Bacon-Wrapped Goat Cheese Chicken Roulade
An impressive entree that's SO easy to make.
A lot of us turn to chicken breasts as a basic protein option that works well when you’re in a time-crunch, but it doesn’t have to be that way. This recipe uses chicken breasts, but in a way that feels anything but ordinary. Our Bacon-Wrapped Goat Cheese Chicken Roulade uses only a handful of ingredients and takes just under thirty minutes to make, but tastes like a special occasion meal. It just happens to be one that requires very little effort from you!
This is one of those dishes that looks a little fancy, a little complicated but in actuality is anything but. You only need six ingredients here and all you’re really doing is compiling them in a way where they complement each other beautifully.
You start with boneless skinless chicken breasts that you pound out into an even thickness and you’re going to fill them with two things. The first is goat cheese that’s been adorned with a little thyme, salt, and pepper, and the second is a handful of baby arugula. But you’re not cutting and stuffing the chicken – all you’re doing is placing those ingredients on half of the breast…
… and then rolling it up before wrapping it in bacon and securing it with a toothpick. You don’t need to get a fancy spiral going, you just want to enclose that filling in the center of the chicken so you get a warm bite of herbed goat cheese with every forkful.
There’s no searing or stovetop work to do here, the oven does all the work for you. And as it bakes, the bacon lends the chicken some of its smoky-saltiness while the goat cheese gets warm and creamy and mingles with the peppery arugula. A drizzle of balsamic glaze balances out all that savoriness with a hint of tart sweetness. It’s a truly delicious dish, but it’s so simple to make!
Bacon-Wrapped Goat Cheese Chicken Roulade
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup goat cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups arugula leaves
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 strips thick-cut bacon
- Balsamic glaze, as needed (See notes)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Pound chicken breasts so they're even in thickness and set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together goat cheese, thyme, and a bit of salt and pepper.
- Place 1/4 cup of goat cheese mixture on each chicken breast, keeping it on one half of the breast. Top with 1/2 cup arugula leaves.
- Roll up chicken breast and wrap the outside with a strip of bacon. Secure with toothpick.
- Brush outside of chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake until chicken has cooked through and bacon has crisped, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve. Enjoy!
- Note: If you can't find balsamic glaze, you can make your own by combining 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons brown sugar in a saucepan and simmering over medium-low heat until reduced by half. It should take about 10 minutes.