Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Flavorful spices and a sweet glaze coat this air fryer bacon wrapped chicken breast. The crispy bacon keeps the tender chicken juicy and flavorful.
Servings: 4 chicken breasts
Equipment
- Air Fryer
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
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.
Video
Notes
Make it in the oven: place the bacon wrapped chicken breast in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake at 425°F for 18-22 minutes.
Storage: Allow the chicken to cool completely then store leftovers in an airtight container, or covered in plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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.
Boneless skinless chicken thighs: these are ok to use as well, just ensure they're all the same size.
Chicken tenderloins: definitely make sure you're using thin cut bacon if you opt for chicken tenders, because they will cook much faster. Start checking them around 12 minutes to see if they're done.
Add BBQ sauce: open the lid of the air fryer 2-3 minutes before they're done cooking and coat the top with your favorite barbecue sauce (we like Primal Kitchen), then finish cooking and let the sauce warm and bubble in the air fryer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1chicken breast | Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.8g | Protein: 33.9g | Fat: 11.5g | Cholesterol: 105.5mg | Sodium: 752mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 6.4g | Vitamin A: 90.7IU