Juicy marinated chicken is packed with flavor and smothered in a mouthwatering spicy honey bacon glaze. Made in one skillet, the glaze can be made ahead of time, and you can absolutely control the heat level!
This is one of my Chicken recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
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.
- 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.
- Marinate chicken. I like to use a bowl, or a large resealable plastic bag.
- Cook bacon. You don’t need any oil for this, the bacon will release fat as it cooks.
- Remove bacon. This is best done with a slotted spoon. Then drain the excess grease.
- Make the glaze. Just cook until the mixture comes to a boil, it will thicken as it cools.
- Cook chicken. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts, but roughly 4-6 minutes per side.
- 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.
Helpful Tip!
To ensure even, and quicker, cooking, I like to pound the chicken to about 1 inch thick. Some chicken breasts may not be as thick, and won’t need pounding, so you may or may not need to do this.
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.
FAQ’s
While we love the amazing flavor of the bacon glaze, I understand not everyone wants to make it, or wants a sweet glaze on their chicken. So you can absolutely leave off the glaze, and you’ll still have a really great marinated chicken recipe!
Of course you don’t have to, but I found during testing that the chicken cooks a lot more evenly when you pound them to an even thickness.
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.
More Chicken Recipes:
My Favorite Thermometer!
This pan is definitely not cheap, but I wanted to be transparent that this is the pan I use in my kitchen. However, you can use any large and deep skillet/pan; I just recommend at least 10-12″ in diameter.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp steak seasoning
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
Honey bacon glaze
- 8 slices bacon diced
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce we like Cholula
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
Prepare chicken
- Top cutting board with wax paper, and top with a chicken breast. Top with another piece of wax paper and use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound chicken to about 1 inch thick. ** If chicken breasts are thinner, you may not need to do this.
- Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
Marinate chicken
- To a wide bowl, add balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, steak seasoning, and rosemary. Pour in olive oil, whisking as you pour.
- Add chicken breasts to bowl and turn them several times to make sure they’re coated in the marinade. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
Make the glaze
- To a large skillet, add diced bacon and cook over MED heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and drain the excess grease from the skillet, but don’t wipe it clean.
- Add remaining glaze ingredients (honey, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Cook over MED heat until it comes to a boil. Add cooked bacon and cook another 2 minutes or so.
- Remove from the heat and pour the glaze into a separate bowl or container and clean the skillet. Glaze will continue to thicken as it cools.
Cook chicken
- Heat cleaned skillet over MED HIGH heat. Once hot, add a drizzle of oil (olive, avocado, or vegetable).
- Add marinated chicken breasts (gently shaking off excess marinade before adding to the skillet), and cook for about 4-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Serve
- Let chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then serve drizzled liberally with the honey bacon glaze.
- Alternately, pour the glaze into the skillet with the chicken and serve that way.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- If you prefer the original recipe from 2015, use fresh rosemary for the marinade (about 3 tsp of minced rosemary), and omit the black pepper and smoked paprika from the glaze.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Recipe adapted from The Food Charlatan
Ken says
I made this with the garlic parmesan rice pilaf and everyone loved it! Sooo good! Will be making it again.
Emily Danforth says
Absolutely delicious!
Lisa says
Hubby and I loved this! Simply amazing chicken. Thanks Amanda