Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

James made a run to the new Sprouts today and brought home tons of veggies, chocolate-toffee covered almonds, and other yummy goodies.  When I came in from work he had a smile on his face and told me he brought home my favorite part of the chicken....THIGHS!!

He prefers the breast because he says it's tastier, but I COMPLETELY disagree.  The thigh is the juiciest and tastiest part of the bird for sure!!  Tonight I wanted to make something tasty and easy and I think my concoction has won him over to the dark side...pun intended.

My husband loves food, and I'm a pretty decent cook, so when I ask him how dinner was he usually tells me, "Good," or "I liked it."  Occasionally I get an, "I liked it a lot," or, "Really good," but tonight he gave these chicken thighs an, "Awesome," rating....always makes my heart happy to get a good review from my favorite food critic.  ;)

The recipe is VERY easy, super simple, very little prep, and doesn't take long for total dinner time.  This is a very basic recipe and you could always amp it up by stuffing the thighs before rolling them up if you wanted something fancier.  Some suggestions for stuffing could include Cream cheese and jalapeño, stuffing mix and apples, spinach and feta cheese, or cooked wild rice and herbs.  Experiment and let me know how yours turn out!

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Cook Time: 45-50 minutes

What you'll need:

4  Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

4  Strips of Bacon

½ C Worcestershire Sauce

¼ C Brown Sugar

2 T Brown Sugar (separate)

2 T Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Gallon Zip Lock Bag

Glass Baking Dish

To make:

You'll want to marinate your chicken thighs for the best flavor.  To do this you'll mix the worcestershire sauce and the ¼ C. of brown sugar together in a zip lock bag.  Add your chicken thighs to the bag, press out the air, and seal.  Massage the bag for a few minutes to make sure all the chicken is coated thoroughly.  Let them sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour.  I suggest a few hours for best flavor.

Preheat your oven to 400°F.  Add prepare your glass pan by coating a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom to keep the thighs from sticking. 

Take your chicken thighs out of the bag and season on both sides with salt and pepper.  If you're stuffing the thighs with something this is the point to add it.  Roll the thighs up as you would a cinnamon roll.  Wrap one strip of bacon around the thigh and if necessary secure with a toothpick.  I didn't need any tooth picks.  I just tucked the ends of the bacon under the bottom of the chicken thighs when I added them to the pan.  If you stuff them I would suggest using a tooth pick to keep the stuffing secure.  

Place the chicken thighs in the greased pan and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top.  Cook in the oven, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes or until they reach 170°F on the inside.  

I really think this is a fool proof chicken recipe.  After trying it you can start experimenting.  Try marinating in Soy sauce and Pineapple juice for a teriyaki flair, lime juice and chopped cilantro for a Mexican craving, or a simple worcestershire and BBQ sauce.  I also think these would be great on the grill as long as you watch out for flair ups as they'll drip a lot of fat.  

Good luck with your cooking and I hope you get an "Awesome" rating from your Honeys!!!