These bacon wrapped water chestnuts are positively addictive! Salty, crunchy, sticky, and sweet, they’re the perfect appetizer that everyone will just love. Easy and quick to make, but they’ll be gone faster than it took you to make them!
These flavorful water chestnuts wrapped in bacon are so insanely delicious! Perfect for an appetizer, tailgating, or potlucks, this will absolutely be the recipe your friends and family beg you to make. Trust me, you’ll want to make extras because these babies go fast!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
Water chestnuts – Sweet, nutty, and fruity, these soft vegetables (yes, vegetables!) perfectly complement the savory bacon and salty sauce.
Bacon – Meaty, salt, rich bacon. Let’s be real, it makes just about everything taste better!
Sauce – With salty soy sauce, tomato-y ketchup, and brown sugar or maple syrup, this simple but delicious sauce takes your water chestnuts to the next level.
How To Make Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
The full recipe & ingredients list are below, but here you’ll find a quick overview for making this recipe perfectly, along with useful tips and info!
Add the water chestnuts and soy sauce to a large plastic sandwich bag to let the chestnuts marinate. Let them sit out for about 30 minutes, occasionally tossing and massaging the bag so they get coated.
Preheat your oven to 400º F. Put a rack on top of a baking or cooking sheet.
Wrap each water chestnut with a piece of bacon, securing it with a toothpick. Arrange the wrapped chestnuts on the rack with the seams of the bacon on the bottom. Bake until the bacon is crispy.
While the bacon is cooking, mix together all the sauce ingredients. After the water chestnuts have cooked, take them out of the oven and brush them with the sauce. Bake again and serve warm!
Top Tips For Making
- I used canned water chestnuts for this recipe, but you can absolutely use fresh ones if you prefer! To prepare your fresh water chestnuts, cut off the top and bottom and then peel with a vegetable peeler. Rinse them well in cool water.
- This recipe is perfect for prepping ahead of time and popping in the oven before guests arrive. You can let your water chestnuts marinate, then wrap them in bacon and put in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. You can also make the sauce ahead of time!
More Delicious Appetizers
- Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Loaded Baked Potato Dip
- Salmon Salad
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Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) cans whole water chestnuts drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce plus 1 tablespoon
- 14 slices bacon cut crosswise into thirds
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly-packed, or maple syrup
- non-stick cooking spray
- black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Add the water chestnuts and 1/4 cup soy sauce to a large plastic sandwich bag. At room temperature, let marinate for 30 minutes, occasionally tossing and massaging bag.
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Place a cooling rack on top of a cookie or baking sheet. Wrap each water chestnut with a piece of bacon, securing with toothpick. Arrange water chestnuts on rack with seam face down. Bake about 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp and has rendered fat.
- Make sauce while chestnuts baked. Stir together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ketchup, and brown sugar or maple syrup.
- After chestnuts bake, remove from oven and brush with sauce, placing chestnuts back on rack. Bake again for 25 minutes and serve warm.
Notes
- Fresh water chestnuts: Can be used instead of canned. To prepare, cut off the top and bottom and then peel with a vegetable peeler. Rinse them well in cool water.
- Make ahead of time: Marinate water chestnuts as stated in directions. Wrap in bacon and refrigerate in airtight container. Make sauce and keep in fridge until needed.
I recommend buying wine from Scout and Cellar, especially for lower carb or sugar and the health conscious. There’s no added sugar to these wines, and they’re all much lower in carbs, calories, and sugar. For me, there’s no headache or fogginess the next day!
There are a ton of wines you can serve with this recipe, but I especially love these fun options for a party or get together:
– White wine spritzer (in cans!), like Epic Pursuit White Wine Spritzer
– Sparkling rosé, like 2019 Gallivant Bubbly Rosé from North Coast, California
– Brut, like NV Ticklebumps Brut from North Coast, California
Yum! We’ve eaten rumaki for years, but without the sauce. I can’t wait to try this vaariation!
Let us know how it goes Robin!