These bacon wrapped water chestnuts are by far one of the most requested appetizers from friends. Water chestnuts wrapped in bacon slathered in a brown sugar glaze, these tasty bites are a huge hit at any gathering. 

I am a big fan of food wrapped in bacon like bacon wrapped asparagus, bacon wrapped pineapple and bacon wrapped little smokies.  

 

What to make with water chestnuts?

This recipe is probably in my top 5 favorite appetizers. If you have a can of water chestnuts in your pantry I would consider giving these a try. Some people refer to this as Rumaki

The perfect balance of salty and sweet and of course the crunch, makes these irresistible. 

Why this recipe works

• Great bite-sized, easy to pick up appetizer perfect for parties. 
• Easy to make with few ingredients. 

Ingredients needed

Water Chestnuts – What is a water chestnut anyway? It’s not a nut and not a chestnut. It’s actually a vegetable that lives under the water. You can usually find them in a can in the international aisle of the grocery store. 

Bacon – I like to use center cut bacon because it typically has less fat. Feel free to use your favorite bacon, I would suggest not using the thick cut to ensure that it crisps up.

Brown sugar – Part of the delicious glaze. Adds a sweet compliment to the bacon.

Worcestershire sauce – Another ingredient for the sauce.

Ketchup – The base for the sauce. 

Toothpicks – Used to hold bacon in place.

How to make bacon wrapped water chestnuts

Scroll down for full, printable recipe, ingredients and video.

1. Wrap: Make sure to cut each bacon slice into three pieces. Wrap a piece of bacon around one water chestnut and put toothpick through the center to hold in place. 
2. Bake: Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
3. Sauce: Combine brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat until sugar dissolves. 
4. Bake Again: Spread sauce over water chestnuts and bake again for another 20 minutes or until bacon is cooked. 

Can you make in air fryer?

This recipe uses the oven as the cooking method but you could make bacon wrapped water chestnuts in the air fryer. Cook at 390 degrees F for 5 minutes then cover in sauce and cook another 3-4 minutes. 

Can you make Keto friendly bacon wrapped water chestnuts?

Yes! To make these Keto friendly, replace the sauce with sugar free BBQ sauce. 

Can you make ahead of time?

Yes! Wrap the water chestnuts with bacon and freeze on a baking sheet. Store in airtight container. When ready to eat, thaw, and then bake and sauce according to recipe. 

How to store bacon wrapped water chestnuts

• These will last up to 2 hours at room temperature if you have them out at a party. You could also keep them in a warm slow cooker to help keep them hot for a gathering.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
• These will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

More of our favorite appetizers

• Chipped beef dip – Creamy dip with dried beef. 
• Vegetable pinwheels – Beautiful pinwheels with colorful vegetables wrapped with a creamy spread and tortilla. 
• Sausage balls – One of our family favorites. 
• Hot sausage beer cheese dip – One of the most popular appetizers on the blog. 
• 50 Popular appetizers – A collection of 50 of the best appetizer recipes.

*** If you made this recipe, feel free to leave a comment and star rating below. 

Watch full how to make bacon wrapped water chestnuts video below.