Bacon wrapped chicken thighs are the kind of dinner that looks fussy but comes together with almost no effort. Each thigh gets a strip of bacon around it, a brush of honey Dijon glaze, and a quick trip to a hot oven. The result is salty, sweet, and crisp all at once.
Why Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs Belong on Your Table
- Just a handful of pantry staples and one mixing bowl
- Sweet honey and sharp Dijon balance the smoky bacon
- Crisp bacon on the outside, juicy chicken inside
- An easy weeknight main that still feels like a treat
If you keep boneless thighs and a pack of bacon on hand, you already have most of what you need. The honey Dijon sauce does double duty, basting the chicken as it bakes and dressing it up on the plate.
Save half the glaze before basting so you have a clean sauce for serving.
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Why You’ll Love These Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
- The bacon turns crisp and golden while the honey Dijon glaze caramelizes around it.
- Thighs stay tender and juicy, so they forgive a busy cook who steps away for a minute.
- These bacon wrapped chicken thighs taste rich, but the ingredient list is short and friendly.
Ingredient Notes
These are quick notes on what each piece brings to the dish, not a shopping list. You will find the exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs stay moist through baking and wrap easily in bacon.
- Thick cut bacon holds its shape and crisps without falling apart.
- Dijon mustard brings a sharp, tangy backbone to the glaze.
- Honey softens the mustard and helps the outside caramelize.
- Shallots and garlic add gentle savory depth to the sauce.
- Hot sauce gives a little kick you can dial up or down.
For equipment you will want a rimmed sheet pan, an oven safe rack to set on top, toothpicks to hold the bacon, and a mixing bowl for the glaze. A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
Making bacon wrapped chicken thighs is mostly about wrapping, basting, and waiting. Set up your rack first so the bacon crisps on all sides instead of sitting in grease.
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees and set an oven safe rack over a rimmed sheet pan.
- Wrap each thigh in bacon, secure with a toothpick, and season with fresh ground black pepper.
- Stir the mustard, honey, shallots, garlic, and hot sauce together, then split it into two bowls.
- Spoon a couple of tablespoons of glaze over each thigh and slide the pan into the oven.
- At the 10 minute mark, rotate the thighs and add a little more glaze.
- Bake about 10 to 12 more minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the inside reaches 160 degrees.
This recipe makes about 4 servings and scales up nicely; just give the thighs room so the bacon can crisp. To work ahead, wrap the thighs and mix the glaze up to 1 day in advance, then bake when you are ready.
Storage Options
Leftover bacon wrapped chicken thighs keep well, though the bacon softens a bit in the fridge. A quick reheat in the oven brings back some of the crunch.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooked thighs for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes to re-crisp the bacon.
Variations & Substitutions
The glaze is easy to tweak, and this cauliflower mac n cheese style of swapping works here too: change one thing at a time so you keep the flavors in balance.
- Swap whole grain mustard for Dijon if you like more texture in the glaze.
- Use maple syrup in place of honey for a deeper, woodsy sweetness.
- Leave out the hot sauce for kids, or add extra for a spicier bite.
- Try the same wrap and glaze on chicken breast tenders for a smaller portion.
What to Serve with Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
Bacon wrapped chicken thighs are rich, so they pair best with something fresh or starchy to round out the plate. Spoon the reserved warm glaze over everything.
- White rice or buttered noodles to soak up the sauce.
- A crisp green salad like this crunchy chopped chicken salad with ginger peanut dressing.
- Roasted vegetables or a simple steamed broccoli.
- For a fun appetizer night, set them out beside these buffalo chicken meatballs with a blue cheese surprise inside.
Before you head to the recipe card, here are a few questions that come up often when people make this dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to cook the bacon before making bacon wrapped chicken thighs?
No. The bacon and chicken cook together in the oven, and using a rack helps the bacon crisp as the thighs finish.
How do I know when the chicken is done?
The internal temperature should read 160 degrees on a thermometer, and the bacon should look crisp and golden.
Why split the glaze into two bowls?
One bowl bastes the raw chicken while it bakes, and the clean second bowl becomes a safe sauce for serving.
Can I make these without toothpicks?
Toothpicks hold the bacon in place best, but you can lay the seam side down so the bacon stays wrapped as it cooks.
Once you see how quick these come together, they earn a regular spot in the dinner rotation. Keep the glaze recipe handy, because you will want to make it again soon.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Honey Dijon Glaze
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 lb thick cut bacon
- Fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup shallots finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- a couple of dashes of hot sauce or more if you like spicy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º. Place an oven safe baking rack on top of a rimmed cookie sheet.
- Wrap bacon around chicken thighs and secure with a toothpick. Place on baking rack and sprinkle fresh ground black pepper over top.
- In a mixing bowl, combine mustard, honey, shallots, garlic and hot sauce. Stir well. Divide into two separate bowls. One will be used for basting while the other will be used as a sauce for serving.
- Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the sauce over each bacon wrapped thigh. Place baking sheet into oven.
- Ten minutes into baking, rotate thighs and add a bit more sauce to each one. Place back in oven and continue cooking until bacon is crisp, about ten to 12 more minutes. Insert cooking thermometer to verify that the internal temperature is 160º.
- Serve with remaining sauce that has been heated.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good morning Melanie. This recipe sounds fantastic and I’ve been waiting for the full post here on A Beautiful Bite since you teased us on Melanie In The Middle last week. Your pix are wonderful! I can’t wait to try these!
yum! did you freeze after cooking, i’m assuming?
Yes! That’s exactly what I did. It worked great!
This looks amazing! Anything wrapped in bacon pretty much has my seal of approval…haha. Love the honey dijon glaze too….yum!
Mmmm this looks like utter perfection. I want this for dinner!
Don’t you just love a challenge…great job!
This looks like a meal that I would want to eat over and over again! From the bacon to that glaze, you nailed this challenge.
You’re obviously a girl after my own heart!
Love back wrapped chicken!!
Yes to bacon wrapped all the things!
The two of you bloggers who used bacon definitely won the competition! This looks delicious – it combines so many of my favorite flavors and foods!
I just did my first “Chopped” challenge as well. So fun! I love what you came up with.
A good challenge sounds like so much fun! I love the list of ingredients as well. Definitely lots of workable ingredients! I have four kids at home and I know about busy nights and in need of a good meal! These look perfect!
Oh my word I’m obsessed!!
Good choice of ingredients. This looks delicious!
Wonderful!! I’d be happy with just a big plate of these chicken skewers!
So fun, this is the second post from this event I’ve seen – great idea! These sound awesome, my family would enjoy them. And you’re right – NObody likes soggy bacon.
Oh my gosh, this looks insanely good. I want to take a huge bite then demolish the entire batch.
This was such a fun challenge. I really enjoyed coming up with something for it. It’s always nice to do something outside the box.
What a fun challenge! I love all the meal ideas from one list of ingredients!
Such a great cooking challenge! I really love that you wrapped the thighs in bacon! Thomas will be all over that!
I love this! That glaze looks to die for. Pinning to make soon! This was such a fun challenge!
That’s just insane!! Bacon wrapped chicken thighs – omg! Delicious!! I can’t get any better than this
I love honey dijon dressings so this glaze sound fantastic to me 
The bacon cooked up beautifully, and that glaze!! <3 I would love to dig into this dish!
Hi Melanie! This sounds delicious and u can’t wait to try and make this. I’m pretty new to freezing meals but I’d love to try it with these–I saw in an earlier comment that you freeze after cooking–would you mind sharing how you reheat/cook them after they’ve been frozen?
Thanks! !
I just made this tonight, it was super easy and turned out delicious!
I am SO glad you liked it. Thank you for the feedback!
Has anyone tried this recipe with “bone-in” chicken? If so, what was the cooking time? We like the extra flavor bone-in brings.