Amazing, easy bacon wrapped chicken breast that’ll make you lick your plate. Chicken breast stuffed with pesto and mozzarella cheese, wrapped in bacon, seared, and baked. This chicken dish is packed with lots of wonderful flavors.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
I hope your holidays have gone very well and you’re ready to take on the new year. As my first recipe of the year, I chose to share this awesometastic chicken dinner. This chicken dish was what I served for our Christmas dinner and I through it would be appropriate to share it now. It went over quite well with everyone, but what’s not to like here?
Chicken…check. Bacon…check. Homemade pesto…check. Lots of gooey cheese…check!
For our holiday dinner, I served it with broccoli/cauliflower casserole, mashed potatoes, roasted green beans, salad and rolls. That may be a little too much for a regular dinner menu but if you’re feeling ambitious, go for it.
When I make this chicken any other day, other than a holiday, I serve it with a side salad, asparagus or other roasted green vegetables, and treat it as a light and healthy dinner. Bacon is the only indulgence here and it’s so worth it.
HOW TO MAKE BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN
NOTE: Since you’re working with raw chicken, make sure to prepare the ingredients needed and place them all on the work surface. Spoon pesto out of the jar and into a bowl. Slice cheese into thin slices and place and separate bacon pieces. Make sure to discard any leftover pesto since you will be touching it with after touching the raw chicken.
Lay the chicken breast flat on the cutting board. Carefully, slide the knife (hold it sideways with blade facing away from you) at the top (larger part) of the chicken breast in the center and cut a pocket in the middle. DO NOT slice all the way through the bottom or the sides of the chicken breast. Your ultimate goal is to create a pocket inside the breast with opening at the top. Repeat with all four breasts.
Using you hands, add about a tablespoon of pesto inside each chicken breast pocket. Stuff the chicken with 3-4 slices each. Make sure the cheese is even throughout the chicken pocket and season the chicken with salt. Close the opening on each chicken breast with a toothpick.
Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon, tucking the ends under one of the bacon rings.
Preheat oven to 350 and preheat a lightly greased cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Carefully place each chicken breast in the hot skillet. Sear chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. Your goal is to sear the bacon, not to cook the chicken all the way.
Transfer the skillet into preheated oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes:
Sun Dried Tomato Feta Stuffed Chicken
Asiago Spinach and Mushroom Chicken Rollatini
Apple Bacon Cheddar Stuffed Chicken
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Bacon Wrapped, Mozzarella and Pesto Stuffed
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese block
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- Salt
- 8 slices raw bacon
Instructions
- Spoon pesto into a separate bowl and slice the cheese into thin slices. Separate bacon slices and place everything on a work station.
- Lay the chicken breast flat on the cutting board. Carefully, slide the knife (hold it sideways with blade facing away from you) at the top (larger part) of the chicken breast in the center and cut a pocket in the middle. DO NOT slice all the way through the bottom or the sides of the chicken breast. Your ultimate goal is to create a pocket inside the breast with opening at the top. Repeat with all four breasts.
- Using your hands, add about a tablespoon of pesto inside each chicken breast pocket.
- Stuff the chicken with 3-4 slices of cheese each. Make sure the cheese is even throughout the chicken pocket. Close the opening of the chicken with a toothpick.
- Salt each stuffed chicken breast.
- Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon, tucking the ends under one of the bacon rings.
- Preheat oven to 350 and preheat a cast iron skillet (or a cooking pan that is oven safe) on stove-top, over medium-high heat. Make sure that your skillet is well seasoned and lightly greased. (If using an oven-safe cooking pan, you'll want to use a couple of tablespoons of oil to grease the pan.)
- Carefully place each chicken breast in the hot skillet. Sear chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. Your goal is to sear the bacon, not to cook the chicken all the way.
- (Carefully pour off most of the bacon grease.)
- Transfer the skillet into pre-heated oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
- (Judge cooking time according to the size of the biggest thicken breast.)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
JEG says
We enjoyed this tonight. I wanted to use some of the pesto stash in my freezer. This worked well.
Victoria Haneveer says
Just to let you know you have a typo (you not your) in step 3 and I can’t see where the salt should go. However I’m making this now and it smells good so far.
LyubaB says
Oops, thanks for pointing that out, I corrected it. As for salt, it is in step 5 in the instructions.
Ana Dill says
I am planning on making this for guests this week. What would you suggest would be a good side dish?
lyuba says
Hi Ana!
Since this is quite a rich dish, I would recommend some green veggies. Something like roasted green beans, asparagus, and/or carrots. If you want something more comforting, serve some mashed potatoes with it. Personally, I think crispy, green veggies will be nicely balanced with it 🙂
LMD says
Is it poss to be able to share your video somehow? And save it too?
Donna says
Do you think it could be made in larger batches and cooked in the oven?
lyuba says
Hi Donna! I’m SO sorry I missed your question.
Yes, you can definitely make it in a larger batch and you can use a bigger, over-safe pan. This is made in the oven mostly, it’s just nice to get a good sear on the outside first, on stove-top, and then transfer it into the oven.
I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Jeanette Hudson says
I cook mine totally in the oven & my bacon comes out brown & crispy. I serve mine with veggies and risotto.
I’ve even used jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese also.
Andrea says
Making it tonight but substituting mozzarella with old fort cheese and coating the chicken with a home made sweet n spicy rub (not too much rub though just a light coat), then bacon wrap.
Was thinking about apple smoke cheese too but I would think you would have to eliminate the pesto. Not too sure how those would taste combined.
Thanks for a great recipe.
LyubaB says
How did it turn out? Hope you enjoyed it!
Amy says
I love these stuffed chicken breasts. easy to make and flavorful.
lyuba says
Oh yes, I hope you’ll try them! Thank you, Amy!
Liz says
As usual, another great recipe. Thank you and have a wonderful week.
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Liz! Have a nice week 🙂
Elio says
Mouthwatering recipe!!.I will try to prepare it tonight. Thanks Lyuba for this post 🙂
lyuba says
Thank you so much!