Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Brined chicken breasts wrapped in stretched bacon and pepper rings, then smoked and glazed with barbecue sauce.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
Chicken and Bacon
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts source allows 4–6
- 2 jalapenos cut into rings
- 1 red sweet pepper cut into rings
- 1 orange sweet pepper cut into rings
- 1 yellow sweet pepper cut into rings
- 2 packages regular-cut bacon allow 2–3 slices per breast
- Jeff's original rub to coat
- Jeff's barbecue sauce for glazing
Optional Brine
- 4 cups cold drinking water
- ¼ cup coarse kosher salt
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
Instructions
- For the optional brine, dissolve the salt and sugar in the cold water. Cover the breasts with brine and refrigerate for about 2 hours, turning halfway through. Discard the brine and drain.
- Coat both sides of each breast generously with rub.
- Lay out 2–3 bacon strips per breast and wrap around the meat, stretching the bacon so it becomes thinner. Secure with toothpicks, adding pepper rings to the toothpicks before pinning them through the bacon.
- Prepare the smoker for about 230°F using cherry wood. Fill the water pan if applicable.
- Place the breasts directly on the grate with about 1 inch between them. Smoke about 3 hours, maintaining smoke for at least 1.5–2 hours, preferably throughout.
- Brush with barbecue sauce about 30 minutes before finishing. Cook until the thickest part of each breast reaches 165°F.
- Remove the toothpicks before serving hot.
Notes
Estimated yield: 6 servings, one breast per serving; using four breasts yields four. The approximately five-hour process includes two hours optional brining and three hours smoking. Bacon thickness and breast size affect timing; the source's update specifically recommends stretching the bacon for a thinner wrap.