Not sure what to bring to the party? These bacon wrapped chicken bites are always the first thing to disappear. Juicy chicken, crisp bacon, and a sweet-spicy coating of brown sugar and chili powder make them just about irresistible.
Chicken bacon wraps are easy to prep ahead, hold well for serving, and don’t need a sauce or dip. Just grab a toothpick and go. Great for game day, holidays, or any get-together where finger food is king.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🐓Ingredients
- 👨🍳Quick Overview: Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Bites
- 🤔 Options and Variations
- 📅 Making Them Ahead of Time
- ♨️ How to Keep Chicken Bites Warm for Serving
- 📋Appetizer and Party Recipes
- ❄️Storing leftovers and reheating
- ❓FAQs
- ⚕️Chicken food safety tips
- 📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Featured Comment by Jamie:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"These are so yummy and so easy to make!"
🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bacon + chicken + brown sugar = gone fast – These bites vanish from the platter every single time.
- Sweet and spicy—but adjustable – Just enough chili powder and cayenne to make things interesting.
- No special tools or sauces – Just wrap, coat, and bake. That’s it.
- Make ahead friendly – Assemble early, then coat and bake just before serving.
- Perfect for parties, potlucks, or game day – Bite-sized, toothpick-ready, and easy to keep warm.
🐓Ingredients
- Chicken – Use skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Trim and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Bacon – Regular or thick-cut both work. Trim and thin thicker slices with a knife for easier wrapping.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark; dark gives a deeper molasses flavor.
- Chili powder – Adds flavor and a little warmth, not much heat.
- Ground cumin – Optional, but gives a warm, earthy note.
- Cayenne pepper (optional) – Add ¼ teaspoon if you want more kick.
👨🍳Quick Overview: Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Bites
1. Prepare ingredients
Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.
Trim and halve bacon strips—thin with a knife if needed.
✅ Pro Tip: Start with thick-cut bacon so you can trim fat and thin the slices—it wraps better and crisps more evenly.
Mix brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and optional cayenne.
2. Assembly and coating
Wrap each chicken piece with bacon and secure with a toothpick.
✅ Pro Tip: You can assemble up to 24 hours ahead. Refrigerate tightly covered, then coat and bake later.
Roll each bite in the sugar-spice mix, pressing some into the ends.
Arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet with a rack, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray (like PAM).
3. Bake and serve
Bake at 350° convection (375° conventional) for about 35 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the internal temp reaches 165°.
Serve warm, or keep them hot with a griddle, crock pot, or low oven (see tips below).
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips, variations, and serving ideas.
🤔 Options and Variations
- Use chicken breasts or thighs – Raw boneless, skinless pieces only. Thighs work well too—cook to 165°, but they’ll be more tender around 180°.
- Spice it your way – Cumin is optional but adds a warm, earthy flavor. Want heat? Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper—or more if you're feeling bold.
- Thick-cut bacon works best – Trim a bit of fat and thin it with a knife. It wraps better and stays in place during baking.
- Light or dark brown sugar – Both work fine. Dark has a deeper molasses flavor, but either will caramelize beautifully.
- Use a rack if you can – It’s optional, but highly recommended. It keeps the bites out of the bacon grease and helps them crisp up all around.
📅 Making Them Ahead of Time
You can assemble the chicken bites up to 24 hours in advance—just don’t coat them with the sugar and spice mixture yet.
Wrap each chicken piece in bacon, secure with a toothpick, and store them in an airtight container or cover tightly on a tray. Refrigerate until you're ready to coat and bake.
When it's go time, roll them in the sugar-spice mix and bake as directed.
✅ Pro Tip: Don’t coat early—the sugar can draw out moisture and leave the bacon soft instead of crisp.
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♨️ How to Keep Chicken Bites Warm for Serving
Keeping these bites warm can be tricky, especially at parties. An electric griddle on the warm setting works great for small batches.
For larger servings, use a crock pot on low with crumpled foil in the bottom to keep the bites out of the drained fat.
If you're serving at home, a low oven (around 200°F) will also keep them warm without drying them out—just cover loosely with foil.
✅ Food Safety Tip: If they’ll be out for more than 2 hours, keep the temperature above 140°F to stay safe—though honestly, they rarely last that long.
📋Appetizer and Party Recipes
Looking for more easy party favorites? Try these reader-loved recipes:
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings – Classic game day food.
- Lemon Squares – Bright, tangy, and make-ahead friendly.
- Cheesecake Bars – Rich, creamy, and easier than a full cheesecake.
- Candied Almonds – Sweet, crunchy, and dangerously snackable.
- Candied Bacon – Bacon… but candy. Need we say more?
❄️Storing leftovers and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. To freeze, spread the bites on a tray to freeze individually for a few hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. They’ll keep for up to 2 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, until hot and sizzling again.
❓FAQs
If you're using thinner bacon, no need to thin it further. But very thick bacon may take too long to crisp, overcooking the chicken in the process.
I prefer standard thick-cut bacon—I can thin the slices slightly to make them wider. That gives you better coverage and helps everything cook evenly.. That gives better coverage and more even cooking.
⚕️Chicken food safety tips
- Always treat raw chicken as contaminated—wash your hands and any surfaces it touches.
- Don’t rinse raw chicken—it can spread bacteria through splashing water. (See: Chicken: To Rinse or Not to Rinse?)
- Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F for safety, as recommended by the USDA. Use an instant-read thermometer—you can’t rely on time alone.
- These chicken wraps are frequently used for parties. Be sure they stay above 140°. If they fall below 140° for more than 2 hours, they should be discarded.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites (Sweet, Spicy & Easy)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts - cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 pound bacon - buy good quality
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare ingredients
- Clean and trim about 1¼ pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breast. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Trim and halve bacon strips. If using thick-cut, thin them with the back of a chef’s knife and trim excess fat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional).
Assembly and coating
- Wrap each chicken cube with a bacon strip and secure with a toothpick. At this point, cover and refrigerate for better timing. You can keep it tightly covered and refrigerated for up to a day.
- Prep a foil-lined baking sheet with a rack and spray with PAM.
- Roll the wrapped bites in the sugar-spice mix, packing some into the ends. Place on the rack.
Bake and serve
- Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
- Bake until golden brown and at a 165° internal temperature for about 35 minutes.
- Serve warm, or keep hot on a griddle, in a crock pot, or a 200°F oven.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- If using thick-cut bacon, flatten it slightly to make wrapping easier and trim some fat.
- Chicken thighs work well too, but cook to 180° for tenderness. You can also try mini sausages as a variation.
- * The cayenne is optional—add if you like heat.
- Make-ahead tip: Assemble and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. Wait to coat until right before baking.
- For serving, keep warm using a griddle, crock pot with foil, or a low oven. See the post for some food safety guidelines.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Adapted from Food Network Paula Deen recipe.
Editor note: Originally published June 15, 2012. This recipe has been one of my most pinned recipes on Pinterest and is one of our go-to recipes for gatherings. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Cathy S says
Could you use chicken wing flats for this?
If so, how long would you recommend cooking and what temp?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Cathy,
Welcome to the blog.
I don't see that as a good idea. The effect of the bacon fat on the chicken skin would probably not be good. It would be totally different than deep-frying due to the difference in the fat temperature.
Dan
Kate says
Do u think you could cook these and then keep warm in lower cooker or would they dry out?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Kate,
Welcome to the blog.
Not on low which works itself to 212°-215° over time, so very drying. The warm setting should be about 165°, while still drying, it is much better. The caveat on all that is cheap crock pots use cheap thermostats and also put their heating element on the bottom of the crock pot instead of around the crock pot. So if you have a good newer crock pot, it will work ok.
Roasters are much more reliable if you have one or a serving tray.
Dan
Capspups says
This sounds like a good recipe if spices are kicked up. But, as a Latina I’ve got to say there’s NO heat in Cumin. None. I’ll make it using some Ancho Chile and Chipotle Chile powders for kick with cumin for that distinctive Mexican flavor.
Judy says
I wonder if the chicken wrapped with bacon could be frozen and thawed later. Then add the spices and cook.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Judy,
Welcome to the blog.
I have never done it but I see no reason it wouldn't work well. The chicken and bacon will both freeze will.
Dan
Meg Dolly says
Hi,
Is it okay to make this a few hours ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Meg,
Welcome to the blog.
That is how I usually do this. I like to serve them shortly after baking but I make a bit of a mess. So I tend to make them in the morning and cook before the party later in the day.
Dan
Brittany says
I make this, however, I do 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp Mccormick's Brown Sugar Bourbon seasoning. I also add several dashes of crushed red pepper and garlic powder. They have excellent flavor and the right amount of spiciness. I recommend cutting the bacon into thirds au they crisp nicely. I highly recommend trying them this way!
TckHutch says
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I have 'followed' it with these variations: using only chipolte pepper for a wonderful burn, baking them in a pan allowing them to sizzle in the bacon grease, making them on skewers (like shishkabob) for serving as a main dish. Baking layers of chicken, precooked bacon, spicey sugar when I do not have time to wrap the bits or if I have too many to make. I think all variations of bacon, chicken, sugar, and chipolte will make many tastebuds happy.
Packrat says
I make a similar wrap a LOT. To help get the bacon crispy when the chicken is at it's optimal doneness I give the bacon a head start before wrapping. Using thin bacon, cut the pack into thirds or halves. Wrap the third in two paper towels and nuke in the microwave for 55 seconds. If using bacon halves, nuke for 80 seconds. This gives the bacon a head start towards the finish line.
Valerie says
Hi . I made this yesterday using small sausages instead of chicken. BUT I only used 1 teaspoon of chilli. Here in Kenya (and the UK too) chilli is just about the hottest spice available. Cumin on the other hand is mild. So either you guys have mouths lined with steel or US chilli is something else.
DrDan says
As I get older, I'm more of a wimp when it comes to heat.
You are definitely correct. In America "chili powder" is a spice mix of ancho chile powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano. There might be a few other spices added.
Dan
Mary Anne H says
I just made these. They tasted good but not very spicy and the bacon, having cut the strips in half left the bacon in the middle under cooked and chewy. Next time I will add a little more spice maybe some creole seasoning and cut the bacon strips in thirds so the bacon just covers the chicken once so its all crispy.
Rose Cobb says
Don't double roll the bacon I find that solves the uncooked bacon problem
Elle says
I would like to see this in a savory version. Like herb-crusted with hit mustard dipping sauce. I would have no idea how to go about it.
DrDan says
I'm not sure either but if you work it out, let me know.
Dan
Michael says
Hi, I tripled the batch. Found the chicken was a bit too dry at the time/temp suggested. Actually a bit bland too. We ended up serving it with a bbq sauce and it was ok. Thinking next time of reducing cooking time, adding more chilli powder, and maybe an oil marinade.
Julianna says
Just discovered your blog and it is amazing! I can't wait to try this recipe at our 4th of July party!
Carol says
I will definitely try these always looking for new appetizers
Thank you