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If you’re not new to Wholesome Yum, you probably already know how much I love recipes with just a few ingredients. Even better when they are common ingredients that you often have in your fridge. This oven baked bacon wrapped chicken tenders recipe requires just three of them!
Chicken, bacon, and cheese are all you need. Easy and simple!
(If you prefer the traditional breaded kind, use this keto chicken tenders recipe instead.)
How to Make Chicken Wrapped in Bacon With Cheese
If you ask me, this cheesy version is the best way to cook chicken wrapped in bacon. Sure, you could make bacon wrapped chicken tenders without the cheese, but try this way and you’ll see why I prefer it. The melt-y cheese oozing out is just an amazing combo with the chicken and bacon. Complete the meal with cheesy zucchini gratin.
I used sharp cheddar cheese, since it pairs so well with those flavors. And – who am I kidding? – it’s partly because it’s what I had around. I’m pretty sure any kind of cheese you like will work just fine. Hard cheeses work best, though.
Baked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders for Meal Prep
I’m always looking for low carb chicken recipes I can make ahead. (My whole family loves chicken!) And, with two kids and two jobs, I’m often too busy or tired on weeknights to spend much time or effort on dinner.
That’s one of the reasons I love to make these easy bacon wrapped chicken tenders. You can easily prepare them in advance! Usually I prep the chicken wrapped in bacon on the weekend, and store it covered in a pan in the fridge. Then, I can just stick the pan in the oven right before dinner time.
I don’t recommend baking the tenders ahead of time, if you can avoid it. Just like any other chicken recipe, they will be more dry after reheating. That being said, I’ve happily enjoyed chicken wrapped in bacon as leftovers on multiple occasions. With this recipe, it’s still delicious! The cheese and bacon do help a lot when it comes to locking in moisture.
Even if you didn’t plan ahead, bacon wrapped chicken tenders are crazy easy to make and don’t take very long. They are ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish! That makes them perfect for a quick weeknight meal, but they look nice enough for serving for company, too.
How Long To Bake Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Just like my three-step Italian baked chicken breast recipe, I baked these bacon wrapped chicken tenders in the oven for a short time, at a high temperature. It will vary by oven, but using this method mine took 15 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You don’t have to do it that way – there really isn’t a wrong level of heat with this easy recipe. But, they will take longer if you use a lower temperature.
How long to bake bacon wrapped chicken will actually depend on two factors: the thickness of the chicken and the oven temperature. I like everything faster when possible, so I opted for the route of high temp and less time. You may still need to adjust the time a bit based on the thickness, though.
By the way, you can actually make this recipe in two ways. You can do bacon wrapped chicken tenders or simply bacon wrapped chicken breast. I had tenders around, so that’s what I made. Either one will work great. I’m sure you could even use chicken thighs, but those may need a slightly longer time in the oven. Do you have a preference – chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs?
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you like these bacon wrapped chicken tenders, here are more easy chicken ideas:
- Juicy Baked Chicken Breast – My easy technique for the juiciest chicken ever.
- Crock Pot Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Coconut Chicken Tenders
- Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breast – Just 5 ingredients, sweet & salty, and paleo friendly!
Baked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders Recipe - 3 Ingredients:
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RECIPE CARD
Baked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders Recipe - 3 Ingredients
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Instructions
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Fill a large bowl with warm water and a couple tablespoons sea salt. Add the chicken breast tenderloins (making sure the water covers them). Set aside to brine for at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil (greased lightly) or parchment paper.
- Remove the chicken from the water and pat dry. Place a piece of cheese over each piece of chicken. Wrap the two together in a slice of bacon. Place on the baking sheet, with the cheese side facing up. Repeat with the remaining chicken, cheese, and bacon.
Bake for about 13-16 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Place under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up the bacon.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 chicken tenders
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Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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98 Comments
Stefanie
This was a hit with my kids! My picky non-chicken eater asked for seconds. I used a block of Tillamook Cheddar cheese instead of presliced cheese. By cutting a thicker slice I lost less cheese to the bottom of the pan. I also used thick cut bacon so needed to add 3-4 minutes to my cooking time for the bacon to crisp up. Will definitely make this again.
Carol
We loved this recipe. I did also season the chicken tenders before I wrapped them. I also skewered the bacon with toothpicks. I did part of the cooking time at 400. I lost most of my cheese in the melting process, but the chicken was super moist from the brining and the cheese!!!
Dawn L
I decided to try this with my oven and air fryer. I also ran out of bacon as I had a lot of tenders — 3 packages from Costco — 18 tenders, I think, so I gave prosciutto a go, as well.
I decided to try 2 types of flavors besides the original. The original was very good, and an Italian blend was really tasty, as well. I also tried a sate’ blend (all my spices are Penzey’s) but was disappointed in the flavor, because I love it on chicken any other way. That is just MHO. It wasn’t bad, it just came in last.
The tenders definitely need cheese as it adds moisture. The bacon adds moisture, as well but trying to get it crispy with the broiler can leave them cooked too long and dry, so you need to balance out the cooking time with the extra crisping of bacon, if you like it that way. I did turn them over in the middle and used greased racks as suggested. The nice thing about the prosciutto is that it is larger and therefore encases the chicken which keeps it very moist, and bonus: you don’t have to crisp it — it turned out just fine by Maya’s recipe. (I used 1 sheet of prosciutto per tender.)
I did try one tender with prosciutto only, but it was dry…however, it was little by comparison so I may have just overcooked it. If I do plain ones like this, I would brine them longer and I would do an herb butter rub before encasing it in prosciutto…kind of like an inside-out Cordon Blu..still good for keto or carnivore diets.
Overall, I did this after 8 hrs. of work so it is a time-saver meal. I think kids could put this together with supervision. I can also see sticking these in a lettuce or low-carb wrap for a leftover lunch the next day. However, from looking at my pans…my family is not going to leave any leftovers!
Kimberly Fuentes
This page has soooo many ads in it that I could barely scroll through to read the directions , and each time I closed one ad I would scroll down and another would pop up. Thought I’d take the time to let you know so that you can improve your site cause I’d hate for anyone to experience the annoyance I just went through.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kimberly, Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
Mary
This took so long (3x the time) that my lunch date had to skip lunch since they had a meeting already scheduled 🙁
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Mary, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t turn out as expected. Did you make this recipe with chicken tenders? The chicken should not have taken that long to cook through unless it was frozen.
Mayra
I made it just as the recipe is and its the best! Better than fat head dough. Tfs!!
C
So, this didn’t work and we followed the recipe exactly. We wound up with a tray full of melted cheese and bacon that wasn’t as well done as we’d like on the underneath. I kind of suspected that this is what would happen- I mean cheese doesn’t stay on one place when you melt it.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi C, I’m sorry these tenders didn’t turn out as planned. It really makes a difference here to use a harder cheese. Aged cheddar works great, but higher moisture cheddars will bleed out onto the baking pan.
Carla
My tenders were bigger than in the video and took a little longer to cook and most of the cheese had melted and was on the parchment paper.
Judith
I so agree. She could have asked what she did wrong. To insult you was inappropriate and apparently an inexperienced cook. Maybe her oven needs to be calibrated. Or her watch. The rest of the 99.99% readers appreciate your wisdom and are grateful. Thanks ever. Keep sharing!! Yummy
Angela Little
I am trying it tonight, thanks
Sam
Well, the slices of cheese melted ALL OVER!! Hope it’s going to at least taste good.
Allison
Soo good! Half my family hates chicken but they love his recipe!
Selma Colmant
Can this recipe be frozen? and how best to defrost?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Selma, Sure, you can freeze these after baking. When you are ready to eat them, let them thaw first in the refrigerator, then re-heat in an oven, air fryer or microwave.
Julissa
So far it’s been very messy in a gas stove. I’ve had to change the temp up and down to stop it from smoking.
Courtney Yates
Hi Maya, thank you for sharing your recipes. We’ve tried many and they are great! I have a question on what is the best method for cooking this recipe to ensure chicken is moist and bacon is cooked through on both sides with some crisp. Is there a particular pan that works better vs. others? Should we use a wire rack with pan underneath or just a standard pan and flip half-way through? We’re finding the chicken is done cooking at 13 min but the bacon still needs more time.
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Courtney, the recipe video can give you a better visual. A wire rack is a good idea, but you also need to make sure your bacon isn’t too thick (or if it is, you need to cook it partially before wrapping the chicken).
Valerie
Why do you soak the chicken in brine? Your recipes look amazing! Thanks!
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Valerie. Soaking the chicken in a brine will give the chicken more flavor.
Alice
What temperature?
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Alice! This recipe is cooked at 450 degrees F.
Donna
I made them just like you said and the cheese ran out. How do you prevent that? I wrapped the bacon completely around the chicken and cheese.
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Donna. I’m sorry to hear that. Make sure you place the chicken cheese side up. There is a video on the post that will show you tips on how to make them. I hope this helps.
John de Vries
I have a convection oven and set the temperature to 375. No problem with smoke!
Kristen
I’m about to make these for lunch! Quick question, what’s the easiest and quickest way to go about it if you’re starting with frozen chicken?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kristen, Just thaw the chicken first. If you’re thawing right before cooking, you can do that in a bowl of cold water, or in the microwave using the Defrost setting.
Denise Gunzl
Made these tonight. Son and friends approve. My question is. What would be the time and temp for an air fryer?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Denise, I wouldn’t recommend these for the air fryer since the cheese would fall through the rack.
Dawn L
I started the air fryer at 7 minutes then turned them over and did about 4 min more. The cheese didn’t melt any more than the oven, honestly. I have a small one so I could only do 3-4 4 on a kebab rack — the highest temp for mine is 390 degrees.
Lori
We baked this until our smoke detectors went off and finished it in the air fryer to bring up the internal temperature and crisp the bacon. We will probably freeze the cheese for a few minutes (and clean the oven!) before making it the next time.
Mary Blachek
Hi! do you cook these on a rack over a cookie sheet or right on the cookie sheet with foil?
I can’t wait to try them tonight!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Mary, You cook them without a rack because the cheese would drip down with a rack. You can use a rack if you make them without cheese.
Todd Johnson
I am going to make it a little healthier and use turkey bacon. Let’s see how this turns out.
Cecily Kirkland
I just fixed these with thighs and they were juicy so I had to broil them for crispiness and turn them over a couple of times to get crispy bacon. They were delicious.
Ginnie Moon
May I cook these in my air fryer oven?
Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ginny, You can, but I would skip the cheese then.
Jess
Has anyone used Swiss?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jess, I haven’t but that sounds great!
Amanda
What would you suggest for time/temp in an air fryer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amanda, Sorry, I haven’t tried these in an air fryer. I’d probably omit the cheese in there and try 400 degrees, then watch them until done.
Tiffany
What temp and how long do I cook for if using an air fryer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tiffany, These won’t work in an air fryer because the cheese would fall through the rack.
Auburn Melton
Omg I never had this before, made it tonight it was so darn tender and juicy with just enough crisp. Loved it!!
Marsha
Maya-thank you so much for all the recipes using everyday ingredients. I won’t go and buy all the specialty ingredients!
Christina
You had me at bacon with this recipe! What a great flavor combination! I loved it
Nellie Tracy
These Chicken Tenders are absolutely amazing! Love the bacon!
Leslie
You had me at “bacon wrapped.” But then you added cheese….wow! These will fly off the platter!
Erin Dee
I love easy to make recipes like these bacon wrapped chicken tenders! These will be perfect for a busy weeknight meal!
Sarah
I bet my oldest daughter and husband would be all over these. I bet it adds a lot of flavor and crunch.
Kelly
I know a lot of people who would love these tenders. And hooray for just 3 ingredients!
Aimee
This is one of our favorites. Even my kids gobble it up without any complaints!
Nellie Tracy
I am always a big fan of recipes that require 3 ingredients or less! Love this!
Debra Waller
These sound really tasty, gotta try!
Jude
What is the sodium content?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jude, Sorry, I only have the nutrition info listed on the recipe card, so you’d need to add up the sodium from the ingredients you have.
Shacha Ramirez
Could you tell me what pan you used? I like that set up but have no idea where to find that.
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Shacha! You can find most of the tools I like to work with on a regular basis in this link.
Dorothy Friis
How can I reheat my leftovers?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dorothy. You can either reheat in the oven or the microwave. Thanks for stopping by!
Tabitha Hillyar
The family and I loved this recipe. I made a few tweaks. On top of the chicken tender I layed a thin strip of prosciutto (only on some), spread a small smear of cream cheese with sundried tomatoes on top of a couple leaves of baby spinach then flipped them over and place on top of tender. Then I thinly sliced sharp cheddar and wrapped the entire tender with applewood smoked bacon securing it with toothpicks. Mmmm… so good. Thank you for your post
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks for sharing your substitutions with us, Tabitha!
Jas
This is a new hit in my home! Thanks for sharing
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love to hear that, Jas!
April Dober
I’m not sure what happened, but mine came out of the oven with liquid all over the pan and practically all the cheese missing. I followed the recipe exactly.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi April, Sorry to hear that. I haven’t had this happen before. The cheese does ooze out a little, but I’m not sure why it would be missing unless it was a processed cheese product. Other than that, make sure you wrap the bacon around tightly to help reduce the cheese oozing out.
Staci
Do you cook the bacon first? Or does it cook with the chicken?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Staci, The bacon cooks with the chicken – no need to cook it first.
Brenda
This is an amazing recipe! Used it as a protein main course. Family LOVED it!
I liked these so much, that I decided to get a little wild and crazy with it, and made it again, but used jalapeños halves seeded, then put cheese inside the jalapeño, tenderloin on top, wrapped with bacon. BAM!! we had POPPERS that were OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! Served these at our girl luncheon. BIG success!! Thank you Maya!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Brenda! That sounds delicious!
Linda Lewis
I tried these tonight. My husband said, “This is the best chicken of this type I have EVER tasted. Please put it in our really-good-recipe rotation.” Just an aside – next time we’ll need to remember to take down two battery-powered smoke detectors that weren’t happy with the high stove temps and the broiler. :0) Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I plan to share it on my blog, of course giving you credit and giving the name and URL of your website.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Linda! I’m glad you liked the chicken tenders.
My sharing policy is you can feel free to use a photo and/or excerpt with a link back to the original recipe, but please don’t re-post the whole recipe. Thank you!
Michelle
I made these and the whole family loved them. They heat up well when doing meal prep for the week.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Michelle!
Bronia
An awesome and easy recipe! Devoured by family & friends. *****
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Bronia!
Dorah
The best chicken. It is so cheesy. My kids love it and it’s easy to make.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Dorah!
Lisa Greenberg
All of the cheese melted out when I made these. I wrapped the bacon as tight as I could.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, Sorry that happened. I haven’t experienced that before. Was the bacon fully covering the cheese when wrapping? That helps hold it in.
Patricia Parsons
These are awesome. All my family loves them and that doesn’t happen often. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Patricia!
Dee
I made these and my husband went nuts over them. They are so easy to make. They work good with turkey too.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Dee!
Marci Townsend
Excellent.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Marci!
Jo Ann
I made these and they were so good. Very easy. The only problem was my cheese melted out of the chicken and bacon.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jo Ann!
Jan
What is the purpose of soaking tenders in the salt brine?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jan, The purpose is to make them juicy.
Emily
Made for dinner tonight. Soooo good! Plus a winner with my 6 year old son.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Emily! Always a plus when the kids like it.
Debi
Can you make this ahead and freeze them for later? These chicken tenders look great and very easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Debi, I think you can. I’d recommend preparing them but not baking before freezing. You should be able to bake right from frozen, they’ll just take a little longer in the oven.
Jessica
Made these today. They were easy and super good. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jessica!