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A plate of crispy bacon-wrapped chicken tenders brushed with BBQ sauce

Air-Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders

Low effort and BIG FLAVOR are the name of the game with this easy air fryer chicken! It's made with a savory seasoning blend, smoky, crispy bacon & sticky-sweet sauce you'll LOVE!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 210kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenders (about 8 tenders)
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 8 slices Bacon or 1 slice of bacon per chicken tender. Do NOT use thick-cut bacon
  • 3-4 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce

Instructions

  • MAKE THE SPICE BLEND. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Whisk to combine.
  • PREP & SEASON THE CHICKEN. Pat the chicken tenders dry, then sprinkle half the seasoning on the first side of the chicken. Flip chicken and season with the second half of the seasoning mix.
  • ASSEMBLE. Wrap each chicken tender in a slice of bacon. I recommend starting with the larger end and working your way to the narrower end of the tender. Secure the end of the bacon with a toothpick, if desired, to keep it wrapped around the tender during cooking.
  • BRUSH & AIR FRY. Line your air fryer basket with a parchement liner if desired, then place chicken tenders in a single layer (you may need to cook them in batches so you don’t overlap them.) Brush the top side of the tenders with BBQ sauce. Air fry 8-10 min, or until crisp and bubbly on top. The flip the tenders and brush the other side with BBQ sauce. Cook another 8-10 min or until the bacon is crisp and bubbly.
  • SERVE & STORE. Garnish with a little extra black pepper or some dried parsley, if desired, and enjoy warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.

Notes

  • USE THE RIGHT BACON. It’s VERY important that you use regular or thinly sliced bacon and NOT thick-cut bacon. Thick-cut bacon will not get crispy.
  • PREP AHEAD. Speed up your dinner prep by assembling the spice mix in advance. You can also season and wrap the chicken in bacon, then cover & store in the fridge until you’re ready to cook later. Then all you have to do is brush with BBQ sauce & cook!
  • DON’T HAVE AN AIR FRYER? BAKE THEM! To make these in the oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place an oven-safe wire rack over a sheet pan, then place the bacon-wrapped chicken on the wire rack and bake 8-10 min per side, or until it’s crispy. You’ll get crispier results with the air fryer, but the oven absolutely works too. You may need to add an extra 1-2 min under the broiler to get similar results!

Video

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, BBQ

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 Recipe (about 2 tenders) | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.1g | Protein: 28.1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 69.9mg | Sodium: 850.5mg | Potassium: 14.2mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4.8g | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 28.7mg

Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.

Find it Online:

https://www.onelovelylife.com/bacon-wrapped-chicken-tenders/