Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts with Tangy BBQ Sauce

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts with Tangy BBQ Sauce

These bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts with Tangy BBQ Sauce are a long time childhood memory for me. My Aunt Carol would make them for family parties and I remember thinking they were so exotic and gourmet when I was a kid. The crunch of the water chestnut and crispy bacon are the perfect texture for the tangy bbq sauce you quickly make in a saucepan with ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. All of this bakes up into a delicious appetizer that will be the hit of every party.

The full, printable recipe is below, along with serving size. I am just going to go over a couple of tricks I found when making these after my Aunt Carol sent me the recipe.

Water Chestnuts

The water chestnuts are pretty jumbo. Carol’s recipe called for whole water chestnuts, but I felt it was better to cut them in half lengthwise, creating two thinner rounds. A follower told me that she soaks her water chestnuts in soy sauce for a few hours or even overnight, before wrapping them in the bacon. I will definitely try this method the next time I made these.

Making The Sauce

The sauce for this is super simple. Ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider and Worcestershire. I also add a few seasonings (listed in the printable recipe below) It comes together perfectly and goes great with the bacon wrapped water chestnuts. It came to me that using a honey mustard for this recipe would also be great. I will have to give this a try and report back.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts with Tangy BBQ

Yield: 8 to 10 Servings

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts with Tangy Barbeque

Print

A classic appetizer that everyone loves. Crispy bacon, crunchy water chestnuts and a delicious bbq sauce made with ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. You can assemble this appetizer ahead of time and bake it off when you are ready to serve.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of Bacon (I used thick cut)
• 2 cans of whole water chestnuts, drained
• 1 cup of ketchup
• 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Cut your bacon strips into thirds.
2. Slice the water chestnuts in half lengthwise , creating 2 round, but thinner slices.
3. Wrap each water chestnut in a slice of bacon, place them on a wire rack that is placed on a baking sheet, seam side down. If you don't have a wire rack, use foil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the bacon with black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
4. When the water chestnuts are all wrapped and on the baking sheet bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy.
5. In a saucepan add the brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire, apple cider vinegar and mustard, then add a sprinkle of the onion and garlic powder and black pepper. Does not have to be exact measurements but I use about a teaspoon or two of each. Season to your preference.
6. Whisk on low heat, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking until the brown sugar is dissolved.
7. If you are making this ahead of time you can store the water chestnuts and sauce separately until you are ready to bake them. Up to two days.
8. Add the bacon wrapped water chestnuts to a baking dish and pour the sauce over. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, the serve with toothpicks.

Garlic Steak Bites

If you like this appetizer you also need to make my easy and affordable GARLIC STEAK BITES. These delicious bites are easy and elegant but also affordable. I hope you enjoy my recipes.