Hunters Chicken is a British pub classic and a surprisingly easy dish to make at home. The recipe involves wrapping chicken breasts in bacon and smothering them in barbecue sauce and melted cheese. While you can use shop-bought barbecue sauce, making your own allows you to modify it to your taste. This paragraph will discuss how to make barbecue sauce for Hunters Chicken.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Prep Time | 5 minutes |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Total Time | 35 minutes |
Chicken | 4x Chicken Breasts |
Bacon | 8x Slices of Streaky Bacon |
Cheese | 100g Grated Cheddar Cheese |
50g Grated Mozzarella Cheese | |
BBQ Sauce | 5 tbsp Tomato Ketchup |
2 tsp Mustard Powder | |
2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar | |
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar | |
Shop-bought BBQ sauce can be used as an alternative | |
Oil | Vegetable Oil |
Oven Temperature | 200C |
What You'll Learn
Wrap chicken breasts in bacon
Hunters Chicken is a British pub classic and a surprisingly easy meal to make at home. It involves wrapping chicken breasts in bacon and smothering them in barbecue sauce and cheese.
Wrapping the Chicken Breasts in Bacon:
First, preheat your oven to a temperature of around 200°C. You can also use an air fryer; set it to 200°C as well. Oil a baking tray or line it with foil and place a wire rack on top.
Take 4 chicken breasts and season them with a dry rub of your choice. You can use a mixture of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Alternatively, brush both sides of the chicken lightly with olive oil, and season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Now, take 8 slices of streaky bacon and wrap each chicken breast with 2 slices of bacon. Make sure to wrap the bacon around the chicken breast with minimal to no overlapping. You can secure the bacon with toothpicks if needed. Place the wrapped chicken breasts on the prepared baking tray or wire rack.
Cooking the Chicken:
Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes. If you're using an air fryer, cook for 20-30 minutes at 200°C. Halfway through the cooking process, flip the chicken breasts to ensure even cooking and crisping of the bacon.
The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). To check if the chicken is cooked, slice it open; it should be white all the way through. Alternatively, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.
If you prefer crispier bacon, you can broil the chicken for an additional 1-3 minutes after cooking.
Serving Suggestions:
Hunters Chicken is delicious served with a side of homemade chips, mashed potatoes, or roasted vegetables. It also goes well with steamed veggies like peas or broccoli, or sides like coleslaw, salad, corn on the cob, or mashed potatoes.
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Make a homemade BBQ sauce
Making your own BBQ sauce is easy and allows you to modify the recipe to your liking. Here is a simple recipe for a homemade BBQ sauce that you can use for your Hunter's Chicken.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
Optional:
- Honey
- Smoked paprika
- Chilli powder
Method:
- Add all the ingredients to a medium saucepan on medium-low heat.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Taste the sauce and, if you prefer it spicier, add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne powder.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool before using.
This sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. It can be used as a dipping sauce, made into a creamy spread for sandwiches or burgers, or added to cold pasta or potato salad.
When using this BBQ sauce for your Hunter's Chicken, brush the chicken with the sauce about 10 minutes before it is ready. This will allow the sauce to caramelise without burning.
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Cook the chicken
Hunters Chicken is a British pub classic and a surprisingly easy dish to make at home. It involves wrapping chicken breasts in bacon, smothering them in barbecue sauce, and topping them with melted cheese.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
Place the chicken breasts on a baking tray and wrap each breast with two slices of bacon. You can use streaky bacon or, for a more premium option, try pancetta or Parma ham. Wrapping the chicken in bacon keeps the meat tender and infuses it with flavour.
Place the wrapped chicken breasts in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes. You may want to flip the chicken over halfway through the cooking time to crisp up the bacon. The chicken is cooked when it is no longer pink in the middle. A meat thermometer can be used to check the internal temperature, which should be 74°C for chicken.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and drain any excess liquid.
Optional) Make the BBQ Sauce
While the chicken is cooking, you can make your own barbecue sauce by mixing tomato ketchup, mustard powder, dark brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar) in a small pan. Cook the sauce over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until thickened.
Alternatively, you can save time and use a shop-bought barbecue sauce.
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Add BBQ sauce to the chicken
Now it's time to add the BBQ sauce to your Hunter's Chicken. This is a crucial step in the recipe, as the sauce adds a ton of flavour and moisture to the dish. You can use a store-bought barbecue sauce or make your own at home. If you're short on time, a ready-made sauce is a great option, but if you want to elevate your Hunter's Chicken, a homemade sauce is the way to go.
To make your own BBQ sauce, you'll need a combination of ingredients like ketchup, vinegar, sugar, and spices. The basic ingredients for a simple BBQ sauce are:
- Ketchup
- Vinegar (apple cider vinegar or white vinegar)
- Brown sugar
- Olive oil
- Spices (paprika, chilli powder, garlic powder, cayenne powder)
Simply combine these ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until thickened. Feel free to adjust the measurements and add more or less of each ingredient to suit your taste preferences. You can also experiment with additional ingredients like honey, mustard powder, or smoked paprika to give your sauce a unique twist.
Once your sauce is ready, it's time to add it to your chicken. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and generously brush each breast with the barbecue sauce, making sure to cover the entire surface. You want to add the sauce when the chicken is almost done but not quite ready to come off the grill. This ensures that the sauce has enough heat and time to caramelize without burning.
After saucing your chicken, it's time to add the cheese. Sprinkle your chosen cheese over the saucy chicken breasts—a blend of mozzarella and cheddar is a popular choice for that perfect melt. Once the cheese is on, pop the dish back into the oven for a few more minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
And that's it! You've added BBQ sauce to your Hunter's Chicken. This classic British pub dish is now ready to be served and enjoyed. Don't forget to serve it with your favourite sides, like crispy chips, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.
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Add cheese to the chicken
Hunters Chicken is a British pub classic that you can easily make at home. It is made with chicken breasts wrapped in bacon, smothered in barbecue sauce, and topped with melted cheese.
The type of cheese you use for your Hunters Chicken is important. You want a cheese that will melt well and complement the barbecue sauce. Here are some options:
- Cheddar – This is a good option for flavour. Go for mature cheddar or strong cheddar for a more pronounced taste.
- Mozzarella – This cheese gives a nice stretch and a lovely bubbling effect when melted.
- Mixture of Cheddar and Mozzarella – You can combine both cheeses to get the best of both worlds.
- Other Cheeses – If you want to experiment, you can try crumbled Lancashire, Cheshire, Wensleydale, Gouda, Gruyere, or even Stilton.
When adding the cheese to your Hunters Chicken, follow these steps:
- After your chicken has been wrapped in bacon and cooked in the oven for 20-25 minutes, remove it from the oven.
- Pour your barbecue sauce over the chicken, making sure to cover it evenly.
- Sprinkle your chosen cheese generously over the sauced chicken.
- Return the chicken to the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted to your desired consistency.
Grilled Option:
Alternatively, you can put the cooked chicken with barbecue sauce and cheese into an ovenproof dish and pop it under the grill for a few minutes until the cheese is melted to your liking.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need vinegar, olive oil, ketchup, brown sugar, paprika, chilli powder, garlic powder, and cayenne powder.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
Brush the sauce onto the chicken about 10 minutes before it is ready. This will allow the sauce to caramelise without burning.
The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week.