Bacon Wrapped Chicken Air Fryer

Bacon wrapped chicken air fryer is ready in under 25 minutes. Juicy chicken tenderloins cook up crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and the bacon gives them a heavenly smoky, salty flavor your family will crave.

No matter the time of year, I'm always on the hunt for more meals that are simple and don't require tons of prep time or effort on my part.

These air fryer bacon wrapped chicken tenderloins are just what I need on these busy nights. I love how crispy the bacon turns out on the outside while keeping the inside perfectly juicy.

Your family will request you make these air fryer chicken tenderloins with bacon over and over again. 

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Healthier than fast food or restaurant takeout! You control the ingredients and preparation so you know exactly what goes into them.
• Taste better than store-bought with minimal effort.
• No need to stress on busy weeknights about feeding your family fed. This is the perfect recipe to help you out when you are rushed for time.

Ingredients

Let's look at the main ingredients needed to make air fryer bacon wrapped chicken. For the full list and quantities, check the recipe card.

• Chicken tenderloin: These strips of white meat found on the underside of the chicken breast cook up tender and juicy. Because they are smaller than chicken breasts, they cook more quickly.
• Spices: Ground mustard, paprika and garlic salt give flavor to the chicken tenderloins while they cook.
• Bacon: I prefer center cut bacon which is a slightly less fatty and meatier than regular bacon. It's a bit healthier, makes less mess and tastes great!
• Mayo: Makes a creamier sauce.
• Mustard: You're going to use a combination of dijon and yellow mustard for the mustard sauce.
• Honey: Balances the acid and spice of the mustard sauce.
• Hot sauce: Brings a bit more zing to the honey mustard dip.
• Rice vinegar: The perfect combination to bring all the flavors in the dip together.
• Cracked peppercorn: I love it over ground black pepper because it has a more robust peppery flavor and a crunchier texture.

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders in the Air Fryer

Step 1. Soak the toothpicks in water for about minutes so they won't burn inside the air fryer.

Step 2. Combine the ground mustard, paprika, and garlic salt in a small bowl or ramekin. Sprinkle it over both sides of the chicken tenderloins.

Step 3. Starting at the end of a tenderloin, wrap a piece of bacon layering the slices like shingles on a roof towards the opposite end of the tenderloin. Secure each end with a toothpick to prevent your bacon from unwrapping. 

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Step 4. Preheat the air fryer to 390° F for five minutes. If you are using an oven or rotisserie style air fryer make sure you place your rack in the middle location. 

Step 5. Place the chicken tenders in the air fryer basket or on your air fryer rack in a single layer. Cook for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.

Step 6. While the chicken is cooking prepare the spicy honey mustard. Add all ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk them together.

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Step 7. Let the chicken cool for five minutes before serving with spicy honey mustard dip. Serve and enjoy!

Do I need to trim chicken tenders?

Not really! But have you ever noticed the white piece of tendon or muscle that runs through your chicken tender? That's what makes them a bit tough but here's how to easily remove it.

1. Using your fingers or a paper towel, grip the top of the white tendon or muscle at the top of your chicken tenderloin.
2. After you have a good grip on the white muscle, take a fork and hold it with the tips facing down; slide the fork down the chicken tender to pull the meat away from the white muscle. Do this until you reach the end of the chicken muscle.
3. Now you are ready to cook your chicken tenderloin and it is ready to cook without being tough. 

You can actually eat the white tendon inside the chicken tender so it's totally up to you whether or not you want to remove it.

Substitutions and Variations

Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this bacon wrapped chicken recipe.

• Chicken tenderloins: While these make a simple ready made option perfect for making chicken wrapped in bacon, you can also use chicken breasts or thighs and cut them into thick strips similar in size to tenders.
• Spicy seasoning: Swap the seasoning for the chicken tenders for fajita seasoning, taco seasoning, jerk seasoning or Cajun.
• Mustard sauce: Don't care for the mustard sauce then simply replace it with another homemade sauce or something you buy at the store.
• Don't have both kinds of mustard? You can make it just one! If only using yellow mustard, you may want to add additional hot sauce while with all dijon mustard you may want to dial the hot sauce back.

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy bacon chicken bites!

What to Serve with Chicken Wrapped with Bacon

• Dipping Sauce: Check out How to Make Dip which contains all of our favorite dipping sauces in one place. Avocado ranch, BBQ Sauce, creamy buffalo Sauce, Ketchup, Garlic Parmesan Sauce and Sriracha are just a few quick suggestions! 
• Side dishes: These go with just about anything but I love them with these smoked bbq beans, cheesy scalloped potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
• Vegetables: I love to keep it simple for the veggie. These roasted carrots or a quick green bean saute.
• Salads: Jalapeno coleslaw makes a nice and spicy side dish or this sweet and creamy grape salad works great too.

Equipment

Here's the basic kitchen tools you need to make bacon chicken tenderloins air fryer.

• Air Fryer: You can use any type of air fryer that you have on hand. I personally prefer basket air fryers. I love this air fryer used it to make these chicken tenderloins wrapped with bacon.
• Mixing bowl and whisk
• Measuring cups and spoons

Storage

Leftovers: Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them out in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheat: Lay them out on a baking tray and heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 325° F. Or heat them in the air fryer for 5-8 minutes at 350° F.

Tips

Here are my top tips to make sure your chicken wrapped in bacon air fryer come out perfectly!

• Using a rotisserie or oven style air fryer? Be sure to place your rack on the middle rack setting to keep your chicken from burning.
• Flip the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. The air fryer mostly cooks from the top down so flipping them means the meat will cook more evenly and the bacon won't burn on one side.
• Make sure the drip pan is in place in the air fryer so all the bacon fat drains off and the chicken isn't sitting in it while it cooks.
• Check the chicken for doneness using a thermometer for the most accuracy. Air fryers cook differently and chicken pieces may be bigger or smaller so I recommend checking them about five minutes before the estimated time and then continue cooking as needed.

FAQ

Do you have questions about making bacon wrapped chicken in the air fryer? Here are some of the top ones I get!

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Video

More Air Fryer Chicken Recipes

 

This post was originally published May 2021. It has been updated for new images and content.