If you want an impressive, flavorful dinner for a special evening or your next dinner party, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken is a showstopper. The golden bacon exterior and cheesy, garlicky spinach oozing from the cut chicken make a beautiful presentation and a delicious plate. This low-carb recipe balances creamy cheese, tender spinach, and smoky bacon for a satisfying texture and flavor contrast. It takes a bit of hands-on prep, but the results are worth it — each serving is low in carbs (about 3g net carbs per portion).
We recently served this to family visiting for vacation and made it again the next night because everyone loved it. When we cook for ourselves we often add more garlic and smoked paprika, but the recipe below reflects our standard version. Adjust the seasonings to suit your taste.
Ingredients
Chicken is a low-carb, high-protein choice that works perfectly here. We prefer free-range, organic chicken and fresh organic baby spinach when possible. Fresh spinach wilts dramatically when cooked, so plan on using plenty; if you add extra spinach, increase the cream cheese by an ounce to keep the filling creamy. Avoid frozen spinach for this dish if you want the best texture and flavor.
The spinach and cheese filling is what elevates this recipe. Plain chicken often needs a bright filling or sauce to shine — here the garlic, cream cheese, spinach and smoked paprika inside, plus bacon outside, provide a full range of savory flavors.
Preparation Tips
Sauté garlic gently in butter over low heat so it softens and flavors the butter without burning. Use thin-sliced bacon and partially precook it in the microwave for about a minute — that makes it easy to wrap around the rolled chicken and helps it crisp more quickly during baking. For a crisp finish, switch the oven to broil for 2–3 minutes at the end. To avoid the chicken sitting in bacon fat, place a cooling rack on the baking pan so the fat drains away. Use toothpicks to secure the bacon and keep the rolls closed while baking; remove them before serving. A sprinkle of chopped parsley or cilantro brightens the plate.
Toothpicks help keep the bacon in place while the chicken bakes and are easy to remove before serving. A fresh herb garnish adds an elegant final touch.
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Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken is a tasty low-carb dinner: cheesy, garlicky spinach wrapped in bacon and chicken. With roughly 3g net carbs, it’s elegant and simple enough to make tonight.
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Medium
4
20
minutes
40
minutes
467.7
kcal
2.5
g
1
hour
Ingredients
-
8 slices Bacon thin sliced
-
2 Chicken breasts boneless, skinless
-
2 tablespoons Butter
-
5 cloves Garlic chopped
-
2 ounces Cream cheese softened
-
8 ounces Spinach fresh baby
-
2 ounces Mozzarella cheese sliced
-
Sea salt to taste
-
Pepper to taste
-
Smoked paprika sprinkled
-
Parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Carefully butterfly the chicken breasts and then pound until about 1/4 inch thick.
- Place bacon strips between paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to partially cook.
- In a medium skillet, sauté chopped garlic in butter over low heat for about 2 minutes; avoid browning.
- Add softened cream cheese and stir until melted (about 1 minute). Add baby spinach in batches, stirring until wilted and fully combined with the cream cheese, butter and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place thin slices of mozzarella over the flattened chicken, top with the spinach mixture, then roll the chicken tightly. Wrap each roll with two bacon slices and secure with rounded toothpicks.
- Sprinkle smoked paprika over the rolls and bake on a shallow baking pan at 425°F (220°C) for 30 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil 2–3 minutes to crisp the bacon. Remove toothpicks before serving.
Chef’s Notes
- Elevate the chicken on a cooling rack set in the baking pan so excess bacon fat drains away and the chicken doesn’t sit in grease.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 467.7 kcal
- Fat: 34.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 14.8 g
- Cholesterol: 141.9 mg
- Sodium: 645.5 mg
- Potassium: 852.8 mg
- Carbohydrates: 3.7 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Sugar: 0.9 g
- Protein: 35.2 g
- Vitamin A: 5810 IU
- Vitamin C: 17.8 mg
- Calcium: 151 mg
- Iron: 2.1 mg
Serve Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken with a complementary side for an elegant meal. Low-carb favorites like cauliflower au gratin or cauliflower mash pair beautifully, or continue the bacon theme with sautéed Brussels sprouts with bacon and pine nuts. Simple steamed green beans with almonds and bacon also work well. Enjoy a flavorful, low-carb dinner!