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These Bacon Wrapped Chestnuts are made with sweet chestnuts, that are enveloped in a savory bacon and marinated in a sweet spicy sauce for the perfect flavor combination. These little morsels of bite sized heaven deserve a spot on every party table!
Water Chestnuts are often found in Asian food like Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps or Easy Moo Goo Gai Pan, adding a bit of crunch and texture. In this recipe they get to be the star of the show!
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts Recipe
The saltiness of the bacon swaddles the crunch of the water chestnuts with a little sweetness from the sauce makes the perfect flavor combination. These are hard to stop eating, so it’s a good thing it’s a big batch. And you can double it!
Ideal for every occasion from New Year’s Eve to tailgating these look so refined but are super simple to make. They take a little time to assemble and put together but it’s worth it when these go flying off the plate. You might want to make more than you think you’ll need. Everyone loves these little appetizers.
Saucy, Sweet, and Savory Chestnut Ingredients
Simple ingredients combine for huge flavor! These bacon chestnuts won’t last long.
- Whole Water Chestnuts: Sweet, nutty and slightly fruity these are a delicate vegetable.
- Bacon: You can use turkey bacon as well
- Brown Sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar for ultimate caramelization
- Sweet Chili sauce: Adds just the perfect heat and spice.
- Mayonnaise: Adds creaminess and depth to the sauce.
Assembling Bacon Water Chestnuts
A little bit time consuming but not hard to do, these are so worth it. They are unexpectedly delicious!
- Cut: It is best to cut the bacon in half since the chestnuts are smaller and easier to wrap around.
- Wrap: Simply wrap the bacon around the water chestnuts
- Mix: In a small bowl mix the brown sugar, sweet chili sauce and mayo together. Pour over the wrapped chestnuts.
- Marinate: Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to meld the flavors together.
- Bake: Bake for 45 min. at 350 degrees. Broil the top for about 5 min at the end to crisp up the bacon.
Tips for The Best Chestnut Appetizer
The combinations of flavor is amazing and the sauce is so savory!
- Toothpick: To get the toothpicks through the chestnuts use toothpicks with a flat end so you can push it through easily. Pierce the Chestnut as close to the center as possible so they don’t split.
- Split: If the chestnuts do split, rewrap the bacon tighter and try to skewer so both halves are attached.
- Foil: Use foil to line your pan to help with the clean up.
- Bacon: Thinly sliced bacon will cook faster and crisp up nicely. Try to buy bacon with even sliced pieces. For even sweeter flavor use maple flavored bacon.
Can you Make Water Chestnuts Ahead of Time?
- Make ahead of time: Because these marinate anyway you can make these ahead of time and bake right before the occasion.
- Store: Once baked they do keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 min. Do not Freeze.
More Awesome Bacon Recipes
Bacon Wrapped anything is just awesome!
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Bacon Wrapped Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cans whole water chestnuts
- 1 pound bacon can use turkey bacon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Cut the strips of Turkey Bacon in half. Wrap around the water chestnuts and stick toothpick in center to hold in place. Place in a 9x13 pan.
- Mix the brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, and mayonnaise together. Poor the sauce over the bacon wrapped chestnuts.
- Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Broil the top for about 5 minutes at the end to crisp the bacon a little.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
that looks so delicious, very curious about it’s taste.
Yes it is very delicious and well worth a try. I have 2 pans marinading right now
Can you use regular bacon?
Yes
My family can’t stand nuts, so I’ll have to cut this recipe in half for just me and my boyfriend. Can’t wait to try it.
Don’t tell them what it is unless there is an allergy. Let them try it. I do it all the time to my brother-in-law that doesn’t like anything. Zucchini for instance he claimed he hates it. I let him eat it then tell him after he’s done eating it lol I bought a loaf of chocolate zucchini bread he couldn’t eat it fast enough lol tuna he said he hates it I made a tuna salad he ate almost all of it. My late husband & friend wouldn’t eat beef liver I made a pan let it simmer half the day in onions the came in the house helped themselves to it not knowing it was liver the ate every bit of it lol it’s all in how it’s presented to get them how to try it lol
We had bacon wrapped dates for thanksgiving and now they have to be a tradition. They were amazing. These look like an awesome addition too!
Now I am going to crave these!