brown sugar bacon wrapped water chestnuts;

brown sugar bacon wrapped water chestnuts;

Crunchy delectable marinated water chestnuts, wrapped in crispy bacon and glazed with a sweet, umami-filled soy glaze make this unique appetizer a party hit.

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If you’re looking for a unique and deliciously savory appetizer, look no further! Brown sugar bacon wrapped water chestnuts have such a satisfying crunch. A marinated water chestnut is rolled in bacon and topped with a sweet, umami-rich glaze. The sharp salt of the bacon is paired with the sweetness of the glaze for a perfect snacking bite.

I love the crunch of water chestnuts. They’re an ingredient like no other, in my opinion. They have such a juicy delectable crunch. It’s funny, I feel like most vegetables and plants start out crisp and then wilt when you add heat. Water chestnuts are the opposite. They start off a little mealy, but add a little heat and they really shine with that crisp unique texture.

If you ask me, nothing wrapped in bacon could be bad. I mean you might have your favorites, but bacon makes pretty much anything better. The saltiness wraps every bite in that savory, fatty deliciousness. And then comes the glaze. It might sound a little odd, but give it a chance. The soy sauce paired with ketchup for thickness and brown sugar for sweetness makes ones heck of a glaze.

We start off by marinating the water chestnuts in soy sauce. the longer you marinate them the more flavor they’ll have throughout. I always do at least 5 minutes, but prefer 15-30. If I have enough foresight I’ll even marinate them overnight, but honestly I rarely remember to do it overnight. It’s not detrimental to minimize or even skip the marinade, you’ll just be missing out on flavor.

Wrap each water chestnut in bacon. I use Smithfield cherrywood bacon because it’s my favorite for flavor, but use whatever you like or have on hand. Even turkey or vegetarian bacon should do. I cut my bacon strips into thirds for the perfect wrap. This generally means I can wrap a whole chestnut once around with a bit of bacon overlapping. Then pierce the bacon wrapped water chestnut with a toothpick and set it in a baking dish. I adapted this recipe from Chrissy’s Kitchen, mostly to pair down the recipe. There’s roughly about 15-25 water chestnuts in a can, which I find to be a perfect amount for a small gathering.

Once all the water chestnuts have joined their friends in the baking dish, it’s time to bake. Don’t add the glaze yet. Because it takes a while for bacon to cook in the oven, you need to wait. If you add the glaze immediately for the full bake, it’ll get charred an ruin the batch. The key is to cook half ways through and drain some of the grease from the pan. Then you can glaze the bacon wrapped water chestnuts and finish baking. I like to reserve a spoonful or two of the glaze to brush on right before serving.

secrets to success;

• Cut your bacon strips into thirds. I find this makes the most out of your bacon without waste. If thirds don’t work for you, try cutting the bacon in two.
• if you’ve trimmed the bacon too small, or just want to stretch the servings on your appetizer, try cutting the water chestnuts in half.
• I like to reserve a few spoonfuls of glaze to brush over the water chestnuts right before serving. You can also scoop some of the sauce out of the pan and spoon atop of the water chestnuts.
• Soak your pan as soon as possible! A sugary glaze in the oven a while means some caking. as soon as you remove your appetizer from the fish, get it soaking. Trust me, your dish washed will thank you!

Check out these other great appetizer ideas:

• Fried foods are always a win, so try this fried cheese recipe.
• Pepperoni pizza loaf is a delicious bread loaf filled with cheese, and all the toppings you could want.
• For a cheesy app, go for brie en croute, always a holiday staple for us!
• We also love this crockpot jelly bbq meatballs to feed a crowd for very little effort.

brown sugar bacon wrapped water chestnuts;

Crunchy delectable marinated water chestnuts, wrapped in crispy bacon and glazed with a sweet, umami-filled soy glaze make this unique appetizer a party hit.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Wait Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Oven Temp: 350°

Servings: 8

Author: bestwithchocolate.com

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Equipment

• toothpicks

Ingredients

• 1 can (8oz) water chestnuts
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce (I prefer low sodium)
• ½ lb bacon (each slice cut in thirds)
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup ketchup

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Instructions

• Open and drain the can of water chestnuts. Add to a medium bowl. Add the 3 Tbsp soy sauce and allow to marinate at least 15-30 minutes, up to overnight. Give it a stir once or twice to make sure they're evenly coated.
• Slice each strip of bacon into thirds (or halves depending on the length of your bacon). Wrap each water chestnut in bacon and fasten with a toothpick. Make sure to reserve the soy sauce.
• Arrange the wrapped water chestnuts in an oven safe 8"x8" pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°. Exact timing may depend on the thickness of your bacon. You want it to start getting cripsy, but make sure it doesn't burn, as it will go back in the oven later.
• Meanwhile, in the bowl with the reserved soy sauce, add ¾ cup brown sugar and ½ cup ketchup and stir until evenly combined.
• Remove water chestnuts from the oven after 30 minutes and drain the grease. Add back to the same pan, and using a brush or spoon, coat the water chestnuts with the glaze.
• Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until brown and crispy.

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