Bacon Wrapped Chicken & Jalapeno Bites
These Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites are the perfect snack to make for game day (or any kind of group gathering!). The pieces of chicken are topped with a slice of jalapeno, wrapped in bacon and then smothered in a sweet and tangy sauce. These bites can be prepared in advance and are guaranteed to be a crowd favourite. This Bacon Wrapped Chicken recipe is Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal too.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THESE BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN BITES
- Crispy bacon, spicy jalapenos and tender chicken…it’s a match made in heaven.
- This bacon wrapped chicken recipe couldn’t be any easier to make with less than 10 minutes of hands on prep.
- They are a great make ahead appetizer that you can prepare a day or two in advance and simply pop in the oven before serving.
- I’ve served these twice to a group of people and both times they were devoured in a matter of minutes. Whether you are making these as part of a game day spread, backyard barbecue or fancy cocktail party, they are guaranteed to be a hit with everyone.
- These bacon wrapped chicken bites are Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal and can easily be made Whole30 too!
WHAT TYPE OF CHICKEN WORKS BEST
I find that chicken breasts are the best cut of chicken to use, but you could alternatively use chicken tenders or thighs, I would simply recommend cutting the chicken into slightly larger pieces to compensate for the lack of width.
WHAT TYPE OF BACON WORKS BEST?
I recommend using thin cut bacon for this bacon wrapped chicken recipe. Cut each slice into half or thirds and wrap it around the chicken so that it overlaps by approximately half an inch but no more, this will ensure the bites stay wrapped but the bacon becomes crispy. If the bacon overlaps too much, the inner layer is soft and slightly chewy. Thick cut bacon is harder to keep wrapped around the chicken as it cooks and may become loose. If you don’t eat pork, the bacon can be swapped for turkey bacon.
HOW SPICY ARE THESE BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN BITES?
I have a relatively high tolerance for spice and do not find these Chicken and Jalapeno Bites spicy at all. If you would prefer them to have a bigger kick of spice you can leave the seeds in the pieces of jalapeno (which is the part that makes the jalapeno spicy) or add a 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder or cayenne powder to the sauce. If you are feeding a group of people with a range of tolerance for heat, adding the spice to the sauce is a great way to allow them to control the level of spice by dipping the bites in the sauce.
WHAT’S IN THE SAUCE
The sauce is like barbecue sauce with a balance of sweet and tangy flavour. It’s made with tomato paste, honey (or maple syrup), apple cider vinegar and melted ghee or butter. If you are doing Whole30 you can swap the honey for 2 medjool dates and blend them in a high speed blender with the tomato paste before pouring it into a saucepan with the other sauce ingredients. Taste the sauce before brushing it on the bites to be sure you are happy with the flavour, depending on your preference you may want to add more sweetener, vinegar or a pinch of chili powder for added heat.
CAN I MAKE THESE CHICKEN BITES IN THE AIR FRYER
An air frying is a great way to cook these Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites can also be cooked in the airfryer and the bacon will come out nice and crispy. Arrange the chicken bites in the air fryer basket so that they aren’t touching and cook at 380° Fahrenheit for 12 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through.
CAN I MAKE THESE BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN BITES IN ADVANCE?
You absolutely can! Toss the pieces of chicken in the seasoning and wrap each bite with the jalapeno and bacon up to 3 days. Store them on a baking sheet in the fridge loosely covered with plastic wrap or tin foil. Alternatively you can store them in the freezer for up to 2 months, I recommend freezing them on a baking sheet and once completely frozen transferring them to an airtight container or bag. The sauce can also be made 3 days in advance, stored in a container and only brushed on the bites right before baking.
WHAT ABOUT LEFTOVER BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN BITES
Once cooked any leftover Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites will last for up to 4 days in the fridge. Unfortunately the bacon loses its crispiness in the fridge so the bites should be reheated in the air fryer at 375° Fahrenheit for 4 minutes or in the oven at 400° Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes until warmed through. Although you can microwave the bites I do not recommend it as the bacon will remain soft.
Here are a few more game day appetizers that you might enjoy:
- Air Fryer Firecracker Chicken Bites
- Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce
- Creamy Jalapeno Chicken Dip
- Korean Air Fried Chicken
- Spicy Honey Glazed Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Creamy Spinach, Chicken and Artichoke Dip
- Portobello Pizzas
- Mexican Chicken Stuffed Avocados
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Bacon Wrapped Chicken & Jalapeno Bites
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast (approx 2 large chicken breasts)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 jalapenos
- 9-10 slices bacon
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp butter or ghee
- 2 tsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the chicken breasts into 1 x 1 inch sized pieces and place them in a bowl. Add in the salt, garlic powder and pepper and toss to ensure all of the pieces are well seasoned.
- Cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut each half into 1/2 inch x 1 inch sized strips
- Cut each strip of bacon in half, place a slice of jalapeno on top of a piece of chicken and then wrap in the bacon ensuring that the strip overlaps slightly. Repeat placing each wrapped chicken bite seam side down on the baking sheet.
- In a saucepan on medium heat melt the butter or ghee and then stir in the tomato paste, honey or maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Leave to gently simmer for approximately 3 minutes until it begins to reduce and then remove it from the heat.
- Brush each of the bacon wrapped chicken bites in the sauce. Transfer the tray to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes flip the bites over, brush with more sauce and and return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve the chicken bites warm garnished with fresh parsley.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Place the bacon wrapped chicken bites in the airfryer basket at 390º Fahrenheit for 10 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through
Just made these for our super bowl party. My family absolutely loved them, they flew off the plate. To save time I used sweet baby rays sauce instead of making the sauce listed, but they were the perfect balance of sweet and spicy! Will definitely be making them again.