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Cowboy Chicken Bites: A Flavorful Crowd-Pleaser

Cowboy Chicken Bites
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Juicy chicken bites wrapped in bacon, glazed with bourbon-brown sugar sauce, and baked to sticky perfection. These crowd-pleasing morsels deliver big flavor with minimal effort!

  • Author: ranime
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 36 bites 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American BBQ

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1.5 lbs (680g) boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 12 slices thick-cut bacon, each cut into thirds
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 36 toothpicks (soaked in water 30 mins)
  • For Glaze:
  • ½ cup (120ml) bourbon or apple juice
  • ¼ cup (60g) brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheet with foil and place wire rack on top.
  2. Season chicken: Toss chicken cubes with all spices until evenly coated.
  3. Wrap: Wrap each chicken cube with bacon piece; secure with toothpick.
  4. Bake: Arrange on rack. Bake 25 minutes until bacon begins to crisp.
  5. Make glaze: Meanwhile, simmer all glaze ingredients 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened.
  6. Glaze: Brush chicken bites generously with glaze. Return to oven for 10 minutes.
  7. Finish: Broil 2-3 minutes until caramelized. Serve warm with remaining glaze for dipping.

Notes

  • For crispier bacon: Start with cold bacon directly from fridge
  • Make ahead: Assemble unbaked bites up to 24 hours in advance
  • Spice control: Omit cayenne for milder version
  • Serving suggestion: Skewer onto mini cowboy hat picks for fun presentation
  • Storage: Keeps refrigerated 3 days – reheat in air fryer

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipesfood.org/cowboy-chicken-bites/