Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
A base recipe for baked bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with cream cheese and chives. Make it as written or add more flavors – customize it however you like!
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Table of Contents
About Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
It’s been a bit of a chicken week here at my house, but that’s nothing new. Chicken breast is my go-to dinner option when I’ve got nothing else up my sleeve and this bacon wrapped cream cheese stuffed chicken is one of my new favorites!
All that being said, though, when it comes to a fast dinner option… it’s usually either chicken breast and Tuna Helper at our house.
Hey, no judging!
And because of this, I’m constantly looking for new ways to cook and prepare my beloved chicken. Last week’s honey balsamic chicken was absolutely amazing and pretty hard to top, so this time around I wanted to spice things up by going in a completely different direction.
And by “different direction” I mean I added bacon.
Around the chicken.
Behold: baked bacon wrapped chicken breast!
Being the chicken connoisseur that I am, I can’t count how many recipes I’ve tried that use cream cheese in some way.
Chicken and cream cheese is a very popular combination, but in most cases, the cream cheese is only there to provide a creamy texture. The flavor always seems to be handled by some other blend of herbs and spices, completely overshadowing the tart cream cheese.
That’s not the case with this recipe!
The cream cheese flavor is front and center in this stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon, with the bacon (mm, bacon!) and chives only enhancing it.
Even I, the Chicken Recipe Master that I am (that title’s still available, right?) was surprised by how flavorful baked bacon wrapped chicken breast could be.
Kinda makes me wonder why I’ve been treating cream cheese so badly all these years, because the cream cheese simply made this dish.
I can’t make any promises, but I hope this is just the start of more bacon wrapped stuffed chicken recipes in this food blog’s future!
Because that’s why you’re here, right?
Bacon and chicken?
I mean, maybe you get a kick out of my corny jokes – and bless your heart if you’re nodding your head right now – but I think we both know the truth.
My armature comedy hour is nothing compared to stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon.
And that’s okay.
I’d pick the baked bacon wrapped chicken, too.
Can you use chicken thighs instead?
Yes, you totally can! As long as they’re boneless and skinless, you can substitute chicken thighs for the chicken breasts in this recipe.
Notes & tips for this baked bacon wrapped chicken
- In the recipe instructions, I say to use a meat tenderizer to flatten the chicken breast, but you could use any utensil that’s sturdy & heavy but isn’t breakable. For example, the video above uses a standard rolling pin.
- And speaking of flattening the chicken breast, make sure the surface you do this on isn’t breakable. I have to be careful with this because my kitchen has a tile counter and the tiles could easily break. If you’re unsure about your surface, place a wood cutting board on top to help absorb some of the impact.
- Be creative with this recipe! Experiment with different fillings like meats (more bacon?) or veggies (like spinach).
More great chicken recipes
How to make bacon wrapped chicken
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Cook the bacon so that it starts to curl and turn red but is still a little on the soft side. The goal is to get the benefits of frying while keeping the bacon flimsy enough that you can work with it. Don’t worry about it being undercooked – this dish will be cooked in the oven, so it will finish cooking that way. Once the bacon is ready, set the strips on a paper towel-lined plate until ready to use.
Step 2 – Place chicken breast in a bag, then use a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten the chicken until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. Like the bacon, set the chicken aside for now.
Step 3 – In a medium bowl, add cream cheese and chives. Give it a few stirs to mix everything together.
Step 4 – Move the prepared chicken breasts to your workspace. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top, then roll the chicken up, starting with the smallest end first.
Step 5 – Once the chicken is rolled, lay three slices of bacon on top. Wrap the bacon around the chicken, tucking the ends of the bacon underneath.
Step 6 – Transfer the prepared bacon wrapped chicken to a baking dish.
Step 7 – Bake!
Step 6 – Serve end enjoy!
Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tbsp chives chopped
- 12 slices bacon (3 pieces per chicken breast)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until it begins to curl and turn red - you want it to be partially cooked but still flimsy. Place bacon on a paper towel while preparing other ingredients.
- In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese and chives. Set aside.
- Place chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag (gallon sized). Using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer, flatten chicken breasts until they're about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spoon a portion of the cream cheese mix and spread it in the center of the chicken breast, keeping at least a 1/2 inch gap from the edges clear.
- Starting with the smallest end, roll up the chicken breast. With the seam side of the chicken facing up, wrap pieces of bacon around it so that the ends of the bacon are tucked beneath the chicken. Wrapping this way should secure the bacon and keep the chicken wrapped. If needed, use toothpicks to help keep the chicken wrap together.
- Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Turn oven to broil for 5 minutes to crisp the bacon. If desired, sprinkle more fresh chopped chives on top.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I'm not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
