Honey Bacon Glazed Chicken

If you’re looking for a chicken recipe that is absolutely anything but boring and dry… then this is the recipe for you!

The chicken stays nice and juicy, thanks to a simple marinade. And when you couple that with a mouthwatering honey bacon glaze that’s the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and spicy… well you end up with a one skillet chicken meal that the whole family will love!

This recipe isn’t new on the site; it’s actually been around since June 2015. But it needed some updated photos, clearer instructions, and I’ve tweaked the recipe to be even more flavorful.

How to make honey bacon glazed chicken?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Pound chicken. This is best done with wax paper (or parchment), and a meat mallet. You can also use a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy-bottomed skillet.
2. Marinate chicken. I like to use a bowl, or a large resealable plastic bag.
3. Cook bacon. You don’t need any oil for this, the bacon will release fat as it cooks.
4. Remove bacon. This is best done with a slotted spoon. Then drain the excess grease.
5. Make the glaze. Just cook until the mixture comes to a boil, it will thicken as it cools.
6. Cook chicken. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts, but roughly 4-6 minutes per side.
7. Smother chicken. You can pour the glaze into the skillet with the chicken, or serve it at the table to be drizzled over the chicken.

Variations of this recipe

• Chicken – this recipe would also work well with boneless skinless chicken thighs, although the cooking time may change a bit.
• Other protein – if you’d prefer another protein, the flavors would work with pork (such as pork chops, or adapted for a pork tenderloin).
• Fresh herbs – in the marinade, you can use fresh rosemary instead of dried. You’ll want to use about 3 tsp of minced rosemary.
• Non-spicy glaze – to reduce the heat level and make this a bit more kid-friendly, you can reduce or omit the hot sauce.
• Grilled – if you have an outdoor grill and would like to use it, marinate the chicken as directed, and then grill over med/med high heat for 4-6 minutes per side.

Making glazed chicken ahead of time

I think chicken tastes best when cooked right before serving, but you can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours ahead of time, and the bacon glaze can be made entirely ahead of time.

Make the glaze as directed, then cool and refrigerate in an airtight container. Though you’ll probably want to warm the glaze up before serving it on the chicken.

Storage

Leftover chicken and glaze should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 5-6 days, which makes this recipe perfect for meal prepping.

For best results, store the leftover chicken and glaze in separate containers.

Recipe adapted from The Food Charlatan