Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts Party Appetizer with Spicy Mustard Dip
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These Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts are a tasty little party appetizer and inspired by the classic tiki appetizer, Rumaki (but without the chicken livers!). They’re served with a spicy mustard dip and the guests at your holiday gathering are going to love them!
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Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions; to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required, and to understand the steps and timings involved.
I love tiki culture and all things Polynesian, so just had to share this recipe for bacon-wrapped water chestnuts which are inspired by a tiki appetizer called Rumaki.
Rumaki is an hors d’oeuvre of tiki culture origin. It was popularly served at Trader Vic’s and other Polynesian restaurants in the 1950s and 1960s. Its ingredients and method of preparation vary, but usually, it consists of water chestnuts and pieces of chicken liver wrapped in bacon and marinated in soy sauce and either ginger or brown sugar, then fried or baked.
Wikipedia
However, I am not a fan of liver, so that has not been included in this appetizer recipe! In this version, honey provides a touch of sweetness (instead of brown sugar), while a spicy mustard dip adds some heat.
Whole (canned) water chestnuts are marinated in soy sauce and honey then wrapped up in bacon and secured with a cocktail stick.
The little sweet and salty morsels are then baked until the bacon is crispy and slightly charred,
Greek yogurt is mixed with Dijon, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper to create a spicy dipping sauce for the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts – a winning combination that will sure to become a favorite!
The holidays are all about making memories with our family and friends so spending countless hours in the kitchen isn’t a part of the plan. This party appetizer is quick and easy to make most of the allotted time is spent either marinating or cooking, so you can go off and do other things!
This post is part of Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) – a series of festive recipes, crafts, printables, and more on The Purple Pumpkin Blog!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
You may already have some of the basic ingredients for this recipe – the full list with measurements is found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
For your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon if available online.
- Bacon – use streaky bacon (UK) or center-cut bacon (US).
- Soy Sauce
- Honey
- Whole Water Chestnuts
- Greek Yogurt – forms the base of the dipping sauce.
- Dijon Mustard
- Hot Sauce
- Cayenne Pepper
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog! I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. You can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Bacon
One of the hero ingredients in this recipe is bacon, so here are some more recipes using the same:
More Party Appetizer Recipes
Looking for more party food inspo? Check these recipes out next:
- Cheese-Stuffed Taco Meatballs Party Appetizer
- Gluten-Free Baked Coconut Shrimp with Avocado-Lime Dip
- Brie and Cherry Appetizers with Phyllo Pastry Cups
How Do I Make Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts?
Just check out the recipe card below with full ingredients, and instructions. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, the pics don’t print to save your ink!).
Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 8 strips center-cut bacon streaky bacon
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 2 8 oz / 225g cans whole water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt
- 2½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley roughly chopped
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- You need 2 strips of bacon to wrap around each water chestnuts in a criss-cross fashion. That means 48 pieces total. Depending on size of your bacon you may need to cut the strips in half lengthwise, then cut each thin strip into equal size sections to get 48 pieces of bacon. Set aside.
- Mix soy sauce and honey in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the water chestnuts and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes, turning water chestnuts 2-3 times during that time.
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and place a metal rack inside a large, rimmed baking sheet. Spray rack with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Drain the water chestnuts, but reserve the marinade.
- Wrap each water chestnut with a piece of bacon, then repeat with a second strip on the opposite side. Secure both pieces of bacon with a toothpick and place them on the baking rack.
- Repeat with the remaining water chestnuts.
- Brush each appetizer with reserved marinade on all sides.
- Place bacon-wrapped water chestnuts in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and brush with more marinade before returning to cook for another 10-15 minutes.
- While the water chestnuts are roasting, combine the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and parsley in a small bowl. Season salt and black pepper, to taste. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- When finished, remove the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts from the oven and serve immediately with the spicy mustard sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Meal!
These bacon-wrapped water chestnuts are a great finger food for a party (especially as a Luau Party Food!), but could also be served up as a starter appetizer at a dinner party.
So what about the rest of the courses? Here are additional recipes to make a full meal!
- Main Dish: Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken
- Side Dish: Tropical Island Rice
- Side Salad: Pineapple Coleslaw with Bacon
- Beverage: Banana Colada
- Dessert: Mini Berry Pavlovas
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!
The Create the Holidays series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog features free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Christmas and the Winter Holidays. Check out Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.