Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Oh. My. These Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts are so good. I made these recently to bring to a girls’ night with some friends and they were a huge hit, so I couldn’t wait to make them again to share with you all. If you like bacon (and who doesn’t, right*?) then you’re totally going to swoon over these little bites of heaven. The sticky sweet sauce bakes into the smoky bacon, sort of candying it, and the water chestnuts add a nice, crunchy texture. The combination is totally addicting and seems super indulgent. Luckily, three of these babies are only 67 calories or 3 WW SmartPoints on the myWW Green, Blue and Purple plans! To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
This appetizer is pretty traditional, but it’s lightened up here by using center cut bacon (a leaner cut) and by brushing a smaller amount of sauce directly onto each piece rather than dousing the pieces and baking them in a dish of sauce. You won’t miss a thing though, the sweet, smoky, saucy flavor remains. These Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts can be dressed up or down and would be equally at home as part of a casual Super Bowl spread or hand passed at a swanky cocktail party. If you’re having a lot of people you may want to double the recipe – these will move fast!
*My fiancé, that’s who. He doesn’t like bacon. Or peanut butter. Or French fries. He’s obviously an alien. It’s okay though, more for me!
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz) cans if water chestnuts, drained
- 12 pieces Center Cut bacon, I used Wegmans brand, regular thickness
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons plain fat free yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Sriracha or other chili sauce, you can use a little more if you want a kick
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Place 36 toothpicks in a dish and cover them in cool water for a few minutes.
- On a clean, dry surface, cut the bacon pieces into even thirds. Wrap each water chestnut in a bacon third and secure the bacon by stabbing a toothpick through the whole thing. Continue until there are 36 pieces (I’ve made this a couple times and the number of water chestnuts in the cans varies…usually I get 36-40 between the two cans, so if there are a few more you can just make them too).
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the wrapped water chestnuts on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. While they’re baking, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha in a medium bowl and stir until well combined.
- When the water chestnuts are finished, keep the oven on, remove the sheet from the oven and transfer the water chestnuts to a stack of paper towels to drain the grease. Throw away the parchment paper and use additional paper towels to wipe the bacon grease out of the baking sheet. Re-line the sheet with a fresh piece of parchment paper. Using a silicone pastry brush, coat each of the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts generously with the sauce from step 3 and place it on the parchment-lined sheet. If any sauce remains drizzle it over the wrapped water chestnuts.
- Place the baking sheet back into the oven and bake for another 30-40 minutes until bacon is crisp. Serve!
Notes
2 per (3 piece) serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com) adapted from Savory Sweet Life
Awesome!
Emily’s fiance here. I’m not an alien! Just too cool.
That’s just what an alien would say…
Giggling madly…not sure if it is over the alien comment or these appetizers!!!
I just had these at a bridal shower and they were seriously addicting!
A coworker made a similar treat for work but used sweet potato inside instead of water chestnuts (don’t remember a sauce though). Sooo great! I totally gave her props because she’s usually vegetarian!
A co-worker of mine had something similar at a tapas restaurant and raved, and raved about them, but they were bacon wrapped dates instead of the water chestnuts. He has been trying to find the ingredients for the sauce. I think this might be the sauce! Thanks for putting this recipe on your site.
These look great ! What is the exact amount of bacon to use?
12 slices
Do you used sliced or whole chestnuts? I bought both because I couldn’t tell.
Whole ones!
Have made these and love them. They are tasty and gone in minutes at a party! Just wanted to know if they can be made and frozen …there is no time for prepping them before our next party.
Honestly Nora, I have no idea! I have never tried freezing them. I have prepped them until the last baking step and kept them in the fridge I believe. Let me know if it works out!
Could you do this with chicken?