Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken wrapped in crispy bacon with a sweet brown sugar coating. Perfect for dinners or appetizers.

# 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 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 a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a shallow bowl, combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
04 - Wrap each chicken tender with a half-slice of bacon, overlapping slightly. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.
05 - Roll each bacon-wrapped chicken tender in the brown sugar mixture, pressing gently to coat all sides.
06 - Arrange tenders on the wire rack, spacing them out to allow air circulation.
07 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until bacon is crispy and chicken reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Remove toothpicks if used.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The brown sugar creates this incredible sticky glaze that makes every bite feel like a restaurant appetizer
  • Everything cooks on one pan and the wire rack lets all that excess bacon fat drip away
02 -
  • The sugar can go from perfect to burned quickly so watch closely during the last few minutes of baking
  • Using a wire rack makes all the difference for crispy bacon and prevents soggy bottoms
03 -
  • Let your bacon sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before wrapping and it will drape more easily over the chicken
  • Press the sugar mixture firmly onto the bacon to help it stay put during cooking

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