Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

This recipe is: dairy freeegg freenut free

Glazed with brown sugar, soy sauce and barbecue sauce, these bacon wrapped water chestnuts will be the first appetizer to disappear at your next game day or holiday celebration.

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overhead view of bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving plate

Why I love this bacon wrapped water chestnuts

I absolutely love water chestnuts. They are so crunchy and they make for a great addition to any stir fry or spinach dip. I love them so much that I usually eat them straight from the can as I’m cooking my favorite chicken and broccoli recipe.

So naturally, I love them wrapped in bacon.

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts are an awesome savory appetizer for any holiday or game day menu, and they’re super easy to put together. They can even be prepped in advanced and cooked the day of to make things easier.

side view close up of bacon wrapped water chestnuts glazed in sauce

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

close up of glazed bacon wrapped water chestnut with a toothpick through it

How to make bacon wrapped water chestnuts

Prep. Preheat your oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment. You can also open and drain your cans of water chestnuts and cut the bacon strips into thirds.

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, bbq sauce and soy sauce together until smooth.

Wrap with bacon. Take a piece of the bacon you cut and wrap one slice around each water chestnut. Place the wrapped water chestnut seam-side down on the parchment paper. If you need to, you can secure them with a toothpick.

Bake the water chestnuts. Brush the water chestnuts with some of the sauce. Then, bake them in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.

Baste with sauce every 10 minutes and one more time when you remove them from the oven, 4 times total including the initial brushing.

overhead view of serving plate with bacon wrapped water chestnuts with toothpicks

FAQS and tips for making bacon wrapped water chestnuts

What do water chestnuts taste like?

Water chestnuts don’t actually have that much flavor. They’re crunchy in texture with a bit of water (in my opinion, they’re similar to the water content of celery), and they are a great blank slate for recipes.

Can you eat water chestnuts straight from the can?

Absolutely. Water chestnuts can been eaten raw as long as they’re peeled. Canned ones are already prepared and peeled, so you can eat them as is. I love snacking on them as I’m cooking, so I usually

This recipe would be great with

overhead view of bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving plate on a countertop

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close up of bacon wrapped water chestnut glazed in brown sugar and barbecue sauce

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 18
Glazed with brown sugar, soy sauce and barbecue sauce, these bacon wrapped water chestnuts will be the first appetizer to disappear at your next game day or holiday celebration. This recipe is so simple and can be made ahead of time for easy entertaining.

Ingredients

  • 3 8- ounce cans whole water chestnuts
  • 1 16- ounce package bacon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
  • 3 tablespoons reduced sodium-soy sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, barbecue sauce and soy sauce together until smooth. Set aside.
  • Cut bacon slices into thirds. Wrap each water chestnut with a strip of bacon and place it seam side down onto the baking sheet.
  • Brush each water chestnut with the barbecue sauce mixture and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. While they bake, baste the water chestnuts about every 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and baste one more time with sauce.
  • Allow the water chestnuts to cool for about 5 minutes before servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal Carbohydrates: 11g Protein: 4g Fat: 11g Trans Fat: 0.04g Cholesterol: 18mg Sodium: 318mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 8g Vitamin C: 0.4mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Melissa Belanger is the founder and food-obsessed visionary behind Simply Whisked, where she creates dairy free recipes with simple ingredients. She lives in Wisconsin with her milk-allergic husband and two kids. Melissa's experience in developing dairy free recipes is unparalleled and she strives to make dairy-free living accessible and enjoyable. In addition to running Simply Whisked, Melissa also manages two other publications: Another Cocktail Blog, a cocktail recipe website, and The Pasta Twins, a joint venture with her twin sister.

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