For a really quick and easy keto dinner, try these bacon wrapped chicken thighs made in the air fryer. You only need 4 ingredients to make this low carb high protein chicken dinner and it’s so tasty the whole family will love it! Just 237 calories, 18.3 grams protein and 2.3 grams net carbs per serving.
You might also like these keto bacon wrapped chicken breasts!

The more I use the air fryer the more it’s becoming my favorite kitchen appliance. Take these keto bacon wrapped chicken thighs for instance. When you make them in the air fryer these stuffed chicken thighs the bacon get’s so nice and crispy and it takes only 25 minutes.
This is a really easy low carb high protein recipe because you only need 4 ingredients and you can prepare them in minutes. Then place them in the air fryer and let it do its magic!
I also like that these ingredients are pretty inexpensive and each serving has only 237 calories. These is great for those on a low carb or low calorie diet. And if you are on a restrictive diet like the carnivore diet you can eliminate the roasted pepper stuffing.
Recipe ingredients I used and substitutions.
The four simple ingredients I used were boneless chicken thighs, shredded Swiss/gruyere blend cheese, roasted red peppers and bacon. You could also season with salt and black pepper or add more seasonings if you wanted.
Chicken Thighs
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs most because I was stuffing them and this cut of meat makes it the easiest. The under side has the perfect pocket for stuffing. You could use thin sliced boneless chicken breasts as well but the cooking time may vary a bit. You don’t want to use bone in thighs nor have the skin on.
The Stuffing Ingredients
The filling is shredded Swiss/gruyere cheese blend and roasted red peppers. This is where you can use any kind of cheese you like but the more flavor the better. I like this Swiss gruyere that I get at Aldi as it’s very flavorful. But you can use mozzarella shredded cheese, asiago, parmesan, sharp cheddar cheese, etc.
Also I used roasted peppers and they add flavor and are so tender. Most larger grocery stores carry them. You could also try pepperoncini peppers, hot peppers, sun dried tomatoes or even artichoke hearts. I’m trying those next time.
You could also add some baby spinach leaves, for color and nutrition. And as I mentioned above if you are on a carnivore diet you can eliminate them altogether.
Bacon
And lastly there is the bacon strips. I would suggest using a medium slice of bacon. The bacon I used below was thin enough to stretch and lay nice and flat around the chicken thighs. Thick cut bacon would be hard to work with and might take longer to crisp and thin cut would wrap easily but might get too crispy before the thighs cook through.
Note I don’t use any spices other than salt and black pepper because I felt there is a lot of flavor in the bacon, peppers and cheese. However if you wanted to you could sprinkle some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika or even some cayenne powder for a bit of heat. you would only want a sprinkle of any of these spices so they don’t over power the dish.
How to make bacon wrapped chicken thighs in the air fryer.
Here is how to make bacon wrapped chicken thighs in the air fryer. As I mentioned above you can make this low carb high protein dinner in less than 30 minutes with just 4 simple ingredients.
Step 1: Spray the air fryer basket with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
Step 2: Lay out the boneless, skinless chicken thighs with the smooth side down. If you want you can pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel first. Open them out up so they lay flat and then season chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
Step 3: Add a little of the shredded cheese in the middle and a few slices of the roasted peppers on top of that. Fold the sides over top each other to create a little bundle.
Step 4: Next wrap it with a strip of bacon. Start at one side and wrap the bacon, partially overlapping as you go and cover the thigh as best you. Place the bundle seam side down in the prepared air fryer basket in a single layer. Continue with the rest of the thighs.
Step 5: Place the basket back in the air fryer and cook at 370°F for 20 minutes and then gently flip over and cook for 5 more minutes to get the bacon nice and crispy on that side too.
When the internal temperature is 165°F and the bacon is to your liking it’s done. I like to use an instant read thermometer for this. Let rest for a few minutes before eating.
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
Below you can see what they look like coming out of the air fryer. They are pretty simple but the bacon and cheese are just so salty and gooey and go well with the sweet peppers and juicy chicken.
What to serve with this dish.
I have many, many low carb side dish recipes but I personally would serve with these stuffed chicken thighs to make it a complete meal. Many times I make this keto cheesy cauliflower broccoli rice or this festive Mediterranean cauliflower rice.
Both side dishes take little time to make and you can cook them in the stove while the main dish cooks in the air fryer. You can always add a nice green salad too!
Frequently Asked Questions
You could also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but make sure they are very thin. You might want to pound them out if you are using chicken breasts.
Yes I used the Swiss/gruyere combination that I buy at Aldi but you can use plain Swiss cheese or Mozzarella or really any kind you want. I would recommend using something that has a lot of flavor and/or that melts easily.
No you can skip them altogether if you don’t like them, don’t have them or are on a carnivore or any type of diet that doesn’t include them. You can also substitute with other jarred peppers like banana pepper rings, pepperoncinis etc. You can also try some baby spinach leaves, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, etc.
You want to make sure the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crispy. The internal temperature of the thighs should be 165°F and you use a meat thermometer to measure this.
Also you want the bacon to be crispy on both sides. That’s why you flip them 5 minutes before the time is over. I find a medium cut bacon works best because it’s easy to wrap and won’t burn like thinner sliced bacon might.
I can’t wait to make these low carb bacon wrapped chicken thighs again and experiment a little. They are so easy and versatile and my family loved them.
I have quite a few keto air fryer recipes so go
check them out when you get a chance.
The nutritional information for 1 serving is 237 cals
10.7g fat / 2.4g carbs / 0.1g fiber / 18.3g protein = 2.3g net cabs
You might also like my friend Sara’s skillet sun dried tomato chicken thighs recipe.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs (air fryer)
If you need a really easy but tasty keto dinner in a hurry, try these keto bacon wrapped chicken thighs made in the air fryer. You only need 4 ingredients to make this low carb high protein chicken dinner and it's so yummy everyone will love it! Just 2.3g net carbs per serving.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ⅔ cup shredded gruyere Swiss cheese
- 4 ounces roasted red peppers, sliced thinly
- 6 slices of bacon, medium thickness
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and set aside.
- Lay the chicken thighs on a plate with the underside face up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese on each chicken thigh. Then top with the roasted red pepper slices.
- Close the the chicken thigh up wrap with a piece of bacon. The bacon will stretch a bit so you can make sure you cover the whole piece of chicken.
- Place in the air fryer basket seam side down.
- Cook at 370°F for 25 minutes total. Flip the bundles over at the 15 minutes mark to get the bacon crispy. Note cooking time may vary.
- The chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F. Take out and let rest a few minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
- You need to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but make sure they are very thin. you might want to pound them out if you are using chicken breasts.
- You can use any type of shredded cheese you wish but go for a more flavorful type if you can. I really like the Swiss gruyere I used and got from Aldi.
- I used roasted sweet bell peppers but you can use another kind of jar pepper you want like pepperochinis, hot peppers, etc. You could also use a little spinach or artichoke hearts.
- Try to use a medium to thin slice of bacon so that it wraps the chicken thighs nicely and stays in place. The thicker slice might not stay put when you bend it to wrap around the chicken.
- I don't use any spices other than salt and black pepper because I felt there is a lot of flavor in the bacon, peppers and cheese. However if you wanted to you could sprinkle some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika or even some cayenne powder for a bit of heat. Just use a sprinkle of any of these spices so they don't over power the dish.
The nutritional information for 1 serving is 237 cals
10.7g fat / 2.4g carbs / 0.1g fiber / 18.3g protein = 2.3g net cabs
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 237
Laura H says
Delicious! Everyone enjoyed this dinner. Five Stars!
Denise says
Hi Laura, so glad they liked it!
Reida Cingel says
Seriously if you guys have never tried this you absolutely have to, this has become my family’s favorite dish in the world it’s so easy, fantastic tasting and you just can’t believe it we love it.
Denise says
Hi Reina, I’m so glad you family likes it! Thanks for commenting!