Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders (Printable)

Juicy chicken tenders wrapped in smoky bacon and coated with caramelized brown sugar for a sweet and savory treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Coating

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

→ Bacon

08 - 8 slices bacon, cut in half

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and place wire rack on top.
02 - Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towels. Season both sides thoroughly with salt and black pepper.
03 - In shallow bowl, combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix until evenly blended.
04 - Wrap each chicken tender with half-slice of bacon, overlapping slightly to secure. Insert toothpick if needed to hold bacon in place.
05 - Roll each bacon-wrapped tender in brown sugar mixture, pressing gently to ensure coating adheres to all sides.
06 - Place coated tenders on wire rack with space between each piece to allow proper air circulation and even cooking.
07 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until bacon renders crispy and chicken reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Remove toothpicks carefully if used.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The way the bacon renders while the sugar creates this incredible candy-like crust
  • How something so simple feels like restaurant food but takes almost no effort
02 -
  • That wire rack is non-negotiable if you want crispy bacon instead of rubbery
  • Broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end for extra caramelization, but stand there the whole time because sugar goes from perfect to burned fast
03 -
  • Use thick-cut bacon for the best meat-to-crisp ratio
  • Let the bacon sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before wrapping—it becomes more pliable and easier to work with

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