Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts Appetizer
Glazed with brown sugar, soy sauce and ketchup, these easy 5 ingredient bacon wrapped water chestnuts will be the first appetizer to disappear at your next game day or holiday celebration.

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Glazed with brown sugar, soy sauce and ketchup, these easy 5 ingredient bacon wrapped water chestnuts will be the first appetizer to disappear at your next game day or holiday celebration. You’ll love these bacon wrapped water chestnuts appetizers because they’re easy to prepare and delicious.

Why you’ll love this Water Chestnuts Wrapped in Bacon Recipe
These Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts are super easy to make, and are just amazing. They have an added crunch and savoriness to them, they just taste like a fancy and exotic appetizer. With only 5, mostly pantry ingredients, this is an appetizer you can whip up either the day of a party or a day in advance that everyone will love. T
These water chestnuts wrapped in bacon appetizers are perfect for parties or holiday gatherings. They’re also great as an appetizer on their own. Make sure to try out this recipe for bacon wrapped water chestnuts. It’s so good!

What are Water Chestnuts?
Water chestnuts are not actually a nut, despite the name, but an aquatic vegetable. They grow in Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and many other Pacific Islands. You’ve probably had them before and not even known it! Water chestnuts are often sliced up and put in many Asian dishes. Water chestnuts help you to add an extra delicious touch to your favorite foods. They have a unique crisp texture that gives way when you bite down.
Fun fact: water chestnuts are very high in antioxidants and full of nutrients such as fiber, copper, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. They are also low in calories so you can afford to go a little wild and pair it something decadent like bacon!

Where can I buy Water Chestnuts?
Water chestnuts can be found in either the frozen food, or the canned food section of your local grocery store. Some grocery stores have them in the Asian or International section. Make sure you get the whole water chestnuts for this recipe.

Ingredients for this easy appetizer recipe
- Ketchup
- Brown sugar
- Soy sauce
- Whole water chestnuts, canned
- Smoky bacon
- toothpicks *

How to make Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
This easy recipe comes together quickly in 4 easy steps:
Step 1
Combine ketchup, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a mixing bowl. Make sure everything is combined well.

Step 2
Wrap each water chestnut with a bacon strip (which was cut bacon into thirds) and secure with a toothpick and drop into the mixing bowl with the sauce mix.

Once finished wrapping the bacon and water chestnuts, GENTLY fold the sauce over them in the mixing bowl. Make sure to evenly coat each piece with the sauce.

Step 3
Using tongs, gently remove the wrapped water chestnuts from the mixing bowl and place them onto a broiler pan over a foil lined baking sheet. (I find that the clean up is much easier when using a foil lined sheet). If you don’t have a broiler pan, you can try just using a baking sheet – just make sure you remove the cooked water chestnuts quickly, so they don’t sit in the fat for too long.
Using a spatula remove any of the remaining sauce from the mixing bowl and drizzle over the wrapped water chestnuts.

Step 4
Place the prepared water chestnuts into the oven to cook for about 35 minutes or long enough to crisp the bacon to your liking.
Using tongs, remove the appetizers to a serving plate.
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Other appetizer recipes to try
- Easy Vegetarian Pinwheels Appetizer Recipe
- Game Day Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Bites {Video}
- Roasted Cranberry and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
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Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts Appetizer Recipe
Equipment You’ll Need
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 7oz/227ml cans whole water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
- 1 lb smoky bacon (cut into thirds)
- toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Combine ketchup, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a mixing bowl. Make sure everything is combined well.
- Wrap each water chestnut with a bacon strip (which was cut bacon into thirds) and secure with a toothpick and drop into the mixing bowl with the sauce mix.
- Once finished wrapping the bacon and water chestnuts, GENTLY fold the sauce over them in the mixing bowl. Make sure to evenly coat each piece with the sauce.
- Using tongs, gently remove the wrapped water chestnuts from the mixing bowl and place them onto a broiler pan over a foil lined baking sheet. (I find that the clean up is much easier when using a foil lined sheet). If you don’t have a broiler pan, you can try just using a baking sheet – just make sure you remove the cooked water chestnuts quickly, so they don’t sit in the fat for too long.
- Using a spatula remove any of the remaining sauce from the mixing bowl and drizzle over the wrapped water chestnuts.
- Place the prepared water chestnuts into the oven to cook for about 35 minutes or long enough to crisp the bacon to your liking.
- Using tongs, remove the appetizers to a serving plate.
Video
Notes
- Serve: These will last for up to 2 hours at room temperature. Keep warm in a slow cooker for up to 4 hours.
- Store: Bacon Wrapped Chestnuts will last covered, in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze: Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet and remove toothpicks before transferring to a container. Keep for up to 3 months.