I’ve been known to say that you can even make dirt taste good by adding bacon. I stand by that statement. Bacon is like ketchup, but BETTER. If you want your kids to eat something, add bacon or ketchup. Or sometimes even both. Do you know that my brother in law puts ketchup on everything? E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Of course, we can’t really stand by his culinary genius, because he also wraps his Pop Tarts in cheese. So, he doesn’t count. Take maple, bacon, and chicken, and you’ve got a real winner.
But yes, I am a bacon lover. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t have bacon in SOMETHING. Last night on Pinterest I saw someone wrapping their Cinnamon Rolls in bacon. Now that, my friends, is culinary genius. Chocolate Bacon. Bacon Bacon. Candied Bacon. The world has gone crazy over bacon. And I hate to say this…but I liked bacon before liking bacon was the cool thing to do. Of course, I was frugal before frugal was cool too – I hope eventually that OCD will also be cool and then I’ll really fit in.
The idea for this one is a take off of Maple Sesame Chicken from Crock On. That’s one of the most popular recipes in the whole book – and for good reason. It’ll make you slap yo mama.
For this genius idea of mine, I used this Apple Smoked Bacon from Trader Joes. It’s probably some of the best bacon I have ever had – including our homemade bacon. When you smell it cooking, it makes you want to cry with desire. It also makes you want to kick everyone else out of the house so you don’t have to share. It makes you tell the 4 year old, “this is spicy, you won’t like it” (liar, liar, pants on fire!). Bacon does crazy things to me, man.
You could use any bacon for this – including turkey bacon. I don’t want to shock anyone here, but I’m also a fan of turkey bacon. I really like it. My mom always fixed it when I was growing up, because it’s cheaper than pork bacon most of the time. I’m an equal opportunity bacon eater – embrace diversity!
This bacon-wrapped chicken soaks itself in a marinade of maple syrup and chili powder. I know, I know. You can’t handle much more awesomeness.
If you want to make something edible, add maple syrup and/or bacon. Adding both just gives you extra brownies points for the husband. I hate to say it, but I think Barry cried a little while he was eating this. It’s a tender moment – makes you realize home cooking is where it’s AT. Boom.
Each piece of chicken is delicately wrapped in its own piece of bacon. Smelling it cook all day might just drive you off the edge. So, in order that you don’t lose your mind, here are some cooking options:
1. Leave the house.
2. Put the crock outside while crocking (unless you live in the country and that’s just a recipe for inviting every stray dog and squirrel within a 50 mile radius).
3. “Accidentally” burn something in the oven so the smoke covers up the bacon smell.
I won’t lie to y’all – this is probably the best crock pot recipe I’ve made to date. I know that’s saying a lot, since I’ve got two cookbooks and I’ve been posting crock pot recipes for over three years.
And I’ll leave you with my new quote: “Bacon is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Crock Pot Maple Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs chicken breast (about 4 breasts)
- 8 slices bacon
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- barbecue sauce for serving
Instructions
- Wrap each breast (saying breast is weirdo) with two pieces of bacon.
- Place chicken in bottom of 5 quart crock.
- Combine chili powder and maple syrup.
- Pour mixture over chicken.
- Cover and cook on low 6 hours.
What would be the cook time if I cooked it on high? I don’t have 6 hours.
The general rule is 1/2 of the time on high.
So it is 10 or 11 hours from the time I leave in the morning until dinner. Do you think wrapping up frozen chicken and then putting back into the freezer so it is all frozen when it goes into the crockpot would work? Or would the maple sauce burn in that amount of time? Maybe if I put the sauce and wrapped chicken all into the freezer so even the sauce is frozen and then dump it all into the crock pot in the morning?
I”m not a huge fan of cooking frozen meat in the crock. I think it makes it dry. It tends to cook on the outside before it thaws on the inside which can result in a dry meat. Maybe make it a weekend dish? 🙂
Q: what temp do you have your crockpot at? I have a new one that allows low, high and hybrid (AND I can brown ingredients on the stove first – oh yeah! ) But of course, it changes the cooking time. Like you said , it would be great to leave this on for 8 hours…
I cook it on low. 🙂 Good luck – it’s a goody!
You crack me up with your wit! Love it and the food too! I laughed my hiney off about wrapping the breast in bacon. I can’t wait to try this recipe;)
I hope you love it!
Making this now. It smells so good even the carpet installer guy peeked into the kitchen. 🙂
We are still a couple of hours away from it being finished, but what should my bacon look like and feel like?
Thanks so much, this recipe may help me venture from just chili and pulled pork/chicken in the crockpot.
Cindy
It should look done – it won’t be crispy because of the moisture in the crock. A lot will depend on what kind of bacon you used. 🙂 Enjoy!
Just wanted you to know that your recipe is being included today in a collection of maple syrup recipes. I will be pinning and tweeting it this week also. http://www.simplelivingeating.com/2014/03/cooking-with-maple-syrup-its-sugaring.html
Stacey you’re killing me! I’m not sure I’ve chuckled that much while reading one post in a long time. I liked Bacon before it was cool too 🙂 but turkey bacon, really? I guess if you grew up on. We tried it once and both hubs and I couldn’t like it. We tried. But seriously, I still haven’t bought a new crock, so this post is killing me because I don’t have a crock, I’m out of bacon, and yet I was planning a chicken dinner tonight! 🙁 I might cry.
Thanks for linking up at Foodie Friday. Pinning this one!
The flavours in this recipe sound fantastic, Stacy. I’ve never tried bacon wrapping in a crockpot either but it sure does look like it turns out beautifully! Thank you for sharing another delicious recipe with us at the Hearth and Soul hop.
I’ve never tried bacon wrapping in a crockpot but it sounds like a great idea to really transfer the flavor. Thanks for sharing this with us on foodie friday.
Your Crock Pot Maple Bacon Wrapped Chicken would have fantastic flavor! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
I have enjoyed all of your crockpot recipes that I have tried so far. My family are big fans of your work. Now this bacon recipe will really put you up on a pedestal.
Hi Stacy! This looks delicious! I love a crock pot meal because they are so easy…can’t wait to add this to my collection!
It’s true. Everything IS better with bacon. Yum!
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Preach it.
I made this last night, trying to convince my husband that crock pot dinners can be delicious. I think I had too much chicken in my crock pot and the bacon just kind of boiled (not delicious) so I took the bacon off and fried the bacon. It was delicious and I’ll try it again, maybe with two crock pots? I was cooking for 5 big eaters so I doubled the recipe.
Yes – the size of the crock really matters. Your crock should only be about 1/2 full…3/4 is pushing it. 🙂
This looks delicious!! I put this on the menu for this week! Our nearest Traders is only a little over an hour for us. We have yet to visit it as I’m still not used to mountain driving yet!! May have to make a trip soon, their prices are so good. Have a great week, Stacy!!
Thebeccaruthblog.blogspot.com
Oh yes, you must go. Get the coconut chips.
Stacy, you are Soooo funny!! Thank you for making me LOL! (:(: I too love bacon! I will have to try this very soon! Thank you so much! (:
Bacon. Fist bump.
This is our bacon Stacy. Just had some:) it is so delicious. We like pork belly as well, but , smelling this bacon cooking makes you wanna smackiyomama before you even taste it. Now, if I could only get a Trader Joe’s closer than two hours away ……..
Mine is the same distance – I make regular trips and STOCK UP. I’m sure people look at my buggy and are like “What is wrong with that girl?”
Lol…we do the same thing…..like when we have to go to “the city” for something else, and we hit whole foods and tj’s. With feeding three teens we can easily load up two carts at both stores, and from one Va country girl to another, I know exactly what you mean by “the looks”. I’m kind of glad I don’t live closer to tj’s …. We would be seriously broke!
🙂
Gotta love the bacon! I’ll be cool, too, if OCD is cool.
That’s because you and I are two peas in a pod. LOL
I…don’t even have words.
I know, right?
Bacon! I love my bacon! 😉 I think bacon ranks right up there with my love of chocolate! I am sure this recipe is going into our permanent meal rotation! I made your pepper jack chicken and added crumbled cooked bacon & onions to it & it was awesome! Keep posting all the yummy recipes!
Chocolate Bacon. Praise the Lord.
Sister Equal Opportunity Bacon Eater here….(turkey bacon, pork bacon – I just recently heard they make beef bacon)…but I refuse to try, much less eat, tofu bacon…..there is just something intrinsically wrong about one. If the vegetarians of this world were supposed to eat bacon, God would’ve given them a bacon-flavored plant of some sort. I think I read that in the 2nd book of Hezzekiah, chapter 3. 😉
And I MUST remember your tip for burning something in the oven to cover up the bacon smell…..then I won’t have to share mine, either! (& in case you’re reading this post: just kidding, honey! – or not)…lol
OR NOT!!!!!!
They make bison bacon too! There is a meat shop here in Bozeman, MT that sells it and it is possibly the best thing I have ever eaten.
I will try anything as long as “bacon” is in the title. 🙂
Did you use skinless chicken breasts?
Yep.
Are they boneless? Or bone in?
Any kind of chicken would work. If you want bone-in, that’s fine. I just don’t buy bone-in breast. 🙂