For Crispy Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts Never Skip This Step

Whether you're putting it on a sandwich or eating it as is, bacon-wrapped chicken breast is a delicious and savory dish that is well worth giving a shot if you're an all-around meat lover. However, the process of making the combination can sometimes be difficult, especially for those seeking crispy bacon yet tender chicken breast (which can be made easily using the 3-2-1 method). In many cases, it's incredibly important to cook the raw bacon separately from the chicken at first to obtain the best results for the dish. We spoke to George Ryle, the in-house chef at Swaledale Butchers, about how to make bacon-wrapped chicken optimally. The chef pointed to cooking your bacon twice as a vital part of the recipe.

"If you wrap raw bacon around chicken breast and cook it from there, the chicken will often be done before the bacon's really crisped," Ryle explained. "That usually leaves you with bacon that looks cooked but still feels a bit chewy." So, if you prefer bacon to be a bit less crispy, cooking it at the same time is a viable option, but it's important to ensure you don't overcook the chicken in the process as you wait for the bacon to obtain its ideal texture. Furthermore, Ryle recommends taking the cut of bacon you use into account, as well. "Do not use really thick-cut bacon for this. It looks good on paper, but it takes too long to crisp," Ryle added.

If you're looking to make the best bacon-wrapped chicken possible, the extra step of cooking the bacon first can really come in handy and is well worth the additional time it'll take to complete the dish. However, there are also other ways to make the bacon as crispy as possible. For example, starting your bacon in a cold pan and gradually raising the heat can lead to a more even crispiness for your pork. With this in mind, though, it's also key not to cook the bacon all the way during the initial cooking process. "I'd cook the bacon very lightly first, just enough to get it going," George Ryle suggested. "A few minutes in a pan is plenty. Then wrap it around the chicken and let it finish in the oven."

Beyond that, making your bacon-wrapped chicken breasts taste better also comes down to seasoning them correctly. Rubbing ingredients like brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper into your chicken (and sprinkling them onto your bacon after wrapping it) can make a massive difference as far as the dish's taste is concerned. You'll also want to brine your chicken before you do anything in terms of cooking your meat. This preliminary step can help make the poultry much juicier and thus more appetizing. In fact, not brining your chicken is considered one of the biggest mistakes you can make when cooking grilled chicken, and is a pretty poor choice when dealing with baked chicken, as well.