Bacon Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs

We're sharing one of our go-to comfort-meets-impressive dinners: Bacon Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs. This recipe is genuinely good and ridiculously easy to make wrap tender chicken thighs in savory bacon, bake until they're juicy, then finish with a sweet and tangy balsamic glaze that coats every bite like magic.

This recipe was born from our husband and we's keto diet plan. It's much easier to stick to an eating plan if it feels indulgent – and you can't get more indulgent than these good chicken thighs! Let's face it – anything wrapped with bacon doesn't taste like diet food.

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make good Easy Bacon Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs

If you're looking for an easy baked chicken recipe, quick chicken dinner ideas, or a simple yet flavorful balsamic chicken meal for weeknights or family dinners, this one fits the bill. It's the kind of best glazed chicken thighs dish where you get crispy bacon edges, a glossy sauce, and big flavor without complicated steps, so it's suited to anyone searching for a reliable bacon balsamic chicken recipe that feels restaurant-level while still being totally doable at home.

Bacon Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thigh Ingredients

First you will want to assemble the following ingredients:

• Garlic powder – garlic powder is a great way to get a hit of garlic. You can also use fresh pressed garlic.
• Italian seasoning – Italian seasoning if a mix of classic Italian seasonings, see tips and tricks section for a tip on how to make your own.
• Paprika – you can use smoked or Spanish paprika.
• Sea salt – sea salt will season the chicken, you can add more when you serve if you want.
• Chicken thighs – you want to use skinless boneless chicken thighs, they are forgiving and don't go dry easily.
• Bacon – bacon is rich and good and as its fat is rendering it adds flavor to the chicken. See tips and tricks section for other options.
• Balsamic vinegar – unlike other vinegars, balsamic has a sweet fruity flavor. Use high quality whenever possible.
• Sliced green onions – these are a great fresh garnish and are optional.

Steps to Make Glazed Chicken Thighs with Bacon

Once you have assembled the ingredients use the following method

Season Chicken. Mix the spices in a bowl and season the chicken generously with them. Wrap the seasoned chicken in bacon, fasten with a toothpick if necessary.

Sear. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat, add the bacon wrapped chicken and sear on 5 minutes on each side or until bacon is browned. Remove from the pan and place on a baking sheet, ideally on a wire rack.

Bake. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until chicken is at 165 degrees. While the chicken is cooking reduce the balsamic vinegar in a pan by half, about 5 minutes.

Finish. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, while its resting glaze it with the balsamic reduction and top with green onions. Enjoy!

Kitchen notes

You can use bone-in. While we're using boneless, skinless thighs, you could use bone-in thighs (cut out the bone or eat around it) since they are quite a bit less expensive. We do recommend removing the skin, since it would get flabby and soft under the bacon.

Make your own Italian Seasoning. To make your own mix 3 tbsp dried basil, oregano, and parsley with 1 tbsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp dry thyme. Store any extra in a jar for 3-6 months.

Make Ahead. Make extra glaze and keep it in the fridge—it's good for drizzling over roasted veggies or reheated chicken. Reheat leftovers in an oven or air fryer to keep the bacon from going soft

Mix up with BBQ. If you don't want to use balsamic you can glaze the chicken with BBQ sauce, no need to reduce it.

Master the Bacon. If the bacon is thin, you may need to glaze closer to the end so it doesn't over-darken. For even wrapping, slightly overlap bacon slices and secure them with a toothpick if needed. Don't drain bacon fat completely—avoid pooling too much so the glaze doesn't get diluted

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Bacon Balsamic Chicken Thigh FAQs

How do you keep leftovers?

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Can we use chicken breast?

Yes, you will want to cut the breasts in half so you can wrap them all the way in bacon. You will need to cut the cooking time down and be careful that they don't overcook. Chicken thighs are much more forgiving.

Can we use turkey bacon?

Yes, but you won't need to brown it as much as you would traditional bacon.

Can we cook these in an air fryer?

Yes, but timing varies by air fryer and thigh size. Cook until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) and keep an eye on the bacon so it crisps without burning.

How thick should the glaze be?

The glaze should be syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it's too thin, simmer it a bit longer; if it's too thick, loosen it with a splash of water or broth.

Should we use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs?

Both work. Boneless thighs are usually faster and easiest, while bone-in thighs may require a few extra minutes—use an instant-read thermometer to confirm doneness.

How do we keep the bacon from burning?

Bake at a moderate temperature (around 400°F / 205°C), and if the bacon starts browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil for the final portion of cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Sea salt
• 1 ½ lbs Chicken thighs, skinless, boneless
• ½ lbs Bacon
• ½ cup Balsamic vinegar
• Sliced green onions, to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, italian seasoning, paprika, and sea salt.
3. Lay chicken thighs on a cutting board and season liberally with herb mixture.
4. Wrap each piece of chicken tightly with bacon, fasten with a toothpick if necessary.
5. Heat a cast iron pan (or other heavy skillet) on high until hot.
6. Add chicken thighs to pan, making sure not to overcrowd.
7. Sear on each side about 5 minutes so bacon is browned.
8. Remove from pan and add to baking sheet (cooking on a wire rack above the baking sheet is ideal but not essential.)
9. Bake until chicken reaches internal temp of 165 degrees, about 15 minutes.
10. When chicken is cooked, remove and let rest at least 5 minutes.
11. While chicken is resting, add balsamic to a small pan and heat on medium until reduced by more than half, and thickened, about 5 minutes.
12. Drizzle balsamic glaze over chicken, top with green onions if desired!