Keto Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Keto bacon wrapped chicken breast is cheesy, simple to make, and the perfect weeknight dinner. I love making meals that put a smile on everyone’s faces when they hear that is what they are having. This delicious cheesy bacon chicken does just that! With only 5 ingredients and a 5-minute preparation, you will feel the bacon love in no time!
When you make this easy cheesy bacon chicken, rest assured that everyone is going to devour it. If you are hosting a dinner party or are just craving some good old fashioned comfort food, then this is the recipe for you. It’s super versatile and goes with all kinds of things.
This easy chicken bacon recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
Make sure to try these Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Thighs next!
Ingredients
Chicken Breasts – If the boneless skinless chicken breasts are extra large you will need to cut them in half. An alternative to this is to use chicken tenderloins instead.
Seasoning Rub – I like to use my smoked paprika rub on this chicken. It is made from garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
Bacon – Regular bacon, not thick cut, works the best. It needs to get crispy in the time it takes the chicken to cook. Cut bacon slices in half.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese – You can also use a colby jack blend or another cheese you enjoy.
Sugar-Free Barbecue Sauce (Optional) – We live to make our own with this keto barbecue sauce recipe.
How To Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
My bacon wrapped chicken is a bit of a cheat. I’ve found that completely wrapping the chicken in bacon can leave you with soggy bacon on the bottom. It’s easier, and faster, to just lay the bacon on top of the chicken. My quick and easy version of bacon wrapped chicken breasts – just lay the bacon on top for crispier bacon and faster-cooked chicken!
The hardest part of this chicken dinner is that you have to wait for it to cook and smell how amazing it is. You will be so hungry by the time it’s finished cooking.
Here are the easy steps to get you started:
Step One: Season both sides of the chicken and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Step Two: Add the bacon and bake until it’s crispy. Crispy bacon is a must.
Step Three: Then sprinkle with cheese cook a little bit longer and serve with the chicken is cooked all the way through. I normally take my chicken out of the oven between 158-159 and let it rest for the internal temperature to reach 160.
That’s all you have to do to make this baked bacon wrapped chicken. Grab your favorite barbecue sauce and eat it up!
Variations
Seriously, everything about this easy bacon chicken is incredible. However, once in a while we like to add in some different ingredients depending on what we have on hand and our moods. Here are a few tips and ideas to try out:
Chicken Bites – If you want to make bite-sized pieces, cut the chicken in 2-inch chunks. Then follow the rest of the directions. You will want to bake it for 15 minutes then check it to see if it’s done. It will cook faster the smaller the pieces are.
Jalapenos – Dice up some peppers and add them to the top of the cheese for a little bit of spice.
Cream Cheese – If you can tolerate dairy, add a small layer of cream cheese on the chicken. It’s so delicious!
Ranch Dressing – Instead of using barbecue sauce, try my flavorful Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing. Drizzle on top of the cooked bacon chicken for a nice surprise.
Cayenne Pepper – Sprinkle a little bit with the seasoning mix if you want to add a touch of heat to the chicken bacon recipe.
Sweet Rub – Add a brown sugar sweetener to the rub. Apply the brown sugar mixture to the raw chicken.
Common Questions
How Do You Know When Chicken Is Done?
There are several ways to tell if the chicken is done, but the best bet is to use a meat thermometer. Stick the thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken, and it should read at least 160 degrees F. Then you can remove it from the oven and let it rest. It should be 165 degrees F. before you eat it, but it will finish cooking as it rests. When you do this, it will keep it nice and juicy and never dried out.
The chicken breast should come apart easily when it’s fully cooked and be white in the center. If it’s overly pink, bloody or raw looking then you know it should be cooked a little bit longer.
How Long Does Chicken Last In The Refrigerator?
After the chicken has cooled completely, you should store it in the fridge. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator as long as you store it properly. Leftovers should always be in an airtight container.
This chicken makes a wonderful recipe for meal prepping. You can make it up and then put it in individual servings for a quick grab-and-go lunch or dinner idea.
Can I Freeze Keto Bacon Wrapped Chicken?
Yes, absolutely you can freeze bacon wrapped chicken breast. For best results, wrap each piece individually with plastic wrap or tin foil. Then place the pieces in a freezer safe container. This will give it added protection, so it lasts longer. It will last around 4 months in the freezer.
How Do You Know When Chicken Is Bad?
If the chicken hasn’t been cooked yet, you will notice an odor and the coloring will be more of a gray than pink. Never risk eating old raw chicken, because it can make you very ill. If you have already baked the bacon wrapped chicken, then you may notice that it appears really watery when it’s going bad. You may also notice that it smells weird or has mold growing on it. When in question, toss it to be safe.
What To Serve With Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Okay, this wrapped chicken recipe is so amazing, you can literally eat it all by itself. But, if you are looking for some yummy side dishes to go with it, here are a few of my favorites:
- Zucchini Salad With Lemon & Feta
- Oven Roasted Asparagus or Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Lemon Butter Green Beans
- Almond Flour Keto Biscuits
- Garlic Parmesan Zucchini
For a special side dish try my Keto Broccoli Casserole!
Want more easy chicken recipes? Try my balsamic chicken, creamy lemon chicken, and rosemary chicken! And if you love bacon & chicken recipes as much as I do try this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole.
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5 Minute 5 Ingredient Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 5-6 chicken breasts cut in half width wise to make wide, thin pieces (about 2.5-3 lbs.)
- 2 tbsp seasoning rub (I use my smoked paprika rub, but you can use a seasoning salt or bbq rub - basically any rub with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika - not an herb rub)
- 1/2 lb regular bacon cut strips in half (not thick cut)
- 4 oz shredded cheddar
- sugar free barbecue sauce (optional, to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Rub both sides of chicken breasts with seasoning rub. Top each with a piece of bacon. Bake for 30 min on the top rack until the chicken is 160 degrees and the bacon looks crispy.
- Remove tray from the oven and sprinkle the cheese oven the bacon. Put back in the oven for about 10 min until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Serve with barbecue sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published April 12, 2016. Revised and Republished June 20, 2023.
Sooo simple yet soooo good. Brushed a light coating of G. Hughes bbq sauce before adding the cheese.
Love it, my husband loved it. Very tasty : )
Do you think I could use chicken tenders with this recipe? If so would I cook at same temperature and same amount of time?
Yes and yes.
These are so good! I’ve made them twice since I’ve found the recipe and they are a huge hit with the hubby and kids!
Even though the idea of this recipe was good, most of the bacon never cooked even though I put it under the broiler for 10 minutes. Next time I will partially pre cook the bacon. I will try it again!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Please add me to your list.
This recipe is a winner! My bacon took forever to crisp up so I put it under the broiler for about 5 minutes to hurry things up. I worried that leaving it in the oven so long (about 1 1/2 hours) would dry out my chicken but it just made it more tender! I poured off the bacon grease and chicken drippings before adding the cheese. Everyone loved it!! Thanks for this recipe!!
Discovered your site through this recipe. So many recipes look good. Now, a question about this one. The chicken (really good quality chicken) was dry. Smaller pan? Shorter cooking time? (Bacon was perfect.) Another time I might use slices of cheese instead of shredded—easier to put on.
Were they small chicken breasts? And then you cut them in half so they were thinner, right? That could be why they were overcooked. I cut my chicken breasts in half because they are normally huge from my grocery store. If you are making this with smaller breasts don’t cut them first.
There is a lot of bacon grease…should I drain it before adding cheese?
You can if you’d like. I normally use thick cut bacon from Costco and it doesn’t have that much grease.
What do you mean by cutting it width wise? Cutting them in half across the breast or like fileting it did you have two thinner breasts?
Filleting so you have two thinner breasts.
Thanks!
Made this tonight and it was amazin. Definitely going into a monthly rotation. Thank you for all your hard work.
Can you use mozzarella instead of cheddar?
Yup! Enjoy 😀
Love the cheesy bacon chicken. Looking forward to trying other low carb meals.
Made this for dinner tonight paired with a good feta/Greek salad… Yummo! Definitely going into a regular rotation for us – 10 out of 10, would recommend! 🤘😍🤘
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes!! Not only is it ridiculously good, it’s so easy and those are my favorite kinds of recipes! I never would’ve thought something so good would be so easy!!