Flavorful spices and a sweet glaze coat this air fryer bacon wrapped chicken breast. The crispy bacon keeps the chicken juicy and tender.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts are a Low Carb Wonder
This dish is full of protein, coming it at nearly 34g per serving and it's also lower in carbs, with only 7 net carbs per serving. We use a bit of maple syrup to coat the outside of the bacon to add flavor and caramelize, but it's not enough to throw your blood sugar out of whack or tip the keto scales.
We also love this recipe because:
- Minimal clean up thanks to the air fryer
- It's coated in a dry rub of spices you'll drool over
- It pairs well with all of our favorite veggies like air fryer asparagus, air fryer butternut squash or air fryer zucchini chips.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken breast: you'll need 4 chicken breasts for this recipe that should all be the same size. Keep reading for a few tips on that!
- Spices: smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Bacon: we like to use a nitrate and sugar free bacon for the cleanest option. Do not grab a thick cut bacon. The thinner the better. If the bacon is too thick, it won't be cooked and crispy at the same time the chicken is done.
- Maple syrup: brush the bacon with a bit of this to naturally caramelize the bacons while it fries.
How to Make Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast (step by step)
This recipe is simple to follow, but I wanted to include step by step photos so you can see exactly how we made this! I've also got a full length video you can watch in the recipe card below to make it with me.
- Prepare the chicken breast by trimming excess fat and weighing each breast to ensure they're 4-5 ounces each. If they're too large, slice them in half lengthwise to make them thinner. Next, mix all of the spices together in a medium bowl and rub half of the mixture all over the chicken breast, reserving the other half for later.
- Wrap each piece of chicken in two pieces of bacon, doing your best to overlap the bacon slightly because it will shrink while it cooks. Do your best to start and end the pieces of bacon underneath the chicken so that the weight of the chicken holds it in place as it cooks. You could also add toothpicks to the ends of each bacon strip to keep them in place.
- Pour the maple syrup into the bowl with the remaining spices then use a brush or the back of a spoon to spread the mixture over the chicken breast and bacon.
- Place the bacon wrapped chicken breast in the air fryer basket and air fry for 18-20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads almost 165°F. We like to pull it a few degrees before to allow for carry over cooking.
Expert Tips: The Size of the Chicken Breasts Matter
Air fryer recipes are some of the easiest, but I want to share a few tips to make sure you end up with the best chicken recipe for your fam.
- The size of the chicken breasts matter: they're all cooking at the same time, so we want to ensure they're the same size so they cook evenly. You don't want to end up with one piece of chicken that's dry and one that's still raw! Aim for 4-5ounces each. I found this is the sweet spot for this recipe because it allows the chicken to cook to the right temperature, while making sure the bacon is crispy. Use food scale and an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken (165°F).
- Use thin cut bacon: if it's too thick it will be undercooked and fatty when the chicken breast is done.
- Overlap the pieces of bacon as much as possible while you wrap. It will shrink slightly as it cooks so this ensures there aren't large gaps.
What should I serve with bacon wrapped chicken breasts?
- Air fryer asparagus
- Air fryer zucchini chips
- Air fryer butternut squash
- Cauliflower mashed potatoes
- Roasted broccoli (olive oil, salt and pepper 425°F for 20-25 minutes)
- Garlic roasted mini peppers
Storage Tips
Allow the chicken to cool completely then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place it back in the air at 375°F and heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. You could also cut it into chunks and serve the chicken bites on top of a fresh salad.
FAQs
Chicken breast does well in the air fryer at 375°F or 400°F. The air fryer gets a little hotter than the oven, but still does well with a hotter temp and lower cook time.
A 4-5 ounce chicken breast takes 18-20 minutes to cook in the air fryer at 375°F. The same size chicken breast takes 15-18 minutes to cook at 400°F.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. I'd love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- Hawaiian chicken kabobs
- Air fryer stuffed peppers
- Crispy air fryer breaded shrimp
- Air fryer zucchini chips
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 (4-5 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder and kosher slat
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 slices of bacon thin cut
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Recommended Equipment
- Air Fryer
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken breast by trimming excess fat and weighing each breast to ensure they're 4-5 ounces each. If they're too large, slice them in half lengthwise to make them thinner. Next, mix all of the spices together in a small bowl then use half of the mixture to rub it all over the chicken breast, reserving the other half for later.
- Wrap each piece of chicken in two pieces of bacon, doing your best to overlap the bacon slightly because it will shrink while it cooks. Do your best to start and end the pieces of bacon underneath the chicken so that the weight of the chicken holds it in place as it cooks. You could also add toothpicks to the ends of each bacon strip to keep them in place.
- Pour the maple syrup into the bowl with the remaining spices then use a brush or the back of a spoon to spread the mixture over the chicken breast and bacon.
- Place the bacon wrapped chicken breast in the air fryer basket and air fry for 18-20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads almost 165°F. We like to pull it a few degrees before to allow for carry over cooking.
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