Description
Bacon brown sugar chicken tenders create an epic flavor explosion that’ll make your taste buds dance with pure joy. Crispy, caramelized goodness wraps around tender chicken, delivering a mouthwatering combo that’ll have your family begging for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 2 lbs chicken tenders
- 1 lb bacon
Seasonings:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
Liquids and Fats:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
Instructions
- Pat your 2 lbs of chicken tenders completely dry using paper towels to help bacon crisp perfectly.
- Combine ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp salt in a shallow mixing bowl.
- Brush each tender with ¼ cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, ensuring complete coverage.
- Roll each oiled tender thoroughly in the brown sugar seasoning mixture, coating all surfaces evenly.
- Take a slice of bacon and wrap each seasoned tender, slightly overlapping bacon edges for secure coverage.
- Position a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and arrange your bacon-wrapped tenders on the rack.
- Heat your oven precisely to 400°F for optimal cooking.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning.
- Verify chicken internal temperature reaches 165°F and bacon looks crispy and golden.
- Remove from oven and let tenders rest 5 minutes to redistribute internal juices.
- Transfer tenders to a clean serving platter, blotting excess grease with paper towels if needed.
Notes
- Pat chicken thoroughly with paper towels to remove excess moisture, which helps achieve that perfect crispy bacon exterior.
- Select thick-cut bacon for better coverage and ensure each tender gets completely wrapped without leaving gaps.
- Experiment with different mustard types like whole grain or spicy brown to add subtle flavor complexity to the coating.
- Use a meat thermometer to check internal chicken temperature precisely, avoiding both undercooking and drying out the meat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 481 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 615 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg