Bacon wrapped water chestnuts are so incredibly simple to make and are so addictive and delicious! The smokiness of the bacon and the sticky sweet flavour of the sauce is perfect with the crunch of the water chestnuts. This is an excellent and super popular appetizer for special occasions, Christmas, the holidays, get togethers with friends or for anytime really. It's always a hit in our house, and there are never any leftovers!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! ❤️ If you give it a try, please let me know how it turned out for you in the comments section at the bottom of the page or share a pic of your om noms on Instagram and tag @dishesanddustbunnies! ❤️
*This post has been updated from an earlier version to include new photos and a few tweaks to the original recipe to make it even more scrumptious!*
Get the Recipe at the bottom of the page!
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
The process for making the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts was very simple. The ingredients for the sauce are combined in a mixing bowl and then the water chestnuts are wrapped in (halved) strips of bacon and secured with toothpicks.
I dropped them each into the sauce in the mixing bowl and gently folded them into the sauce so that each little one was completely covered. I then cooked them in the oven on a broiler pan and when they were done…
I almost have no words for how amazing they taste!
The magic to these delicious little bites is in the sauce. A scrumptious combination of ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder give each bite a wonderful sweet and smoky flavour.
Do you rinse canned water chestnuts?
Yes – before using the water chestnuts in the recipe, you'll need to rinse them. I do this by putting them in a small strainer and run some cold water over them. Before wrapping them with the bacon, please make sure to let them drain for a bit to get rid of any excess moisture.
What are Water Chestnuts? Are they nuts?
Water chestnuts are not actually chestnuts! Are you shocked? 😂
I was surprised too when I first learned this years ago!
Water chestnuts are actually a vegetable that grows in marshy areas of Asia, tropical Africa and Oceana. Before they became popular in America and Canada for use in the appetizer bacon wrapped water chestnuts, they were (and still are) commonly used in stir fry and Asian cooking! They're great for their crunchy texture and take on the flavour of whatever dish you're using them in.
Can they be Prepared Ahead of time?
Yes! You can make bacon wrapped water chestnuts ahead of time!
If you'd like to make them ahead of time, or even the night before just follow the recipe at the bottom of the page and instead of placing them on your baking sheet to cook, keep them in the mixing bowl along with the sauce, cover and store in the fridge until you're ready to make them. For best results, make sure you take them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking so they're not super cold… you want them to be about room temperature when you start to cook them.
Get the Recipe at the bottom of the page!
Should Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts be served Warm or Cold?
Bacon wrapped water chestnuts are best when served warm, but they're fine at room temperature. If you'd like to keep them warm when serving for a special occasion, you could try putting them in a small crock pot to keep them warm.
In all honesty though, these have been so popular when I've served them that they're usually devoured by everyone before they have a chance to cool down! ❤️😂
Can you reheat Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts?
When I make these, it's incredibly rare that there will be any leftovers to heat up later!
If you do find yourself in a situation where you do need to reheat them, I recommend placing them on a baking sheet and heating up in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
What to Serve with Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
These yummy little appetizers can be served with just about anything really! They're great as appetizers along with other party food for special occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter or really any time.
For more appetizer ideas, be sure to check out these posts:
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Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 30 – 40 Appetizers 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 (7oz/227ml) cans whole water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
- 1 lb smoky bacon, cut into thirds
- toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Combine ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl. Make sure everything is combined well.
- Wrap each water chestnut with a bacon strip (which was cut bacon into thirds) and secure with a toothpick and drop into the mixing bowl with the sauce mix.
- Once finished wrapping the bacon and water chestnuts, GENTLY fold the sauce over them in the mixing bowl. Make sure to evenly coat each piece with the sauce.
- Using tongs, gently remove the wrapped water chestnuts from the mixing bowl and place them onto a broiler pan over a foil lined baking sheet. (I find that the clean up is much easier when using a foil lined sheet). If you don't have a broiler pan, you can try just using a baking sheet – just make sure you remove the cooked water chestnuts quickly, so they don't sit in the fat for too long.
- Using a spatula remove any of the remaining sauce from the mixing bowl and drizzle over the wrapped water chestnuts.
- Place the prepared water chestnuts into the oven to cook for about 45 minutes or long enough to crisp the bacon to your liking.
- Using tongs, remove the appetizers to a serving plate.
Notes
To Make Ahead of time: To make ahead of time, or even the night before, follow the recipe as usual, but instead of placing them on your baking sheet to cook right away, keep them in the mixing bowl along with the sauce, cover and store in the fridge until you're ready to make them. For best results, make sure you remove them from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking so they're not super cold… you want them to be about room temperature when you start to cook them.
If your bacon is really fatty or you want it more crisp: In the last 15 minutes of cooking, you can place them on a wire rack over the baking sheet and set your oven to broil. This will allow the fat to drain more as it crisps up – just be sure to watch closely so they don't burn. If you look at the photos in this post, you'll see that I used this method to crisp them up more – I don't always have to do this.. it just depends on how fatty my bacon is! 😊
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American/Canadian
Keywords: bacon wrapped water chestnuts, Christmas appetizer, holiday appetizer
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