Sweet, salty, and crunchy, these Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts are the perfect party appetizer. They are simple to make and are so addictive!
We love any appetizer with bacon, which is one reason we love this recipe so much! If you are also a bacon lover, try these Bacon Wrapped Smokies or this Cheesy Bacon Dip.
Growing up, my mom was famous for her Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts. Anytime she had to make an appetizer, these would make an appearance. They were served at multiple wedding receptions and New Year’s Eve appetizer dinners.
And to this day, this is one of my very favorite appetizers. The texture, the sweet and savory, the little bite-sized portion – I just cannot stay away from them!
This recipe is almost the exact recipe from our family cookbook. I like to add in some soy sauce, but this is a classic that is really perfect throughout the years!
Ingredients
- Bacon: You don’t want thick cut bacon for this recipe. Just use regular cut bacon.
- Ketchup: My favorite ketchup to use is the “simply” ketchup, but your favorite brand should work.
- Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar.
- Soy Sauce: I like to use low sodium.
- Mustard: I just use regular yellow mustard, but you could use a grainy mustard or even Dijon mustard.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This just gives the sauce a little more depth.
- Pepper: The pepper is just for seasoning.
- Water Chestnuts: If you have never heard of water chestnuts, they are actually not even a nut. They are a vegetable that is grown in marshes, under water, or in mud. They are crispy and and have a nutty, tart flavor. You can find them in the Asian section of your grocery store. I’ve been having a harder time finding the whole water chestnuts, but you can order them online if needed.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
STEP 1: Start by cutting the bacon in half, then placing it in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. (This just makes for easy clean up.) I use 2 baking sheets, and I like to cook them one at a time. Cook the bacon for only about 10 minutes. You don’t want to cook it all the way, you are just letting it get a head start. The bacon will still be very pliable.
STEP 2: While the bacon is cooking and slightly cooling, make the sauce by combining all of the remaining ingredients except for the water chestnuts.
STEP 3: Once the bacon is par-cooked, let it cool until you can handle it. Then take a water chestnut and wrap a piece of bacon around it. Secure with a toothpick, and place in a baking dish.
STEP 4: Once all of the water chestnuts are wrapped, pour the sauce over the top.
STEP 5: Bake until the bacon is cooked through and the barbecue sauce is bubbling. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- The sizes of the water chestnut can vary, so you may end up with an extra slice of bacon if they are on the larger size, or if they are on the smaller size, you may end up with extra water chestnuts. I tend to get an average of about 32 servings per batch.
- If you don’t want to par cook the bacon to start, you can wrap the water chestnuts, then bake without the sauce for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the sauce and continue to bake.
- If possible, try to avoid pouring the sauce on the toothpicks. (I did a terrible job of this in these photographs.) The sauce will blacken on the toothpicks, which makes them a little messier for grabbing to eat.
- If you want a shortcut, just use your favorite bottled bbq sauce instead of the homemade sauce.
More Appetizer Recipes
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Crockpot BBQ Grape Jelly Meatballs
Deviled Eggs with Bacon
Sausage Stuffed Jalapeños
Crab Rangoon
Jalapeno Popper Wontons
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Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 1 pound sliced bacon
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cans (8 oz each) whole water chestnuts drained
Instructions
- Preheat to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with foil.
- Cut the bacon in half. Separate the slices and place in a single layer on the baking sheets. When the oven is preheated, cook the bacon, one sheet at a time, for 10 minutes each. The bacon will not be cooked through, but just partly. Make sure to take it out while it is still pliable. Let the bacon cool until you can handle it.
- While the bacon is cooking and cooling, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, water, soy sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper in a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Take a half slice of bacon around a water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place in a 9×13-inch baking dish, then repeat with the remaining bacon and water chestnuts.
- Once all of the water chestnuts are wrapped, pour the sauce evenly over the top.
- Bake until the sauce is bubbling and hot and the bacon is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
- Let cool slightly before serving.
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