These sweet and spicy bacon-wrapped chicken bites have juicy chicken, crisp bacon, and a brown sugar and chili powder coating that caramelizes as they bake.
A very special make-ahead appetizer for parties, holidays, or game day. Make a few or a lot; just bake and serve—no dipping sauce needed.
Jump To (scroll for more)
Featured Comment by Jamie:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"These are so yummy and so easy to make!"
📝 TL;DR — Recipe Summary
- What: Bacon-wrapped chicken bites with a sweet and spicy brown sugar and chili powder coating.
- Why: Easy to make ahead, oven-baked, and perfect for parties. No dipping sauce needed.
- How: Wrap chicken pieces with bacon, coat with the sugar-spice mixture, and bake until the bacon is crisp and the chicken reaches 165°F.
🐓 Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes. Chicken thighs also work.
- Bacon: Regular or thick-cut bacon; choose leaner, meaty slices.. Thick slices may need to be thinned for easier wrapping.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar.
- Chili powder: Adds mild warmth without making the bites very spicy.
- Cumin: Optional for a warm, earthy flavor.
- Cayenne pepper: Optional for more heat.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Trim bacon into half strips and thin if needed.
✅ Pro Tip: Thick-cut bacon can be thinned with a knife so it wraps better and crisps more evenly.
Wrap each chicken piece with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Coat with a mixture of brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and optional cayenne.
✅ Pro Tip: You can assemble up to 24 hours ahead. Refrigerate tightly covered, then coat and bake later.
Arrange on a tray (a rack is preferred). Bake at 375°F (350°F convection) until the bacon is crisp and the chicken reaches 165°F. Serve hot.
👇 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
- Chicken: Boneless chicken breasts or thighs work. Thighs are more tender when cooked to about 180°F.
- Spice: Cumin is optional but adds a warm, earthy flavor. Add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne for more heat.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark works; dark brown sugar adds a deeper molasses flavor.
📅 Making Them Ahead of Time
Assemble the bacon-wrapped chicken bites up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate, tightly covered. Wait to add the brown sugar and spice coating until just before baking.
✅ Pro Tip: Don’t coat early—the sugar can draw out moisture and leave the bacon soft instead of crisp.
Save this recipe!
Enter your email address and we'll send the link straight to your inbox!
♨️ How to Keep Bacon 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 amounts, 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.
❄️ Storing Leftovers and Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze individually on a tray, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes until hot.
📋 Appetizer and Party 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 Bacon – Bacon… but candy. Need we say more?
❓ FAQs
Yes, if you're using thinner bacon. Very thick bacon may take too long to crisp, which can overcook the chicken.
Brown sugar caramelizes into a crisp coating while chili powder adds flavor and mild heat, creating the sweet and spicy balance of these chicken bites.
Yes. The sweet and spicy brown sugar coating also works well on bacon-wrapped cocktail sausages, tofu, or other small appetizer bites.
⚕️ Chicken Food Safety Tips
- Treat raw chicken as contaminated. Wash your hands and clean any surfaces it touches.
- Don’t rinse raw chicken; splashing water can spread bacteria.
- Cook chicken to 165°F and keep the bites above 140°F when holding them warm for serving.
📖The Recipe Card
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites with Brown Sugar Coating
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts - cut into 1 inch cubes
- ½ pound bacon - choose leaner, meaty slices
- 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 bacon and secure with a toothpick. If making ahead, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Prep a foil-lined baking sheet with a rack and spray with PAM.
- Roll the wrapped bites in the sugar-spice mixture, pressing some into the ends. Place on the rack.
Bake and serve
- Preheat oven to 375°F (350°F convection).
- Bake for about 35 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- 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. 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 Paula Deen’s Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps recipe.
Editor note: Originally published June 15, 2012. This recipe is one of my most-pinned recipes on Pinterest and one of our go-to recipes for gatherings. Updated with expanded options and refreshed photos.
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