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Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts are salty, sweet, and incredibly addictive (in the best way). Top with 2-ingredient barbecue sauce and broil for a crowd-pleasing party snack recipe in just 20 minutes.
These Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts are my absolute favorite snack recipe each and every Christmas. For all of those who don’t dig water chestnuts quite as much as me, I make Bacon Wrapped Smokies and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp too.
But I’m firmly on Team Water Chestnut. They’re crunchy texture and mild flavor plays nicely with the crunchy, savory bacon and almost-too-easy 2-ingredient homemade barbecue sauce.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Brown sugar and ketchup: Or up the ante with your favorite store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce.
- Bacon: Slice each piece into thirds to wrap nicely around each water chestnut.
Step-by-step instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set an oven rack on top. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and ketchup. Set aside.
- Wrap each whole water chestnut in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Dredge each in sauce mixture (or brush sauce on with a pastry brush).
- Arrange in a single layer on rack set over baking sheet.
- Broil on HIGH 4 to 6 inches from broiler for 5 to 7 minutes per side (flipping halfway), about 10 to 15 minutes total. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This easy appetizer recipe makes 24 Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts. I usually estimate about three bites per person, so this creates enough snacks for about eight adults.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The water chestnuts can be wrapped in bacon and skewered a day in advance.
Recipe FAQs
Water chestnuts are totally unrelated to chestnuts you roast over an open fire come holiday time. Water chestnuts are actually tuber vegetables that grow in aquatic environments like ponds, marshes, and shallow lakes. They’re native to certain parts of Asia, Africa, and islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans and the crunchy white flesh can be enjoyed raw or cooked.
More bacon-boosted recipes
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Best Bacon Cheeseburger
Appetizer Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Pork, Ham, and Lamb Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel
Appetizer Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Equipment
- 24 toothpicks Soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar (see note 1)
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 (8 ounce) can whole water chestnuts drained, cut into 24 pieces if necessary
- 8 slices bacon cut into thirds (24 pieces, see note 2)
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set an oven rack on top. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and ketchup. Set aside.
- Wrap each whole water chestnut in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Dredge each in sauce mixture (or brush sauce on with a pastry brush).
- Arrange in a single layer on rack set over baking sheet. Broil on HIGH 4 to 6 inches from broiler for 5 to 7 minutes per side (flipping halfway), about 10 to 15 minutes total. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Brown sugar and ketchup: Or up the ante with your favorite store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce.
- Bacon: Slice each piece into thirds to wrap nicely around each water chestnut.
- Yield: This easy appetizer recipe makes 24 Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts. I usually estimate about three bites per person, so this creates enough snacks for about eight adults.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The water chestnuts can be wrapped in bacon and skewered a day in advance.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
Do you really need the barbecue sauce for this recipe? Wouldn’t the bacon on it’s own provide enough flavor considering the neutral taste of the water chestnut? Just wondering………
Hi Sara, I bet you could, but likely will be bland and dry versus the ketchup/brown sugar combo or using your favorite barbecue sauce. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out! – Meggan
Can’t really beat bacon-wrapped anything! Was also a great way to introduce chestnuts to the family!