Marinated Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

I have made these cute little bundles several times since last summer and they are always a hit. Not only are bacon wrapped chicken thighs delicious, but they look impressive without taking too much to prepare. The marinade is from www.tasteofbbq.com. The rest were brilliant ideas from my sister! Gotta love the experienced cook!!! Costco sells the chicken thighs in their vacuum packed chicken section. There are 5 to a pack and 6 packs total!! That should give you plenty to feed a diverse crowd the two different types of bacon wrapped chicken thighs (1)Sweet – pineapple and brown sugar and (2) Spicy – jalapeno and cream cheese.

Level of Difficulty: Moderate



Time Required: Prep Time – 20 min plus marinating time of 2-4 hours; Cook Time – 20-30 minutes

Ingredients for 8 people:

Marinade:
1/4 c. olive oil
Juice of one lemon
2 T. lemon zest
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1/2 – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. freshly crushed peppercorns
1 tsp. salt

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Brown Sugar and Pineapple:

16 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
1/4 c. light brown sugar
2 cans pineapple rings, cut in half
16 pieces of bacon

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Jalapeños and Cream Cheese:

16 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
8 fresh jalapeños, seeded
4 oz. whipped cream cheese
16 pieces of bacon

Special Equipment and Other Items Needed:

Grill
Citrus Zester
Toothpicks

Preparing the Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs:

Combine marinade ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Place the chicken thighs in a glass baking dish and pour the marinade over the pieces, turning once to ensure all sides are covered. (You can also marinate them in a ziploc bag if you prefer) Marinate for 2-4 hours.

This post is so popular, we created a video to help show you how to make these little bundles of joy.

For the Brown Sugar and Pineapple:

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Pat one side of the thigh with brown sugar. Place a half of pineapple ring on an edge and roll.

Start wrapping the bacon around the seam and continue wrapping until the whole thigh is covered. Secure with a toothpick and set aside.

Grill for 20-30 min, turning as frequently as needed to prevent burning from the flare ups, until cooked through!

For the Jalapeño and Cream Cheese:

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Take a knife and spread cream cheese in the half of a jalapeño. Roll the chicken thigh around the jalapeño. Start wrapping the bacon around the seam and continue wrapping until the whole thigh is covered. Secure with a toothpick and set aside. Grill for 10-15 per side until cooked through!

Important Tips:

The key is not to over stuff the chicken and too make sure you wrap the bacon completely around the thigh.

Variations:

You can really stuff these with just about anything you want. When I make these I usually make half with brown sugar and pineapple and the other half with jalapeño and cream cheese. It gives guest the option of sweet or spicy!

Meal Ideas:

Last time I made these, I served them with Roasted Potatoes with Dijon, Garlic Green Beans, and Tomato Onion Cucumber Salad!

Related Images: