Tangy Barbecued Chicken Bundles
Recipe: #24330
July 09, 2016
Categories: Chicken, July 4th, Labor Day Grilling (Outdoor), Gluten-Free, No Eggs, Boneless Pieces, Chicken Dinner, more
"Sweet, spicy, chicken wrapped with crisp bacon that has been grilled over a charcoal fire where once eaten with a fork and knife cheese oozes out. Serve it with a side of fresh summer corn or your favorite side. What could be more delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed this chicken dish which I severely modified from my Land O Lakes cookbook until it was no longer the same recipe but a 2nd cousin.""
Ingredients
Nutritional
- Serving Size: 1 (270.8 g)
- Calories 497.7
- Total Fat - 19.3 g
- Saturated Fat - 8.4 g
- Cholesterol - 137.8 mg
- Sodium - 1777.3 mg
- Total Carbohydrate - 24.7 g
- Dietary Fiber - 1.1 g
- Sugars - 18.2 g
- Protein - 54 g
- Calcium - 432.6 mg
- Iron - 2.6 mg
- Vitamin C - 2.3 mg
- Thiamin - 0.2 mg
Step by Step Method
Step 1
The night before; mix the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2
To the bowl add the cleaned and skinned chicken breast halves. With spatula or cleaned hands distribute marinate ingredients to distribute around chicken evenly.
Step 3
Carefully place chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag. Pour marinate over chicken, scraping all with a spatula.
Step 4
Seal bag tightly making sure air is pushed out from bag. Place bag in clean bowl so that any potential leaks may be caught within the bowl. Place chicken in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.
Step 5
Place chicken into a sieved bowl to pour off marinate. Discard marinade.
Step 6
Make a slit into each chicken breast half to form a pocket, being careful not to puncture the sides and bottom piece of each chicken breast.
Step 7
Sprinkle celery salt or barbecue seasoning evenly into each pocket and place cheese chunks into each. Set aside.
Step 8
To a hot skillet, cook bacon partially until it is slightly cooked but pliable. Be careful not to cook all the way through as bacon won't be manageable for the next step.
Step 9
Brush barbecue sauce over each chicken breast half.
Step 10
Wrap each chicken breast criss-cross with 2 slices of bacon. Secure with sturdy wooden toothpicks, managing it so the bacon is secure so that cheese won't drip through when cooking.
Step 11
Prepare grill placing coals to once side; heat until coals are ready and hot. Place an aluminum drip pan right beside the coals or make a drip pan by making your own using aluminum foil.
Step 12
Place chicken on grill over the drip pan. Brush with some more barbecue sauce. Grill, for 30 - 40 minutes turning occasionally for even cooking. Grill over indirect heat until 10-or-so minutes just before the point of chicken being cooked through. (Refer to NOTE II).
Step 13
Place chicken directly over hot coals to crisp up bacon and finish the chicken off to the point where it's cooked through for approximately 10 - 15 minutes. Intermittently brush barbecue sauce during this cooking process. (Refer to NOTE II).
Step 14
With a long set of tongs, remove chicken onto platter. Remove toothpicks and brush with some more barbecue sauce, if desired.
NOTE I: Other type of cheese may be used such as Muenster, Havarti, Monterey, Mozzarella, etc., as long as it melts well and adapts with the flavors of the chicken
NOTE II: Depending on your grill/coals, the cooking time may fluctuate from the time mentioned in the method above. Use your best judgement with the goal to crisp up the bacon and to cook the chicken to the desired doneness. If you don't own a charcoal grill, this recipe can also be cooked using a propane grill. This chicken may also be finished half-way through cooking process where you may finish it off in the oven at the end of the cooking process.
Tips
No special items needed.