salt then add a little extra to the chicken thighs, if desired.
- Use regular thickness or thick sliced bacon to wrap the chicken thighs. The thick sliced will take longer to cook. As a reference we used regular sliced bacon. Do not use thin sliced because it will just about dissolve by the time the chicken is cooked through.
- If sweet and salty is not your thing, you can easily leave out the brown sugar, same instructions apply.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F
- Lightly coat a casserole dish (or other oven-proof, rimmed baking pan) with cooking spray.
- Trim away any fat from the chicken thighs.
- Season the chicken on both sides with the Cajun seasoning, salt and black pepper.
- Wrap each chicken thigh in one or two slices of bacon. How many slices to use will depend on the size of the chicken and the length of the bacon. Make it so that the ends of the bacon end up on the bottom of the chicken piece. Stretch it lightly to make it reach, if necessary.
- If the chicken only has a little piece exposed at the end, cut a bacon strip in half and use it to finish the wrap.
- Place the chicken on the greased baking dish and repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
- Sprinkle the top of the bacon wrapped chicken with the brown sugar.
Bake
Place the thighs in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes, until the bacon is cooked and the chicken registers, at least, 165°F at its thickest part.
Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked through. Take the temperature of the largest piece at its thickest part. Chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature registers 165°F and the juices run clear when pricked with a knife or fork.
Optional Step: If you want to get the bacon extra crispy then switch the oven to low broil for just a minute or two. If you decide to do this, make sure you keep an eye on it. Turn on the oven light and watch it. Do not leave the oven’s side until it is done. The bacon will go from beautifully golden brown and crispy, to burnt in just a minute.
Serve the chicken with your favorite side dish and enjoy!
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Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs boneless and skinless (about 1½ – 2 pounds) – trimmed of any fat
- 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt we use kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 6 – 8 Bacon Slices regular or thick sliced
- 3 – 4 tablespoons Brown Sugar
Instructions
- You will also need: Casserole dish or rimmed baking dish or pan, Cooking spray
Prep work
- Preheat oven to 375° F
- Lightly coat a casserole dish or rimmed baking pan with cooking spray.
- Trim away any fat from the chicken thighs.
- Season the chicken on both sides with the cajun seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Wrap each chicken thigh in one or two slices of bacon, depending on the size of the chicken thigh and the length of the bacon. Make it so that the ends of the bacon end up on the bottom of the chicken. Stretch it lightly, if necessary, to make it reach.
- Place the chicken on the greased casserole dish.
- Lightly sprinkle the top of the wrapped chicken with the brown sugar.
Bake
- Place the chicken in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked and the chicken registers, at least, 165°F at its thickest part.
- If you want to crisp up the bacon a little more, switch the oven to low broil and cook for just 1-3 minutes. If you decide to broil the bacon, do not leave the oven’s side. Turn on the oven light and keep an eye on it until removed.
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