Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Tenders (Printable)
Smoky bacon and sweet brown sugar coat juicy chicken tenders
# 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 (optional)
→ 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 place a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
03 - In a shallow bowl, combine light brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper if using.
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 brown sugar mixture, pressing firmly to coat all sides evenly.
06 - Place tenders on the prepared wire rack, spacing apart to ensure proper air circulation for even cooking.
07 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through. Bacon should be crispy and chicken cooked through to 165°F.
08 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Remove any toothpicks carefully.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The bacon creates its own sticky sweet glaze while cooking so you get that candy-like coating without any extra work
- These come together in under 15 minutes of prep time but taste like you spent way more effort on them
02 -
- Turn on your oven light during the last 5 minutes because the sugar can go from perfect caramelized to burned in literally 60 seconds
- Using a wire rack is non-negotiable here unless you want chicken swimming in bacon grease with soggy bottoms
03 -
- If you want extra caramelization, pop them under the broiler for one to two minutes at the end but stand right there watching
- Line the baking sheet underneath the wire rack with foil for easier cleanup because that sugar gets hard as glass