Sticky BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

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These Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders are Sticky & Juicy with the BEST balance of sweet & smokey, plus an EASY swap makes these keto approved! A simple minimal ingredient recipe that is ready in 30 minutes. Come see why you should be making these super sticky BBQ chicken tenders! Be sure to read through the post for helpful tips and ideas, you won't find a story about my gramma here. Enjoy!

bacon wrapped chicken tenders being dipped.

Sticky BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

Seasoned tender chicken strips with smokey bacon are cooked to crisp perfection then brushed with barbecue sauce. The chicken is then put back in the oven to reach maximum stickiness. We use a variation of cooking time that is easy, but helps ensure the bacon cooks we want it to. These are seriously lick your fingers clean chicken tenders making them a delicious side dish, appetizer or snack.

What Barbecue Sauce To Use For These Chicken Tenders

For this recipe I used my husband's favorite sweet and spicy sauce from Sweet Baby Ray's with a few of my own additions. I tend to doctor up any store bought sauces because it's easy and takes them to a whole different level. While you can choose any barbecue sauce you want, a thicker more rich less vinegar style will work best to make these chicken tenders sticky. Normally I make more additions to the BBQ sauce, but for this recipe I seasoned the chicken so only added brown sugar to the sauce.

sticky bbq chicken tenders on a plate.

How To Make These Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders Keto Friendly

Making these chicken tenders keto friendly is very easy. Because every ingredient is already naturally keto approved it comes down to the sauce. If you follow the keto diet you are probably already familiar with what your choices are. GH Hughes tends to come up most often and it is our sugar free BBQ sauce of choice. Simply swap our our sauce listed in the recipe card for your favorite and use brown sweetener instead of sugar. I have also included a few keto side dishes below for making these chicken tenders a full meal.

Keto Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders Are Only 1 CARB EACH!

chicken tenders wrapped in bacon covered in bbq sauce on plate.

Making Our Sticky BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

The full recipe card is below for viewing, printing and sharing

Ingredients

  • 16oz Boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, trimmed and pat dry
  • 10-12 slices of bacon, one for each tenderloin
  • â…“ cup BBQ sauce (Sugar free for Keto or our homemade recipe)
  • 2tbsp Brown Sugar (Sweetener for Keto)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • Salt & Pepper optional, I skipped them

Directions for Getting the BBQ Chicken Sticky

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease a sheet pan and place it close by.
  3. Season the chicken with garlic powder and thyme, toss to coat evenly.
  4. Wrap each chicken tender in a slice of bacon.
  5. Place on sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes.
  6. Increase heat to 425 degrees and roast for 10 minutes more.
  7. Mix the brown sugar into the BBQ sauce. Brush on chicken. Return to oven.
  8. Roast 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite dip (see suggestions just below) or eat by themselves. They taste great cold too!
chicken wrapped in bacon on sheet pan.

After the first 10 minutes of roasting.

meat on sheet pan.

After the second 10 minutes of roasting, brush on the BBQ sauce then return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

keto chicken tenders with bacon on sheet pan.
bacon wrapped chicken tenders being dipped.

Dipping Sauce Ideas for Sticky BBQ Chicken Tenders

  • Try dipping these in our delicious easy to make Lemon Garlic Aoli , a semi-home version that starts with mayo, no raw egg and whisking up egg.
  • Amp up the spice by using this Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce, this is a hot one folks!
  • My favorite ideas include Honey Mustard, Ranch AND something you probably would never guess- Cole Slaw Dressing. There I said it. No shame. Think about it, they put actual cole slaw on BBQ pork. So why not? Same flavor profiles! It is delicious.

Keto Sides for Our Chicken Tenders

If you're eating low in carbs and looking to make these yummy chicken tenders a meal try these side dish recipes

  • A creamy and cheesy baked cauliflower comfort food dish, Loaded Au Gratin
  • Crisp and buttery everything bagel seasoned Brussels sprouts, air fryer or oven method.
  • Pair it up like down south, add cornbread to your chicken tenders, this Broccoli Cheddar style will compliment the BBQ and bacon perfectly.
sticky BBQ keto chicken on sheet pan.

Meal Prep or Plan These Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

The best thing about this recipe is that the food fits so many different things- a snack, a lunch, a dinner. You get it. The versatility makes our sticky barbecue chicken perfect for meal prepping or planning. The chicken reheats well and tastes good cold. Use them on a salad, in a wrap on the side of mac and cheese or veggies. The possibilities are endless. Simply pack in your favorite meal prep container and go.

Reheating Our Chicken Tenders

The process will depend on your intended use. If you would like to re-crisp them the oven is where you go. Preheat to 400, cook about 10 minutes. I do want to warn that this could dry them out. Brush chicken tenders with more barbecue sauce after. Other ways to reheat:

  • Microwave for 1 minute at a time.
  • Air Fryer for 5 minutes.
  • Don't. The chicken tenders are amazing cold!

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sticky bbq bacon wrapped chicken tenders on plate.

Sticky BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

Yield: About 14
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

These Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders are Sticky & Juicy with the BEST balance of sweet & smokey, plus an EASY swap makes these keto approved! A simple minimal ingredient recipe that is ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 16oz Boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, trimmed and pat dry
  • 10-12 slices of bacon, one for each tenderloin
  • â…“ cup BBQ sauce (Sugar free for Keto)
  • 2tbsp Brown Sugar (Sweetener for Keto)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • Salt & Pepper optional, I skipped them

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease a sheet pan and place it close by.
  3. Season the chicken with garlic powder and thyme, toss to coat evenly.
  4. Wrap each chicken tender in a slice of bacon.
  5. Place on sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes.
  6. Increase heat to 425 degrees and roast for 10 minutes more.
  7. Mix the brown sugar into the BBQ sauce. Brush on chicken. Return to oven.
  8. Roast 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite dip (see suggestions just below) or eat by themselves. They taste great cold too!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: 2
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 280Total Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 2gNet Carbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gProtein: 31g

Nutrition facts are auto- populated by the app for this recipe card, numbers may vary. For best results, input your exact brand ingredients into a recipe analyzer like Verywell or MyFitnessPal.

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8 thoughts on “Sticky BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders”

  1. This is going to be my new favorite keto snack, I buy frozen chicken tenders all the time and look for things to do with them. Bacon wrapped is perfect. Thanks For share

    Reply
  2. Well I certainly will be making these chicken tenders, I am always looking for new BBQ recipes and this one is sticky! My favorite kind. Reminds me of ribs. Now I want both. Bonus that they are keto approved I feel like I can never find anything keto to eat.

    Reply
  3. I love how you took the extra time to adjust the oven temperature to get the bacon crispy. That is always a complaint I have with bacon wrapped recipes. It never seems to crisp. You can see from the pics that it clearly worked. I'm like... duh. Seemed easy haha. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply
  4. I love that this recipe is simple but you can tell it will still be outstanding. Cooking doesn't have to be heard right? That's when people give up LOL

    Reply

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