I almost skipped Martha Stewart’s Broiled Bacon Wrapped Chicken because wrapping chicken in bacon sounded like more work than it is. It takes 30 seconds per cutlet and the whole thing broils on one sheet pan with sweet potatoes in under 10 minutes.
This is one of those easy Martha Stewart chicken breast recipes that looks like you spent an hour but took 35 minutes start to finish. I make it on fall weeknights when I want something that feels special, and the bacon keeps the chicken so moist that you forget it is boneless skinless breast.
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Why You Will Love This Bacon Wrapped Chicken:
- The broiler does everything fast: Eight to ten minutes. That is how long the chicken and sweet potatoes take under the broiler. I have roasted chicken that took an hour and did not taste as good as this does in a fraction of the time.
- Bacon solves the dry breast problem: Boneless skinless chicken breast dries out under a broiler in seconds. Wrapping it in bacon fixes that completely. The fat bastes the chicken while it cooks and you get crispy bacon on the outside too.
- The whole dinner is on one pan: Sweet potatoes, onion wedges tucked under the bacon, chicken, all on one sheet. Then you toss the watercress salad in a bowl and that is it. I do not even need to wipe down the counter.
Broiled Bacon Wrapped Chicken Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves (about 12 ounces total), each cut into 2 cutlets
- 4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces total)
- 1/2 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 4 cups watercress (from 1 to 2 bunches), thick stems removed
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Champagne or white-wine vinegar
How To Make Martha Stewart Broiled Bacon Wrapped Chicken
- Set up the broiler: Turn on the broiler and position the rack about 6 inches from the heating element.
- Prep the sweet potatoes: Put the sweet potato rounds on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer and sprinkle the brown sugar on top.
- Wrap the chicken: Wrap each chicken cutlet with a slice of bacon. Tuck the onion wedges between the bacon and the chicken so they stay in place. Put the chicken on the sheet pan next to the sweet potatoes, onion side up, and season with salt and pepper.
- Broil: Slide the pan under the broiler and cook until the chicken is done all the way through and the potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Make the watercress salad: Toss the watercress with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve: Split the chicken, sweet potatoes, and watercress between 4 plates.
Recipe Tips
- Watch the broiler closely: Martha warns that broilers vary a lot. Mine runs hot so I keep the rack one notch lower than 6 inches. If the bacon starts to char before the chicken is cooked through, drop the rack down. You have to babysit this one a little.
- Cut the sweet potatoes thin: A quarter inch is important here. Any thicker and they will not cook through in the 8 to 10 minutes the chicken needs. I use a mandoline when I have one clean but a sharp knife works if you go slow.
- Tuck the onion tight: The onion wedges go between the bacon and the chicken, not sitting loosely on the pan. They steam inside the bacon wrap and come out soft and sweet. If they fall off they just burn under the broiler.
The Bacon Does More Than You Think
I used to think wrapping chicken in bacon was just about flavor. But with this recipe it is actually doing the cooking work. The fat from the bacon bastes the chicken breast the whole time it is under the broiler, which is why a cut that usually dries out in minutes comes out tender. Without the bacon wrap this would be a completely different dish.
The other thing I noticed is that the brown sugar on the sweet potatoes and the bacon fat dripping down creates this sticky caramelized layer on the bottom of the pan. I scrape that up and spoon it over the potatoes when I plate. It is the best part and most people miss it.
What Goes Well With This Bacon Wrapped Chicken
The plate already has sweet potatoes and a watercress salad so you barely need anything else. If I want bread on the table I make buttermilk biscuits because they soak up the bacon drippings and that is not something I am going to apologize for.
A side of green beans keeps it from feeling too heavy, or I do a 7-layer salad if it is a weekend and I have the energy. Most nights though, the chicken and what is already on the pan is plenty.
How To Store Leftovers
The chicken and sweet potatoes keep for 3 days in the fridge. Do not store the watercress with them because it wilts into nothing overnight. Make fresh salad when you reheat.
I warm leftovers in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes per side. The bacon crisps back up in the pan way better than in a microwave, where it just turns rubbery and sad. Slice the leftover chicken over rice with some hot sauce and it is a completely different meal.
FAQs
- Can I bake this instead of broiling? You can but you lose the charred edges that make this dish good. If you bake at 425 degrees it takes about 20 to 25 minutes. I have done it when my broiler was broken and it was fine but not the same.
- What if I cannot find watercress? Arugula works. It has that same peppery bite that stands up to the bacon and sweet potatoes. Regular lettuce would be too soft and bland next to everything else on the plate.
- Does the bacon need to be a specific kind? Regular sliced bacon, not thick cut. Thick cut takes longer to crisp and the chicken will overcook waiting for it. Martha does not specify a brand so I just use whatever is in the fridge.
- Why brown sugar on the sweet potatoes? It caramelizes under the broiler and gives the potatoes a glazed, almost candied edge. Only a tablespoon for the whole batch so it is not too sweet. I skipped it once and the potatoes were flat so now I always add it.
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Nutrition Facts
(1 serving, serves 4)
- Calories: 480
- Total Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
- Sodium: 620mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 30g
- Protein: 32g
Martha Stewart Broiled Bacon Wrapped Chicken Sweet Potatoes And Watercress Recipe
Description
I almost skipped Martha Stewart’s Broiled Bacon Wrapped Chicken because wrapping chicken in bacon sounded like more work than it is. It takes 30 seconds per cutlet and the whole thing broils on one sheet pan with sweet potatoes in under 10 minutes.
This is one of those easy Martha Stewart chicken breast recipes that looks like you spent an hour but took 35 minutes start to finish. I make it on fall weeknights when I want something that feels special, and the bacon keeps the chicken so moist that you forget it is boneless skinless breast.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Set up the broiler: Turn on the broiler and position the rack about 6 inches from the heating element.
- Prep the sweet potatoes: Put the sweet potato rounds on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer and sprinkle the brown sugar on top.
- Wrap the chicken: Wrap each chicken cutlet with a slice of bacon. Tuck the onion wedges between the bacon and the chicken so they stay in place. Put the chicken on the sheet pan next to the sweet potatoes, onion side up, and season with salt and pepper.
- Broil: Slide the pan under the broiler and cook until the chicken is done all the way through and the potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Make the watercress salad: Toss the watercress with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve: Split the chicken, sweet potatoes, and watercress between 4 plates.
Notes
- Watch the broiler closely: Martha warns that broilers vary a lot. Mine runs hot so I keep the rack one notch lower than 6 inches. If the bacon starts to char before the chicken is cooked through, drop the rack down. You have to babysit this one a little.
- Cut the sweet potatoes thin: A quarter inch is important here. Any thicker and they will not cook through in the 8 to 10 minutes the chicken needs. I use a mandoline when I have one clean but a sharp knife works if you go slow.
- Tuck the onion tight: The onion wedges go between the bacon and the chicken, not sitting loosely on the pan. They steam inside the bacon wrap and come out soft and sweet. If they fall off they just burn under the broiler.