Chicken with Bacon, Rosemary & Lemon

This dish may not look like much in the photo, but it was really tasty! How bad can any recipe turn out if it starts with frying bacon?!?

I found this recipe over at Smoky Mountain Cafe and made a few tweaks to fit what I had on hand. The chicken was really tender and there was nice balance of flavors. The use of chicken tenderloins made this dish cook up in about fifteen minutes total making it a great go to meal on a weeknight.

Delish!

Chicken with Bacon, Rosemary & Lemon

4 slices bacon, chopped

¼ cup unbleached flour

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins

1 tablespoon butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Brown bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from skillet. Add butter to reserved bacon grease.

Pour the flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. Brown the chicken on both sides about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is browned about 1 minute. Stir in the broth and lemon juice and simmer, scraping up the browned bits, until slightly thickened about 4 minutes.

Return the chicken and bacon to the pan and simmer, turning the chicken once or twice, until the sauce is thick and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.