Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Tender chicken breasts stuffed with creamy cream cheese and herbs, wrapped in smoky bacon and baked to perfection. This dish delivers savory richness with a crispy bacon finish, making weeknight dinners feel special without hours in the kitchen. It pairs beautifully with green vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a bright salad.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 8 slices bacon
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board. If they are thick, carefully slice them horizontally to create a pocket or gently pound them to an even thickness so they can hold the filling.
- In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth.
- Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly among the chicken pockets, or spread a layer inside each pocket if you pounded the breasts flat.
- Wrap each stuffed chicken breast with two slices of bacon. Place the bacon-wrapped chicken seam side down on a prepared baking sheet or in a shallow baking dish. If some filling is exposed, gently tuck it in so the bacon holds everything together.
- Lightly brush the tops with olive oil. This helps the bacon crisp nicely in the oven.
- Season the outside with a little salt and pepper. You can also sprinkle a touch of paprika for extra color.
- Bake in a preheated oven set to 400 F (205 C) for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crisp. If your bacon isn’t as crispy as you like at the end, turn on the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. This helps the juices redistribute and makes serving easier.