Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders
with sage roasted carrots / arugula salad
A little bit of effort upfront to wrap the chicken tenders in bacon yields an elegant meal that's great for an ordinary weeknight or to serve to guests. The bacon doesn't just look and taste good this way - it also helps the chicken to stay tender and juicy as it cooks.
Smarts: Don't worry too much about making these look perfect. They'll still taste great!
Ingredients
- Chicken tenderloin strips - 1 lb (sub boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips)
- Bacon - 8 strips
- Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Carrots - 1 1/2 lbs , sliced
- Sage - 4 leaves , chopped
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar, balsamic - 2 tsp
- Vinegar, balsamic - 2 tsp
- Mustard, Dijon - 1/2 tsp
- Honey - 1/4 tsp
- Oil, olive - 2 Tbsp
- Arugula - 6 oz
Prep
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Carrots - Slice carrots (the thinner you slice the carrots, the faster they will cook). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make vinaigrette - Whisk together vinegar (portion for vinaigrette), mustard, and honey. Add olive oil while whisking. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Wrap chicken - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating before continuing with prep.) Set chicken tenders and bacon out on a sheet pan or cutting board. Combine Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle seasoning on both sides of chicken tenders. Working with one piece of chicken and one piece of bacon at a time, wrap the bacon around the chicken. There’s no need to completely cover the chicken or to be super precise here, just be sure the bacon is folded around the chicken in a single layer. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
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Sage - Chop sage.
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Make
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Heat oven to 400F / 204C.
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Toss carrots with sage, cooking oil (portion for carrots), vinegar (portion for carrots), and some salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan.
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Roast carrots, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, until very tender, 20 to 25 minutes (depending on size).
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While carrots are roasting, heat a large skillet with oil (portion for chicken) over low-medium heat. Transfer bacon-wrapped chicken to skillet (if the pan gets crowded, do this in batches). Cook chicken tenders on all sides until the bacon is crisp and golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. (Note: The bacon should release easily from the pan when it’s cooked to crisp. You may need to increase the heat if it seems like the bacon is taking too long to cook.)
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As each piece of chicken finishes cooking, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
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Toss arugula with vinaigrette.
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Serve chicken over arugula with carrots on the side. Enjoy!
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