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Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts are one of my favorite foods to make in the air fryer. The chicken breasts remain juicy and the crispy bacon adds a lot of rich flavor.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

I love to eat the bacon that is wrapped around the chicken breasts, but a lot of people in my family do not.

Whether you choose to eat the bacon or not is totally up to you.

Even if you don’t actually eat the bacon, it helps ensure that the chicken breasts are juicy and not dried out.

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Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

Key to Success #1 – No Thick Cut Bacon

While I love thick-cut bacon as much as the next person, it’s not a great choice for bacon-wrapped chicken breasts.

Thick-cut bacon would not have enough time to get crispy before the chicken was fully cooked.

You would risk overcooking the chicken or ending up with undercooked bacon.

Choose high-quality thin cut bacon, or regular cut bacon, for this easy air fryer recipe.

Use two or three slices of bacon per chicken breast.

The number of bacon slices will depend on the size of the breasts.

You want to fully cover the chicken breasts with bacon if at all possible.

More bacon coverage means juicier chicken breasts.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

Key to Success #2 – Secure Bacon with Toothpicks

While this step is optional, following it will result in a prettier end result.

As you wrap each slice of bacon around the chicken breast, secure the end with a toothpick.

If the bacon is not secured, the powerful fan in the air fryer may make the edges come loose and get overly browned.

When I make bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, I seldom secure the bacon with a toothpick.

I wrap the bacon and try to make sure each slice of bacon ends underneath the chicken or at least as far to the side as possible.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

Key to Success #3 – Check Temp With an Instant Read Thermometer

The easiest way to know when the chicken is fully cooled is by checking with an instant-read meat thermometer.

Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

If your chicken breasts are on the smaller side, consider starting to check them after cooking for about 16 minutes.

Normal-sized chicken breasts normally cook in 18 to 20 minutes.

You can also flip the chicken breasts after 10 minutes if you would prefer.

If you flip the chicken, be extra gentle so that the bacon does not come loose.

I usually do not flip the chicken unless the bacon on the bottom looks like it needs a little extra time

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

Save this Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast recipe to your favorite Air Fryer Recipes board or your Easy Chicken Recipes board.

Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breasts
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts

Yield: 3-4 chicken breasts
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts are one of my favorite foods to make in the air fryer. The chicken breasts remain juicy and the crispy bacon adds a lot of rich flavor.

Ingredients

  • 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 12-16 slices of bacon
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat air fryer to 370 degrees F.
  2. Trim chicken breasts, season them well, then wrap 2-3 slices of bacon around each chicken breast. Try to cover the entire chicken with the bacon.
  3. Place bacon-covered chicken breasts into the air fryer basket, making sure not to overlap them.
  4. Cook 18-20 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken breasts reads 160 degrees F. Turn over halfway through cooking if desired.

Notes

  • Turning the chicken over is optional. If there is not a lot of room between the chicken breasts, I would recommend turning them over. But turn them carefully so that the bacon doesn't fall off.
  • You can use toothpicks to secure the bacon if desired. I usually skip this step because most people in my family don't actually eat the bacon.
  • Even if you do not eat the bacon, it keeps your chicken nice and juicy and adds extra flavor. Highly recommend.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 863mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 53g

Nutrition Information Provided For Educational and Informational Purposes Only.

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Thursday 15th of July 2021

I used what I would call normal sized chicken breasts. I had to cook them for at least double this time. After I cut them in half.

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