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These oven baked bacon wrapped chicken tenders are always a hit as appetizers or main dish. The bacon keeps the meat juicy and provides added flavor.
My husband just told me that he invited a bunch of friends to come over to watch the Super Bowl next weekend. I’m sure they will probably bring some food, but I want to prepare a few appetizers.
I picked up some chicken tenders to come up with a new appetizer recipe. Originally, I planned to make Buffalo chicken tenders using my shake and bake chicken recipe for the coating. I even debated on the spicy dry rub chicken wings.
I’ve already come up with many low carb appetizer recipes over the years. However, I eventually was settled on wanting to test out a new recipe that I can make for the big game this year
After thinking about how messy Buffalo chicken is, I chose to make these oven baked bacon wrapped chicken tenders instead. And, I’m so glad I went with this recipe. They are so yummy!
It’s super easy to make this appetizer. I used the shake and bake method to easily coat each chicken piece with the spice blend.
You simply dump all the herbs and spices into a large zipper bag. Then, you add each piece of chicken and shake the bag to evenly coat it.
Once coated with the seasonings, you just have to wrap a slice of bacon around each tender. I’m thinking at this point, you could put them in the refrigerator and bake next day.
To ensure the bacon grease dripped off and the bacon gets crisp, I cooked the bacon wrapped chicken tenders on cooling racks. It’s the method I use when baking bacon.
Sometimes, oven baked chicken tenders can be dry. However, you won’t every have to worry about that when you wrap them in bacon!
My family members who tested these oven baked bacon wrapped chicken tenders thought they were a bit spicy. I’ll probably tone down the cayenne pepper next time to please others.
I have trouble determining if something is too spicy because I like my food on the really hot side spice wise. So, if they said it had too much of a kick, likely most others will think so too.
In the recipe, I list the amount of cayenne I used, but note that it should be reduced for those who don’t want it too spicy. I’d say using half the amount should please most.
Since I’m a fan of really spicy food, I served my bacon wrapped chicken tenders with some Sarayo sauce. I had an extra bottle sitting around from a past Keto Krate shipment.
The tenders taste great by themselves, but I like to add in that extra kick. You could serve them plain or with your favorite dipping sauce.
Ranch or blue cheese dressing would also be great for dipping. When I serve these as appetizers for the Super Bowl, I’m going to cut each tender into 3 or 4 bite size pieces.
We served these up as a main dish for dinner and lunch. Two pieces turned out to be the perfect size serving.
I love that these oven baked bacon wrapped chicken tenders are so easy to make. My daughter who is clueless when it comes to cooking even commented about the ease of the recipe.
Another simple appetizer I like to make are salt & vinegar chicken wings. Although I usually cook those in an air fryer, they can be baked in the oven too.
Oven Baked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders Recipe
The inspiration for this chicken tender recipe came from a similar recipe I found here. However, I made the recipe with my own spice blend and used a better method for crisping the bacon.
If you like chicken and bacon, you must try this simple and delicious recipe. It’s sure to become one of your favorite low carb recipes!
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Oven Baked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders
Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper reduce for less spice
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 pounds chicken tenders about 16 tenders
- 16 slices no sugar bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two rimmed baking pans with aluminum foil and top with metal rack. (I used two jellyroll pans and topped each with a cooling rack the same size)
- In large plastic zipper bag, dump in all the herbs and spices. Close bag and shake to blend.
- Place each chicken tender in the zipper bag, close, and shake bag to coat the chicken in the spice blend. Once coated wrap in bacon being sure to tuck in the ends and then place on rack in prepared pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes at 425°F. Bacon should be crispy. If bacon isn’t crispy, you can place each pan under the broiler for a minute or two.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
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Kara
I could not cook mine in the oven because it filled with smoke! I guess because of the bacon? How do you prevent that from happening?!
Lisa MarcAurele
You can loosely cover them with foil or try putting a pan under to catch any grease.
Kathy
What kind of dipping sauce did you use for the bacon wrapped chicken
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s the Sarayo sauce, but you can make your own homemade version.
Sara Yacks
This is so amazing that I use the spice part of the recipe as my jambalaya seasoning instead of what I used to do AND any time I want something spicy! (I only use a quarter of the Cayenne, however, because I like flavorful spice, not melt your face off heat, haha)
Fry
Full of flavor. A favorite in my house.
Vicki
Low carb, no sugar, great tasting, great for keto!
Kelly Tovornik
I made mine in the morning to bake that night. So easy to do. I’m not a bacon fan, so I made some with bacon for the husband and some without for me. They were so good! Definitely a do again!! Great spices mixed together.
Natalie Moll
Just made them for lunch. I used skinless boneless chicken thighs instead. Delicious! Thank you Lisa.😊
Nancy K
Sounds great! Want to try it in the air fryer!
Evin
What exactly is a chicken tender?
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s the tenderloin piece attached to the breast meat.
Tricia
These are so good
Jackie Greenough
Why sugar free bacon?????
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s not really keto if there’s sugar used for the cure. I like using the bacon without sugar added.
Terri
I’m excited to give this recipe a try! ?
Bernice
I make a recipe similar to this but I cut a small slit in the tenders and fill with a little cream cheese and chives. They are also super tasty cooked on the grill.
Lisa MarcAurele
Sounds like a nice addition!
NaNa
What is the sauce recipe?
Lisa MarcAurele
It’s Sarayo sauce. I just happened to have a bottle of it. You’ll find it at https://amzn.to/2VP7eYI
Dee
Made these for lunch today and they were great. I used turkey bacon. My husband loved them. Served them with green beans and mashed cauliflower. Fixed my husband a baked potato since he’s not low carb. Delicious meal.
Rob
These are great in the smoker also.
Snooze
Made these tonight. SUPER yummy! Might want loosely cover them with tin foil though. I have splattered bacon grease all over my oven now. 🙁
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for that tip! I bake bacon all the time in my oven and I do have to clean it regularly, but it’s a self-cleaning oven so it’s not too bad.
Marcy Sandberg
I used half the amount of Cayenne w 2.5 lbs of chicken. Next time I’ll use even less Cayenne and likely Italian seasoning rather than thyme. Was really easy and my guys loved! Using a Pampered Chef cooking stone helped to crisp the bacon but flipping it part way through sounds like a great idea for next time. There will certainly be a next time, likely double the recipe it’s so easy and good.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for sharing your experience making these bacon wrapped chicken tenders. It’s a favorite for us on game days.
Mary Murray
I wonder if this would work if you made them ahead and froze them uncooked?
Lisa
I don’t see why not. You’d just need to cook fully and more cooking time would be needed if frozen.
Stephanie R
Will this work with frozen tenderloins?
Lisa
It should, but you’ll need to bake longer.