Hunters Chicken

close up overhead shot of hunters chicken in skillet garnished with chives

Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Here I'll show you the easiest and most delicious to make the British pub classic Hunters Chicken!

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: British

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

Large Cast Iron Skillet or Baking Dish
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Cheese Grater
Small Pot (for seasoning mix)

Ingredients

Hunters Chicken

4 boneless/skinless Chicken Breasts (around 7oz/200g each)
12 slices of Streaky Bacon
1 cup / 240ml good quality BBQ Sauce (see notes)
1 cup / 100g grated Cheese, or as needed to cover chicken (see notes)
finely diced Fresh Chives, to garnish (optional)

Chicken Seasoning (see notes)

1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper (can omit cayenne or alter to spice preference)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
In a small pot combine chicken seasoning. Evenly sprinkle over each side of the chicken breasts (don't rub it in or it'll clump up).
Wrap each breast in 3 slices of bacon, then place into a large cast iron skillet or baking dish. I usually make sure the ends of the bacon are underneath the chicken, just so it doesn't unravel in the oven.
Bake for 25mins until the chicken is piping hot and white through the centre. Remove from the oven and switch the oven to grill.
Generously spoon BBQ sauce over each breast, then generously top with cheese. Place back under the grill until the cheese melts.
Serve up and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) BBQ Sauce - Try and grab a good quality sauce, just because it makes up a large part of the dish. Here I've used sweet baby ray's, which you can find in most stores.

b) Cheese - Classic option is cheddar, and that's what I usually go for, but in reality most melty cheeses will work. Mozzarella and Monterey Jack are great options.

c) Seasoning - It's not a deal breaker if you don't have smoked paprika, garlic powder and cayenne, but definitely season with salt and pepper.

d) Prep Ahead - I don't recommend making the whole thing and reheating, but you can season and wrap the chicken, then tightly store in the fridge. Preferably bring close to room temp before baking, just to take the chill out the centre.

e) Serving - I usually serve in 3 different scenarios:

f) Calories - Just for the chicken, no sides.

Nutrition