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My bacon-wrapped chicken bites combine two of my favorite foods: juicy chicken and crispy bacon! They’re deliciously seasoned and easy to “grill” on skewers in the oven. Or, I’ll take this chicken appetizer outside to cook on the real grill in the summer!
This recipe puts a fun spin on chicken skewers that’s perfect for parties and game days. Try my easy chicken satay and BBQ chicken skewers, next!
These bacon-wrapped chicken bites are seasoned, juicy, and wrapped with little scarves of crispy bacon. You can find similar bites served on toothpicks, like my bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts. These bacon-wrapped chicken bites are so good, however, that one at a time just isn’t enough. I went all out and put a handful of them on a skewer just to get more bites in one serving! You’ll thank me later. 😉
What Makes These Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Bites So Great
- Perfectly seasoned. A simple blend of herbs and spices like smoky paprika, garlic, spicy cayenne, and thyme brings out the best in the chicken, while the salty bacon does its thing to lock in all that flavor.
- Cooked on skewers. Skewers are extra convenient, not only for taking this bacon-wrapped chicken from the oven to the grill but also for serving.
- Any occasion. I pass these around at every Super Bowl party and often make them for happy hours, and everyone always goes in for seconds (again, that’s why we put them on skewers!). They’re also great as a light dinner with a salad on the side in the summer.
What You’ll Need
The ingredients list couldn’t be simpler. I love that I can customize these bacon-wrapped chicken bites just by changing up the seasonings and even the type of bacon (I think maple bacon would be amazing!). For now, here are some notes on what you’ll need. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full list and recipe details.
- Chicken – You can make these bites with chicken breasts or thighs since you’ll cut the chicken into 1” cubes. I recommend boneless, skinless chicken.
- Olive Oil – Or your preferred cooking oil.
- Seasoning – I season the chicken with an easy blend of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, basil, plus salt and pepper. It’s a variation of my homemade chicken seasoning (which also works great in this recipe). You can use just about any chicken spice or seasoning blend, though, or borrow the spice combo from my Bang Bang chicken recipe if you want to switch things up.
- Bacon – Streaky bacon is easiest to wrap around the chicken pieces. Slice the bacon in half before you start.
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Bites on Skewers
Gather your skewers and the ingredients covered above, and let’s make some juicy bacon chicken!
- Season the chicken. Once you’ve sliced the chicken into 1” to 1½” pieces, add the chicken to a bowl and toss with olive oil. Afterward, add the seasonings and mix that around until the chicken is nicely coated.
- Wrap with bacon. Next, take a slice of bacon and wrap it around a piece of chicken. As you work, thread the wrapped chicken onto a skewer. I usually fit about 5-6 bites per skewer. Packing them tightly holds the bacon in place!
- Cook. Bake or grill your chicken bites following one of the methods below!
Oven Method
To bake these chicken bites in the oven, I recommend setting a wire rack over a baking sheet. This allows the hot air inside the oven to circulate and crisp up the bacon and also collects the drippings. Line the baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up!
- Prep. Arrange the bacon-wrapped chicken skewers on your prepared baking rack.
- Bake. Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes until the bacon is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
Grill Method
If you own a grill, this recipe translates beautifully to outdoor cooking in the warmer months.
- Prep. While the grill preheats, oil the grates.
- Grill. Grill the chicken bites over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, flipping the chicken 2-3 times throughout cooking.
I like to brush the chicken with barbecue sauce after each flip to keep it moist when grilling. This step is optional, though!
Soak the Skewers First
If you’re using wooden bamboo skewers, it’s very important to soak them in water for at least 15 minutes (up to 30 minutes) before grilling. Pre-soaking the skewers keeps them moist, and lowers the risk of the wood charring and catching fire on the grill. You can skip this step when using metal skewers.
Tips and Variations
- Soak wooden skewers. See above. If you don’t, it risks the wood charring on the grill before the chicken is cooked.
- Make individual chicken bites. If you’d prefer to make individual bacon-wrapped chicken bites on toothpicks instead, I recommend soaking the toothpicks and using the oven method outlined above. After you’ve wrapped the chicken pieces in bacon, use a toothpick to secure it in place. Arrange the bites on the baking rack and bake as usual.
- Check for doneness. These bacon-wrapped chicken bites are done cooking when the bacon crisps up and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Rest the chicken. After baking or grilling, allow the chicken bites to rest for 5 minutes before serving. It keeps the pieces super juicy and tender.
- Different seasoning. A little brown sugar in the spice blend adds a nice sweet-savory touch. I’ve also been dying to try a spicy version of this recipe with the chicken coated in homemade jerk seasoning. Yum!
- Marinate the chicken. If you have the time, marinating the chicken pieces beforehand is a great way to build on the flavors. This sweet-tangy-spicy beer marinade and this milder honey soy chicken marinade are both good options.
Serving Suggestions
In my opinion, these chicken bites are the best appetizer! They’re delicious dipped in honey mustard sauce, garlic aioli, or Macedonian taratur. Serve these bites with a refreshing pitcher of vodka lemonade or a non-alcoholic acai refresher, and watch them vanish. Luckily, I always have a big bowl of pizza dip on standby!
For dinner, I serve these chicken bites with a fresh Mediterranean salad or orzo salad and a side of crispy parmesan-crusted potatoes for an easy meal. They’re also great with a macaroni salad at backyard BBQs, with a homemade frosted lemonade for dessert.
Make Them Ahead
The easiest way to prep this bacon-wrapped chicken ahead of time is to wrap the chicken bites as directed, but don’t thread them onto the skewers. Instead, arrange them on a lined baking sheet and pre-freeze. Afterward, transfer the bites to freezer bags and keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to bake or grill, thaw the chicken bites overnight in the fridge. Let them rest at room temperature, then thread onto skewers and cook as directed.
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Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites (On Skewers!)
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- 10 to 12 bacon slices, cut in half crosswise
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set a wire rack on top of the baking sheet and spray it with cooking oil; set aside.
- Season the chicken. Cut the chicken into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and dried basil; mix around until well combined.
- Wrap with bacon. Wrap each piece of bacon around each chicken piece, and thread 5 to 6 pieces onto each skewer. You want to pack them close together on the skewer so that the bacon slices stay intact.
- Bake. Arrange the skewers on top of the baking rack. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and bacon is crispy. If the bacon isn’t crispy enough, pop the skewers under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to finish.
- Rest and serve. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes, then serve.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Heat up the grill to medium-high heat.
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers. Oil the grates really well to prevent the bacon from sticking. Arrange the chicken skewers on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn over, and, optionally, brush with your favorite barbecue sauce to keep it moist; continue to cook for 4 minutes.
- Turn over again, brush with barbecue sauce, and continue to cook for 4 more minutes, or until done. The chicken is done when its internal temperature reaches 165˚F.
- To freeze, place each piece of bacon-wrapped chicken on a lined cookie sheet and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer and place in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Defrost the bites overnight in the fridge. Then, remove them from the refrigerator and let them stand 15 minutes on the counter.
- Thread onto skewers and continue as directed.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store leftover bacon-wrapped chicken bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. The best way to reheat these chicken skewers is in the oven (or you can use the air fryer if you have one). Warm the chicken at 350ºF until it’s hot throughout and the bacon is crispy again.
- Freeze. You can always freeze this chicken for easy thawing and reheating down the road. Store the skewers airtight and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
I don’t believe 30 minutes or 25 minutes at 350 degrees is enough. I’ve done 30 minutes… then 13 more minutes… then flipped them over and I’m trying 10 more minutes of convection. Keeping my fingers crossed but still not sure why cooking times are so far off. I’ve noticed others on here commenting on the cooking time too.
Hi!
The cook time of 30 minutes at 350°F is typically enough to fully cook the chicken bites, especially when you use a baking rack to elevate them for airflow. Cooking chicken for 50+ minutes will result in rubbery, dry chicken. If your bacon isn’t crisped to your liking, a quick 1 to 2 minutes under the broiler usually does the trick without overcooking the chicken.