Our New Go-To Dinner: BBQ Cheddar Hasselback Chicken

Hasselback potatoes have been a hit at my dinner table for the past few years, so I figured it was time to try the hasselback method with something besides a potato!

I started with some basic boneless, skinless chicken breasts and then decided on bacon and cheddar as my flavor enhancers. Can we all agree that bacon makes everything better? Especially if barbecue seasoning and cheese are involved too!

This chicken might seem a little fussy because of the cuts you have to make in each chicken breast, but it’s truly simple and only takes an extra couple of minutes of work. Let’s get started!

You only need four ingredients for this recipe: chicken breasts, barbecue seasoning, slices of cheddar cheese, and cooked bacon.

Grab a sharp knife and cut slits in the chicken to form little pockets for your cheese and bacon. Be careful not to slice all the way through the chicken. I cut the slits about one-half inch apart.

Sprinkle your barbecue seasoning all over the chicken, being sure to get it down into each of the cuts for maximum flavor. I used a store-bought barbecue dry rub for this, but a homemade blend of your favorite spices would work just as well!

Next, start stuffing slices of cheddar and pieces of crisp bacon in each of the slits in the chicken. I alternated between the two and ended up with about 3 pieces of cheese and 2 pieces of bacon per chicken breast, but that will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts. You could even add cheddar and bacon to each slit if you like things extra cheesy and full of bacon!

Bake uncovered at 425°F for about 15 minutes or the chicken is no longer pink—165° F is a safe internal temperature for chicken. What comes out of your oven will be juicy and packed with barbecue flavor! The cheese oozes around and the bacon adds the perfect bit of salty crunch. I could eat this chicken every night of the week!