Growing up on Martha’s Vineyard, I’ve gotten to experience all kinds of seafood dishes, and the unique savory dishes offered by the Brazilian community.
One staple I’ve noticed when getting Brazilian food is chicken wrapped in bacon. I remember going into Tropical before it became the Golden Bull to get a well-rounded meal of chicken wrapped in bacon served with Brazilian-style sausage, beans, and rice.
I’ve always wanted to try out a chicken wrapped in bacon recipe, so I went to the Golden Bull over the weekend to ask bartender Silvana Oliveira about the best way to spice and cook the chicken wrapped in bacon.
Traditionally, chicken wrapped in bacon is a barbeque side dish, or the main dish, depending on how big the chicken slices are, slow-cooked on the grill. The ingredients are a simple selection of salt, vinegar, paprika, garlic paste, oil, and lime juice.
Oliveira recommends the chicken-wrapped bacon be pan-seared before placing it in the oven, making sure the chicken doesn’t get undercooked, and will cook through. You can tell the bacon-wrapped chicken is done when the outside turns a reddish-brown, with the bacon sizzling and clinging tight to the chicken.
I followed the recipe that Oliveira recommended, and served my chicken wrapped in bacon with spicy rice. The rich and savory flavor of chicken goes excellently with white rice, beans, and collard greens. Depending on how big you want your chicken slices to be, I recommended you slice the chicken tender breasts into halves or thirds, enough so the bacon can completely wrap around the chicken.
You can buy the ingredients for the dinner at Stop & Shop for just under $30, depending on if there’s a sale on the items.
Chicken Wrapped in Bacon
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
6 slices of chicken tenders
6 pieces of bacon, halved
Mash the garlic clove into a paste, then mix in with the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, spices, and chicken in a bowl. Let the chicken marinate in the mixture in the fridge for two hours. Preheat the oven to 425°, and wrap the bacon halves around the chicken, making sure the bacon wraps around the chicken like a pig in a blanket. Sear the chicken wrapped in bacon in a pan for 15 minutes, and place the semi-cooked chicken onto a baking sheet. Cook for 25 minutes, and turn the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. Once done, remove from the oven and enjoy an excellent, savory meal.
