Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders (Printable)

Crispy bacon-wrapped chicken with a sweet brown sugar glaze, ready in 45 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 lb chicken tenders
02 - 1/2 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Coating

04 - 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
05 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
06 - 1/4 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

→ Bacon

08 - 8 slices bacon, halved

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towels. Season both sides thoroughly with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a shallow bowl, combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix until evenly blended.
04 - Wrap each chicken tender with a half-slice of bacon, overlapping slightly to secure. Use toothpicks if needed.
05 - Roll each bacon-wrapped tender in the sugar mixture, pressing gently to coat all sides evenly.
06 - Place tenders on the wire rack with space between each piece for proper air circulation.
07 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until bacon is crispy and chicken reaches 165°F internally.
08 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Remove any toothpicks used during preparation.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The bacon keeps the chicken insanely juicy while creating that candy-like exterior
  • Ready in under an hour but tastes like something from a restaurant
02 -
  • The sugar can burn quickly under the broiler, so watch like a hawk if you add that step
  • Using a wire rack prevents the bacon from steaming and ending up rubbery
03 -
  • Room temperature chicken tenders cook more evenly, so let them sit out for 15 minutes before starting
  • If the sugar coating seems too thick, gently shake off the excess before baking

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