10 tailgate foods (and recipes) 49ers fans should try and will love

49ers tailgate food you’ll love: Barbecue bacon chicken

Like Italian sausages, barbecued chicken is a tailgating classic. And you’ll find no shortage of recipes out there for barbecuing chicken, many of them involving barbecue sauce and bacon.

Yes, bacon.

This might take a small bit of prep work, but it’s worth it. Grab a couple of slices of thick-cut bacon and cut them into small strips about an inch long and half an inch wide, then put them in a resealable bag inside a cooler to bring with you to a Niners game. You could buy premade bacon bits, but those tend to be too dry and crunchy.

You might also want to brine some chicken breasts, too.

As far as tasty chicken is concerned, this one is a snap… especially if San Francisco is playing one of those “bird” teams, and you want to make a meal out of it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (boneless thighs are OK)
• 2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into inch-long pieces
• 6 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Here’s what you’ll do:

• Place bacon strips in a cold frying pan, then place over medium heat, cooking for about five minutes until mostly crispy
  • Drain bacon on a paper towel
• Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, brush liberally with barbecue sauce
• Place on an oiled griddle or in a skillet on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through (make sure chicken reaches 165 degrees before serving)
• When you first flip the chicken (about five minutes), apply another layer of barbecue sauce, then a layer of cheese with bacon strips sprinkled on top
• Remove and serve