Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
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Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken, the best chicken you’ll ever eat with only 4 ingredients. Sticky, crispy, sweet and garlicky, the PERFECT weeknight meal.
Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken is a recipe we’ve actually been making at home for years but I never thought to post because it is so closely related to this Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin and Brown Sugar Garlic Pork.
If I had to guess, I’d say about 10% of the comments and emails I get from readers are in reference to those two posts above and they’re asking if they can use chicken. YES YES YES. I recently posted Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken and wanted to post this oven baked version as well (with chicken breast meat!).
This Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken is as simple as it sounds. Yes salt and pepper add flavor too (so technically 6 ingredients?) but even without those two, you’ll still have so much flavor it will leave you literally wanting to lick the plate.
Looking for more easy weeknight meals?
- Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Easy Mongolian Beef
- Baked Million Dollar Spaghetti
- One Pot Greek Chicken and Rice
Some notes about this Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken:
- Use a baking pan with at LEAST one inch high sides (my pan is almost 2 inch tall sides). You can see in the pan the sauce gets up pretty high while bubbling, you don’t want it to boil over into the oven.
- If concerned about this, place a baking sheet under your baking pan to catch overflow (better on the sheet than in the oven).
- Check the chicken at 25 minutes, you want to catch this when it is browned but not blackened and with sugar that can sometimes turn quickly.
- Yes, you can absolutely make this meal in the slow cooker (this is coming soon too). Using thigh meat place it in the slow cooker with no added liquids.
- Want it a bit spicier? Add in 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper or a squirt of Sriracha.
- If you want an even deeper caramel flavor, try dark brown sugar.
- Serve with rice or potato wedges and roasted vegetables.
Looking for more awesome Brown Sugar Garlic Recipes?
- Brown Sugar Garlic Oven Baked Pork Chops
- Brown Sugar Garlic Pork with Carrots and Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Loin
How to Make Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken:
Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
Bacon Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken, the best chicken you’ll ever eat with only 4 ingredients. Sticky, crispy, sweet and garlicky, the PERFECT weeknight meal.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (4-5 ounces each)
- 12 slices bacon
Directions:
- In a large bowl add the brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper and mix until combined.
- Coat the chicken in the brown sugar mixture.
- Wrap each piece of chicken with two slices of bacon (aim for the end of the bacon pieces to stay under the chicken to prevent unwrapping while cooking).
- Place into your baking pan (with at least 2 inch high sides).
- Top with the remaining brown sugar mixture.
- Cook at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and browned.
- Careful to not let the brown sugar burn and blacken.
I made 3 in my pan, the recipe calls for 6. This is because I would’ve eaten the other three the next day for breakfast if it were in my fridge! For our family 3 is enough for dinner, but I didn’t want the recipe to be confusing. 🙂
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This looks seriously amazing!
Wow! I love all the flavors you have going on! It looks so good!
Thanks so much Amy!
How do I keep the bacon from being soggy? Especially on the bottom? Thanks.
You can put it on a metal cooking rack or ball up a bit of foil for underneath so the chicken sits up higher to keep it from getting too soggy.
That flavor combination sounds incredible!
Thank you Dorothy!
I can’t see anyway of following you and your recipes as I saw someone else commented that they had done that. Do you happen to know how I am able to follow your recipes and see a list of them all?
There are many ways to follow me. You can subscribe to the blog on the right hand side of the main page. Enter your name and email and you’ll be signed up to receive emails with every new recipe I post. You can also see a list of all my recipes by browsing the recipes at the top of the main page. You can follow me on other social media outlets as well. At the top right of the main page are the icons for Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. If you click on those, it will take you to those accounts to follow me. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. I look forward to seeing you around the site!
Oh my, I think I found one of our meals for next week!!
I know my family would absolutely love this!
This looks incredible! I will definitely have to try this recipe out!
Thanks Tabitha!
Mannnnn…. This looks crazy good! 🙂
Thanks Carrie! Wait until you taste it!
These flavors sound so good! I want to grab this chicken and eat it out of my screen!
I really hope someone is working on that technology as we speak!
How long would you put in the crock pot?
Depends on the cut of meat.
Boneless skinless thighs probably 6 hours on low.
Bone in Skin on thighs probably 8 hours on low.
I dont recommend chicken breast in the slow cooker as a general rule. Since this is draped in bacon I’d say 6 hours on low unless the chicken is huge in which case add more time.
This recipe was incredible and so delicious. The bacon really keeps the chicken from becoming dried out during baking. My wife and daughter definitely want me to add this to my rotation of meals. Sabrina your recipes are amazing, I’ve made quite a few and they’ve all been fantastic. I have your page bookmarked in my phone because I can always count on you to have great recipes, you need your own app 🙂
How sweet of you to say, thank you! If you haven’t already, you can also subscribe to the site and you’ll get an email every time a new recipe is posted.
Delicious and different, definitely not the same old chicken. Super moist and tender and with the brown sugar, this was dinner AND dessert!!!
Thank you so much Sally! I’m so glad you loved it!!
Looks great. Will the bacon be limp or have a little crisp to it? I like a crispy bacon. Any suggestions for the desired results?
Yes, the bacon will be crispy! I hope you enjoy it!!
How long would you bake it with thin cut breasts? Thanks.
If you’re taking about butterflying it, I would suggest folding it over to make it thicker because you need time for the bacon to brown and get crispy. If it’s too thin, the chicken might get overdone before the bacon is done. Hope that makes sense.
Would you cook boneless thighs for the same amout of time? Going to try this tonight! Yum!
Probably yes, depending on how big they are. I’d give it the same time, then cut into one to check.
Did you cover in a foil?
I did not 🙂
Do you add any water to the pan before baking?
Nope no water needed!
Was the chicken raw? Or boiled before you baked it????
You start the recipe off with raw chicken.
Ive cooked the chicken for about an hour and im kind of new at this but thw inside is done but right beneath the bacon is still pink, doesnt seem like thats right
After cooking an hour the chicken was still pink? Was it defrosted when you started cooking it? Would be happy to troubleshoot if you want to email me contact @ dinnerthendessert.com
After cooking an hour the chicken was still pink? Was it defrosted when you started cooking it? Would be happy to troubleshoot if you want to email me contact @ dinnerthendessert.com
Can I use garlic salt in place of minced and just skip out on the actual salt? Lol
If you’re in a pinch, go for it. I would just cut the amount in half and taste from there. I wouldn’t want it to be too salty. Good luck!
When you only made three for your family, did you halve the other ingredients or keep it the same?
Thanks.
Yes, I halved everything to just make the three. Sorry if that was confusing. Enjoy!!
I have this ready for the oven after ballet class hope its as good as it looks…
I hope you enjoyed it, Tabitha!
made it. even had the kids help was really good and also a hit with kids
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Currently making this! Smells so good but the bottom part of the bacon that is in the juice isn’t cooking much as the top part. It’s been in the oven for quite some time. Any suggestions?
It can’t crisp up because it is sitting in the liquid, but if you wanted to cook it on a metal rack in the pan the whole piece would get a more overall browning. But mine that is pictured was cooked in a calibrated oven for the time listed and the sides were cooked through well. Hopefully it turned out for you!
Oh My Word! This IS the best chicken I’ve ever made or tasted! Thank you for sharing such a delicious yet simple to make dish! This is my new favorite. I look forward to making more of your recipes.
You’re welcome! You totally made my day! I’m so glad you made it and then came back to tell me about it. I look forward to seeing you around the site!
Perfect cure for my dinnertime sweet tooth! Everything’s better with bacon and this chicken is no exception. All I had was thick-sliced bacon so it needed a few minutes in the broiler to finish cooking. We eat a lot of chicken, so I’m always looking for new ways to cook it. I will definitely make this one again.
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
We loved it minus a couple things. We needed to double the recipe, I recommend not doubling the garlic and our bacon didn’t crisp. So for next time we will just use the same garlic amount and maybe broil for a minute or two to make the bacon crisper? What would you suggest? Otherwise our family loves this and we will definitely be adding this into our meal rotation. Thanks so much for sharing
So glad you all enjoyed it! If you are looking for more of a crisp, you can place it under the broiler right before serving.
What kind of side dish do you recommend for this bunch of deliciousness
You could make just about anything as a side to go along with the dish. I recommend my rainbow roasted vegetable or even my ultimate slow cooker mashed potatoes. Either would be a fantastic pairing. Enjoy!
In the picture it looks like you added green onion (or something else little and green lol), but nothing like this is listed in the ingredients. What did you use?
I just garnished with parsley for the photos. It’s not necessary to complete the dish.
This looks so delicious! I want to make this in the crockpot for dinner tomorrow night but only have boneless skinless chicken breasts…is that going to work? If so, how long do I put them in there for and on which temp? Do I need to change anything or will it be o.k.? Thanks I can’t wait to make this for my family we LOVE chicken, bacon and garlic so this should be great!
I prefer chicken thighs because they have a higher fat content to keep the chicken moist. Breasts may dry out a little bit but being wrapped in bacon will keep it moist as well. I say go for it and enjoy!
Can I make it ahead and heat it up later? If yes what temp would you reheat at and for how long?
So sorry, your question was in my spam folder 🙁 If you want to prep it ahead of time and place it in the refrigerator, just add maybe 5-10 minutes on to the bake time. Just watch it though because you don’t want the sugar to burn.
I made this using 3 chicken breasts, so halved the rest of the recipe, and ended up with sad, soggy bacon on the bottom and nothing even close to crispy, sticky goodness on the top. It took about 35 minutes to get the breasts to 160 degrees, so I didn’t want to go any longer, and the bacon on top was still limp with no evidence of carmelization of the sugar. The only thing I can think of is I used a baking dish that the three breasts just fit in, so the juices came about halfway up the sides of the meat when done. Do I need to put them on a baking sheet instead?
Yes, unfortunately the baking dish did this recipe in because the chicken was just sitting in liquid and not able to crisp up 🙁 Also, make sure that your chicken is fully thawed before cooking and I even suggest patting it down with a paper towel to ensure that all excess liquid is gone. Hope this helps for the next go around.
This is so delish and juicy! I served on top of white rice and the family devoured it!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
This lookIs delicious. I want to try it tonight’s but realized. Only have boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins. Will the recipe still work? Any modifications you would suggest? Thank you
I would suggest making my Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Bites.
I just tried cooking this and I don’t know what I did wrong. 🙁 the chicken took 45 minutes to cook and dried out and I don’t know why the brown sugar didn’t look like it does in your picture, not that I expected it to be identical, but it also didn’t taste like anything. I’m so confused. Any ideas on what I did wrong? Help me cook your delicious food!
Oh no! I’m thinking that your chicken was too big. I just updated the recipe to show that the chicken should be about 4-5 oz each. If they’re too big, they’ll dry out. I’m so sorry. Hopefully this helps for next time!
Should you spray your baking pan with non stick cooking spray?
I didn’t and it came right off the pan, it is going to release some liquids anyway so it shouldn’t stick.
Made exactly as directed and it was delicious! Chicken was so juicy. The kids loved it too!
So happy everyone enjoyed it, Tricia!
I am a pathetic cook. that’s just a fact. I made this the other night but I am wondering if anyone can tell me how I can get to the brown sugar mix to stick better to the chicken breast? it was good but I know it would have been better if I could have gotten that brown sugar mix to stick better. And I know it’s not the recipe, it’s me!
If you are having trouble getting it to stay on the chicken it could be a film on the chicken not removed by the butcher. If you cut large x’s into the top of the chicken breast and rub in the brown sugar before wrapping with bacon you will have much more of the brown sugar flavor. But also, just spooning that liquid over the chicken after cooking is also going to add more flavor. Glad you enjoyed the recipe though!
Thank you! I I did enjoy it and i will definiitely make it again. Thanks for the tips!
I was skeptical about this, but it had all the right ingredients to please my adorably, annoyingly picky eater of a husband. He looked kind of worried as I was assembling everything (but grinned like a madman when he saw the bacon appear.) It didn’t brown/crisp up as much as I would have liked, but a quick zap under the broiler at the end fixed that. It. Was. Amazing. I made three pieces. We ate three pieces. We were sad there were no more pieces. This is a seriously awesome recipe!
I love how seeing the bacon made him smile!! So glad you all enjoyed it.
You should say what size chicken breast you used. I buy bulk chicken not the organic stuff, it takes at least 1 hour to cook. I was sad at the timeing but it was super good loved it
Thanks for the suggestion. I just updated the post to show that the chicken should be about 4-5 oz.
Turned out great. Super simple and will be added to the regular rotation. Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star rating Joshua!
This chicken was very good Thankyou,I just needed to make more of the brownsugar mixture it wasnt sticky and coated enough for me.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I just made this and I only did three breasts and didn’t half the recipe…do you think it will come out okay?
How did it turn out Stephanie?
I made this tonight for the first time. I’m actually still eating it as I write this. It’s so good, I had to comment! My husband and kids loved it too! I’ll definitely be sharing this with friends & family.
I read all the other reviews & was worried about the bacon being soggy on the bottom so I cut it into strips and laid it out on top of the chicken instead of wrapping it around. It was perfect!
Thanks for taking the time, even between bites, to come back and let me know how much you all enjoyed it!
I made this, this evening. It was soooo good!! I will be making it again soon.
Fantastic Nicky! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Happy new year From Barbados i really want to try this recipe tonight was wondering do i have to cover pan while baking? looking forward to response asap. thanks
No need to cover this while cooking. Enjoy!!
How do I make it in an air fryer?
I’ve never tried it so I’m not able to give a recommendation, sorry.
I had the same issue as another reader, the bacon not cooking. For the 6 breasts it def took about 60 minutes to cook, but it’s almost done now and about to come out of the oven. Smells amazing in my house right now….
Delicious. Will definitely make again. It took longer in oven than recipe said but worth the wait.
This recipe looks amazing, you suggest potato wedges and roasted veggies but all 3 recipescall for different cooking temperatures. How do I effectively make all 3 at the same time?
When recipes are sharing an oven, you’ll need to add 5-10 minutes more of cook time. Also, it’s best to let meat rest about 5-10 minutes after taking it out of the oven before serving so just use those additional times to figure out if you’ll need to place the sides in the oven prior to the meat or while it’s cooking or even wait to make it while it’s resting. Loads of different options. Hope this helps.
I made this with boneless chicken thighs. And as it was about 160 degrees, I turned the broiler on to crisp up the bacon and turned them over and did the same o that side.I also prepared them the night before.. They was really good, everyone at church loved them.Thanks for the recipe ?
Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Made this tonight for dinner and my husband and I absolutely loved it! Made it almost exactly according to recipe (I substituted fresh garlic with garlic powder, and put it under the broiler for a minute or so after it was cooked to temp. just to crisp bacon a little bit more). It was super easy and delish! As others have said already, this is definitely going in my rotation.Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Absolutely delicious for Valentine’s evening dinner!
Can’t wait to make this tomorrow ?
Great taste, easy to make. Will make again and again. Thanks!
I made this tonight and let me tell y’all, it’s Amazing! I could have eaten the entire dish by myself, I think. I threw in some chopped carrots and sweet potatoes and green onions, right in the same pan. The veggies were perfect choices for the brown sugar and bacon. I’ll be making this often! Thank you for the recipe!
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed it!
What if you have 9 oz chicken breast
I would recommend cutting them in half to make them smaller. 🙂 I wouldn’t want them to dry out while cooking.
This was delicious!!! The flavor was amazing and definitely not like ordinary chicken!
Im going to attempt to make this for dinner for my family. And was wondering did you plate this with any sides?
You can serve with rice or potato wedges and roasted vegetables (both recipes can be found by using the search bar).
i am making this today. are the chicken breasts you used sliced in half for thinner ones or just tenderized after cleaning them out of the package?
No need to slice them in halve, as long as they’re not too big. Mine were about 4-5 oz each.
I made this and it was tasty, but I think a lot of the instructions were way off. At least for me they were. The brown sugar mixture as listed in the recipe did not make nearly enough to cover the four chicken breasts that I used. The fourth breast didn’t get much of the brown sugar coating at all. The bacon never did cook thoroughly at the temperature and length of time recommended in the recipe. I think 375 wasn’t hot enough and 25 to 30 minutes definitely wasn’t long enough. I ended up baking the bacon-wrapped breasts for 55 minutes and my family told me they still felt the bacon was undercooked. The chicken, however, was juicy and delicious & cooked completely. My recipe didn’t come out beautiful like the picture LOL. I will definitely have to tweak this recipe next time.
oh yeahhh!! perfectly browned and not much beats chicken and bacon together,thank you for the idea with chicken. it’s awesome
Haha, totally agree! So glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this. To crisp the bacon, I used skewers to hold the chicken up after it cooked for a bit. I made lemon glazed carrots and garlic n sour cream mashed potatoes.
That’s a great idea! Thanks for the tip!
OMG!!! My family (Hubby, myself, son and his g/f) went nuts about this recipe. My son said the sauce was like “crack”. Let me point out that my son is drug free, alcohol free and smoke free. He loves to joke big time….LOL. SO this recipe is a keeper. And I will be subscribing!!!!
Hahaha, I love it!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how much you all loved it (especially your son) and making my day 🙂
OMGosh!! Dee-lish! A new favorite. Finger licking good. I am not a dark meat fan so i used wings and breast. Simple and yet oh so good. Thanks, I’ll be back for more great recipes!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’m trying this tonight!! Looks amazing!
I was wondering if I could use boneless skinless chicken thighs?
You might still want to wrap it in bacon since it’s skinless. Thigh meat does have a higher fat content so you should be good without it but not sure if you want to chance it.
OMG! This is so good I highly recommend this recipe it’s so simple but still delicious!
Thank you so much Annika!
This was a big hit with my family tonight. It was quick to prep and went together well with some spinach I picked up from the farmer’s market.I think we will be having this again soon!
So glad you all enjoyed it! It really is such an easy recipe without losing any of the amazing flavor!
This recipe is awesome! We browned the chicken (w/ the bacon) first in a cast iron skillet to crisp up the bacon, then sprinkled the remaining sugar mixture on top, then put it in the oven for 20min. Will definitely make again!
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
This recipe was very simple, very easy to prepare and tasted wonderful. Whole family enjoyed it.
Super good! Huge hit!*fix for the bacon being soggy on the bottom – cook it in a pan for a few minutes after it’s done in the oven
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
This looks amazing! Has anyone used turkey bacon in place of pork bacon? Or made it without the bacon all together?
I have a slow cooker recipe without using bacon. Here’s the link. https://dinnerthendessert.com/slow-cooker-brown-sugar-garlic-chicken/
OMG this was amazing! My bacon was a little limp, but next time i think i’ll try putting it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp it up. Thanks for the recipe!
Yes, that would definitely help for next time. So glad you enjoyed it!
It was delicious! I fed 4 picky eaters who loved it too! I didn’t wrap the bacon around the breast. I sliced the bacon in half and laid two pieces on the breast then covered it with leftover sugar. I also broiled it for about 3 minutes at the end t crisp it up. Yummmm
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!