This easy dinner recipe for Smoky-Sweet Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast will soon become a family favorite. One bite, and you’ll understand why.
The secret to keeping this easy family dinner of bacon-wrapped chicken breasts so moist, tender, and flavorful (besides the bacon wrapping), is to bathe the chicken in a saltwater and sugar brine for 30 minutes before seasoning and wrapping the breasts in bacon.
The difference the brine makes is unmistakable and is well worth the extra 30 minutes of basically hands-off time.
Jump to Recipe**Please Note – The printable recipe card with detailed instructions, complete ingredient measurements, and nutritional information for making bacon-wrapped chicken breasts is available at the end of this post. OR you can hit the “jump to recipe” button above to be taken directly to the recipe.
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The ingredient list for making smoky-sweet chicken breasts:
**Note – The following lists of ingredients plus kitchen tools and equipment contain affiliate links (highlighted in blue) for your consideration and shopping convenience. #CommissionsEarned
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- sugar
- kosher salt
- thick-cut bacon
- smoked paprika
- ground black pepper
- pure maple syrup
*Note – You’ll notice in the photos that the chicken breasts I’d purchased were very large, so I cut them in half lengthwise. If the chicken breasts you have aren’t quite as large, feel free to leave them whole.
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- large bowl for brining
- measuring cups and spoons
- paper towels
- small bowls
- pastry brush
- baking sheet
- aluminum foil (optional, for easier cleanup)
- non-stick cooking spray
- instant-read thermometer
Why this recipe works?
If you’ve struggled in the past with serving dry and flavorless chicken breasts, then no more!!
Especially if you have bacon lovers in the family!
I can guarantee that this will be a recipe you turn to time and again.
To brine or not to brine?
Admittedly, chicken thighs have always been my favorite part of the bird as far as tenderness and flavor.
However, when you take an extra few minutes to brine the breasts, it’s a complete game-changer!
Now chicken breasts give chicken thighs a run for their money. See what I did there? HaHa!
Why this is a budget-friendly dinner:
Since markets regularly sell boneless skinless chicken breasts in family-sized packages, I recommend purchasing chicken breasts while they’re on sale in the market.
Once home you can divide the breasts into portion-sized packages (re-wrapping them well), and freeze the packages until you’re ready to use.
How to make sweet and smoky bacon-wrapped chicken breasts:
- In a large bowl, add 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and 4 cups of warm water.
- Add the boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the bowl and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the water and pat them dry with paper towels.
- If the breasts are extremely large, cut them in half lengthwise. If they’re relatively normal in size, leave them whole.
- Sprinkle the dry breasts with 1 smoked paprika, additional kosher salt, and black pepper and rub the spices into the meat.
- Wrap 1 – 2 slices of thick-cut bacon around each seasoned chicken breast.
- Place the bacon-wrapped chicken on a baking sheet (bacon cut side down) and roast in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and brush each breast with pure maple syrup.
- Return the chicken back to the oven for an additional 15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and reads 165-degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer.
Can these bacon-wrapped chicken breasts be frozen after cooking?
Yes!
Wrap and store them well in freezer-tight containers and these cooked breasts can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To heat after freezing, thaw them completely. Add the breasts to a covered dish and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes OR microwave them individually on medium-high power until hot.
For more family-friendly chicken dinner recipes, please click on the following titles:
*Blueberry Chili Chicken Skillet Dinner (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
“Skillet Blueberry BBQ Sauce Chicken is beautifully browned chicken breast which simmers to a tender finish in an easy to make zippy blueberry-chile BBQ sauce.“
*Rustic Balsamic Roasted Chicken (not shown) from Honest and Tasty
*Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
“When you need to feed a crowd with something that’s delicious, and completely stress-free, Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches are just the ticket.”
*Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Sauce (not shown) from Taste and See
*Fast and Easy Chicken Beer Bake with Almonds (pictured below) from (yours truly) Kudos Kitchen
“Chicken Beer Bake with Almonds makes quick work of weeknight dinners. Moist and meaty chicken breasts bake in a mildly flavored beer sauce and then are topped with crunchy almonds.”
*Smoky Sweet Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast (pictured below) This is the place!!
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Below is the printable recipe card along with the exact ingredient measurements and nutritional information for making today’s easy dinner recipe for sweet and smoky bacon-wrapped chicken breasts.
- 6 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound thickly sliced bacon
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
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Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
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In a large bowl, dissolve 3 tablespoons kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in the warm water.
Add the chicken breasts to the bowl and allow the breasts to brine for 30 minutes.
-
Remove the chicken from the water and pat the breasts dry with paper towel. Discard the water.
-
If the chicken breasts are really large, cut in half.
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In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
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Rub the seasoning mix all over the brined chicken.
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Wrap each seasoned chicken breast with 1-2 slices of bacon.
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Place the bacon wrapped chicken on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
-
Remove the chicken from the oven and brush each bacon wrapped chicken breast with maple syrup.
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Return the chicken to the oven and continue cooking an additional 15 minutes, or until the center of the chicken breasts are no longer pink, and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.
Tools and equipment:
large bowl, small bowl, measuring cups, measuring spoons, pastry brush (for maple syrup), paper towels, baking sheet, chef’s knife, aluminum foil (for easier cleanup, optional), non-stick cooking spray (optional)
Thank you so much for visiting me here in my Kudos Kitchen!!
I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed today’s easy dinner recipe for smoky-sweet bacon-wrapped chicken breasts as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing it to you!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding this post, or any recipe you’ve seen on my site please don’t hesitate to contact me directly or leave me a comment in the comment section below. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back to you with a reply just as soon as I possibly can!
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Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
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What a great idea to mix up dinner with plain chicken breasts. My mouth is watering!
Thanks. Krystle. Glad you like them.
This looks ah-mazing! I can already tell there will be zero leftovers of this dish! Yum!
There rarely are leftovers, but if there is, they’re good too.
Thanks, Beth!