Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts are such a delicious holiday appetizer. They are easy to make ahead of time, and even easier to eat.
With holiday get togethers on the horizon, I’m thinking about all of the party food. If you love making Christmas appetizers for those holiday parties like me, these Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts are perfect!
I tweaked this recipe several times until it was just perfect. I want my recipes to not only taste amazing, but be easy for you to make. After all my testing, the end result was a classic appetizer I could eat endlessly. Delicious flavors, the perfect amount of sweetness, and crisp bacon all around a crunchy water chestnut will make you fall in love too. I’ve now added a video to this post, so you can see exactly how this easy appetizer comes together.
My whole family raved about these and ask that I add them to my ”always make for Christmas Eve” appetisers!
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
This is a brief overview so you can see just how easy this appetizer recipe is. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Make the Sauce
Whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and minced ginger.
Soak the Water Chestnuts
Add the drained water chestnuts to the sauce and soak for 30 minutes.
Wrap, Bake, and Add More Sauce to Water Chestnuts
Cut the pound of bacon into thirds. In other words, one slice of bacon, cut into thirds, is enough to make three bacon wrapped water chestnuts. Pierce with toothpicks that have soaked in water.
Place a wire cooling rack on a parchment paper rimmed baking sheet. Spray it with cooking spray. Add the wrapped water chestnuts and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove them from the oven and dip them in the remaining sauce, then place them back on the wire rack. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
What is a Water Chestnut
Believe it or not, before developing this recipe, I didn’t really know where a water chestnut came from. Though, I love them and have been using them in everything from my Chicken Lo Mein to my Spinach Dip Recipe for years, I didn’t know their origin.
Water Chestnuts are aquatic vegetables grown in marshes, streams, and even mud. They grow under water with greens coming up above the surface, can be eaten raw, and are often used in Chinese dishes. They have a mild flavor, but add a great subtly and crunch to recipes.
Making Ahead
If you want to prepare this recipe ahead of time, make it up to the point of putting them in the oven. They can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Place the prepared water chestnuts in an air tight container (fully wrapped and speared with a toothpick) and store the sauce in a separate air tight container. Put both containers in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake and serve.
Storing Left Overs
Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These are actually really good cold. So I wouldn’t necessarily recommend reheating them. If you reheat them, keep in mind that the bacon won’t be as crisp.
If you make this bacon wrapped water chestnut recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Easy Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole water chestnuts well drained
- 1 pound bacon cut into thirds
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. (Read here for instructions on how to make these in advance.)2/3 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pour the sauce mixture over the drained water chestnuts. Let soak for 30 minutes.16 ounces whole water chestnuts
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack over it. Spray it with cooking spray.
- Wrap the water chestnuts in the bacon strips, and skewer with a soaked toothpick. (Do not discard the remaining sauce.) Place the water chestnuts on the wire rack. Bake for 30 minutes.1 pound bacon
- Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining sauce. Bake for 10 more minutes.
Recipe Video
Equipment
- toothpicks soaked in water
Edie C says
Made this at Christmas and it was a big hit with family and friends. Making it again today for a party with friends. I know it’ll be another hit.
Thanks for tweaking and sharing your recipes.
I’m so glad everyone liked these! Thank you for taking the time to come back and tell me!