Bacon-Wrapped Spring Chicken

Stuffing a boneless, skinless chicken breast with something delicious and then wrapping it in bacon is never a bad thing. It turns a super boring, please-wake-me-up-when-it's-over piece of poultry into an exciting entree that's sure to impress. The key to this technique is keeping the knife still while creating a nice big pocket in the chicken. It is, truly, a method for all seasons.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 574 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno pepper
• 1 teaspoon fine dry bread crumbs
• 2 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts with tenders still attached
• 4 strips bacon, or more as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2

Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add green onions, jalapeno, garlic, and salt. Cook and stir until vegetables just start to soften and sweeten, 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 3

Transfer mixture into a mixing bowl and let cool until just barely warm, or room temperature. Sprinkle in feta cheese and parsley. Season with pepper and cayenne. Add bread crumbs and stir the stuffing until combined.

Step 4

Insert the tip of a knife midway along the wider edge of each breast, on the side opposite the tender. Rotate knife through the chicken to carve a pocket inside, keeping knife as still as possible so that opening stays about 2 inches wide. Push stuffing into the pockets.

Step 5

Season outsides with salt and pepper. Wrap bacon around the chicken until it is about fully covered, tucking ends underneath. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof pan. Add the chicken breasts and any extra stuffing.

Step 6

Roast in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centers reads at least 155 degrees F (68 degrees C), about 30 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, and spoon sauce over the chicken.