This bacon wrapped pesto chicken is seasoned with pesto and parmesan then wrapped with bacon. The chicken starts by browning the bacon in a pan then it’s finished in the oven until caramelized. Spend only 5 minutes of prep time on this delicious chicken breast. It’s juicy from the bacon, and packed with flavor from the pesto and added cheese.
This bacon wrapped pesto chicken looks so impressive once it’s cooked. This recipe is perfect if you’re looking to impress family or even to have a date night at home. Did I mention it’s an extremely easy recipe that you can whip up in no time?
If you love pesto with chicken you must try my Pesto Bruschetta Chicken recipe.
Jump to:
- The Trick To Bacon Wrapped Chicken
- What You Need to Make Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken
- How Do You Make Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken?
- How Long Does It Take To Cook Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken?
- Can You Stuff Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken?
- What To Serve With Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken
- Looking for more baked chicken recipes? Try these!
- The Best Caramelized Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken
The Trick To Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Making bacon wrapped chicken seems intimidating but I’m here to tell you that it’s not and it can be done easily. My first time bacon bacon wrapped chicken was successful because I followed the following steps.
Make sure your chicken is dry before adding the bacon. When the bacon heats and starts accumulating grease, any excess moisture will create popping which can be very unpleasant if it hits your skin.
Wrap the bacon starting at one end and working your way across the chicken. To set yourself up for success, try tucking the end of the bacon under the part where it’s wrapped so it doesn’t unravel when you flip the bacon wrapped chicken. Make sure that the bacon end is on the bottom while you cook. This will set the bacon and keep it from coming undone easily.
What You Need to Make Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make this delicious pesto chicken recipe.
The first thing you need is a plate. Use the plate to prep your pesto chicken which only takes 5 minutes.
The second tool you need is a skillet. Use the skillet to pan fry the bacon wrapped chicken breast. If you don’t like big messes, I recommend getting or investing in a splatter guard. We use this all the time in our kitchen. Simply place the splatter guard over the pan as the bacon is cooking to keep your counters clean and your skin safe from any grease.
Choose a skillet that can safely go into a 400 degree oven. I used a cast iron skillet for the flavor and because it’s extremely versatile. Not using a skillet that’s oven safe can lead to you having more dirty dishes and having to transfer the chicken onto a baking sheet. This takes away from the chicken cooking in the juice left at the bottom of the skillet.
That’s all you need besides an oven of course. At the end you may choose to serve your chicken immediately or let cool on a cooling rack outside of the pan. This is optional and is completely up to you.
How Do You Make Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken?
To make the bacon wrapped pesto chicken, start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Add pesto, salt and pepper, and parmesan cheese to the chicken breasts. Add the ingredients in that order they are listed. Each side should be covered generously. Next, wrap the bacon around the chicken ensuring you’re using two pieces per chicken breast. This first part should only take about 5 minutes.
You can also prep this ahead of time to make at a later day. If you’re choosing to do this, you can place the prepped chicken breasts in a sealed container in your refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. Letting the chicken sit for a day or two is great and will marinate the chicken.
Place a medium to large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon wrapped pesto chicken to the heated skillet with the bacon end side down. This ensures that the bacon won’t fall apart. Pan fry for about 5-7 minutes until the bacon starts to brown and crisp up.
When the bacon has started to crisp and brown, flip the chicken breast carefully using a spatula and fork for extra support. Let cook on the other side for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the bacon has started to crisp and brown. This may not take as long as the first time since by now the oil will be hotter and there will be more grease in the pan. You may feel the need to turn down the heat a little if your pan starts smoking too much.
Once both sides have browned and caramelized nicely place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the chicken breasts have cooked thoroughly. Remove from the oven and let cool before serving. You can place the chicken breast on a cooling rack or let sit in the juices in the skillet before serving.
How Long Does It Take To Cook Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken?
Cooking the bacon wrapped pesto chicken doesn’t take a lot of time at all. The prep time only takes about 5 minutes, assuming you’re using a jar of pesto and not making it homemade.
The cook time in the pan should take anywhere between 10-15 minutes. The chicken has to cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side. This will depend on how thick your bacon is and how hot your pan is.
Finish the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes. This will vary based on the thickness of your chicken breast. I used relatively thin chicken breasts and found that 15 minutes was perfect. You may need to cook longer if you’re using a thicker piece.
Overall, I would say this recipe takes about 45 minutes which includes the prep time, cook time, and letting your chicken rest as it absorbs the last bit of flavor before serving.
Can You Stuff Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken?
So, are you looking to make stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon? That takes this recipe to the next level. It is easy to do. However, you want to start with a thicker boneless skinless chicken breast. Making stuffed chicken breast wrapped in bacon is easy to do and only adds one more step to the recipe.
Ultimately, instead of the pesto and parmesan being on the outside of the chicken, it is stuffed inside making for a delicious oozy bite as it’s cut into.
To stuff the chicken breast start by patting dry with a paper towel. Use a knife to cut a slit into the side of the chicken breast. Inside of the opening, add pesto and parmesan cheese. Cover the chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides then wrap two bacon slices around the chicken breast.
Once done, continue with the recipe as shown below.
What To Serve With Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken
We frequently make this bacon wrapped pesto chicken with green beans or Broccoli Beetroot Salad. We also serve it with rice or pasta as another side option. If you’re looking for one of my favorite green bean recipes that can be cooked with your bacon wrapped pesto chicken in no time, check out this one!
Looking for more baked chicken recipes? Try these!
Roasted Mediterranean Chicken Dinner
The Best Caramelized Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup pesto
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 8 slices of bacon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Prepare your chicken breasts by patting dry of any excess moisture. Rub the chicken with pesto, parmesan, salt and pepper. Wrap two slices of bacon around each chicken breast.
- In a skillet over medium heat, place the bacon wrapped chicken in the skillet with the bacon end side down. Pan fry until the bacon is golden and cooked, flip and cook the other side.
- Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked.
- Serve with extra parmesan cheese and green onion to garnish
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