Chicken tenders are one of my guilty pleasures in life that I will never get sick of. Something about a good and greasy chicken tender platter from a restaurant or fair just hits the spot. They’re fun to eat on occasion, but not something I like to include in my everyday diet. I made these paleo chicken tenders out of almond flour and baked them instead of frying. They have a lighter take that is perfect for children and picky eaters! They got an A+ from my mom who is the pickiest of them all!

Don’t get me wrong, “regular” chicken tenders are delicious, and there is nothing wrong with them. They’re great to eat every once and while or on special occasions, but they just don’t make me feel my best. I always end up with an upset stomach or just feeling sluggish if I eat them too often. I wanted to make a lighter version so that I can enjoy them as much as I want while still feeling my best. These gluten and dairy-free paleo chicken tenders are the perfect weeknight meal that the kids will love!

What Ingredients Do I Need?

These paleo chicken tenders could not be any simpler. All you need are a few basic spices and you’re all set. Of course, you can use whatever spices you like or have on hand, but I just used the ones that I felt worked best! Here is everything you will need:

Chicken breasts
Eggs
Almond flour
Paprika
Italian seasoning
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Parsley
Salt/pepper

How to Bread Chicken

The most time-consuming part about making chicken tenders has to be the breading process. It can get a little messy, but it doesn’t have to! A little secret I learned in my cooking class in college was to designate a wet hand and a dry hand. What I mean by that is to use one hand to drop the chicken in the eggs, and one hand to coat the chicken in the breading. This prevents the soggy breading mixture from getting on your hands and the chicken. It makes clean up and the whole process a breeze!

Paleo Chicken Tenders vs. “Regular” Chicken Tenders

As I’ve emphasized before, there is nothing wrong with traditional chicken tenders, I just don’t feel my best after eating them. If you can relate, there are a few reasons why you may feel that way. Traditional chicken tenders are heavily breaded in flour and bread crumbs. They are then deep-fried in canola or peanut oil, typically. The heaviness of the oil and breading is what can make you feel sluggish and weighed down after eating them.

These paleo chicken tenders do not use any flour or frying. They are actually breaded in almond flour, which is just ground up almonds. Almonds are a great source of healthy fats that can improve cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels. I also baked these chicken tenders instead of frying, which cuts out all the oil. Plus, it’s a whole lot easier to bake them rather than fry.

Ways to Serve

I served these paleo chicken tenders with ketchup because that is just my all-time favorite way to eat chicken. You can serve them with any sauce you like, or coat them in BBQ or buffalo sauce for an added kick! I love having leftovers in my sandwiches, topped on pizza, or on their own.

Paleo Chicken Tenders

Recipe by Mary WeissCourse: Dinner, LunchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Ingredients

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp parsley flakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Slice your chicken breasts in half lengthwise, so that they are thinner for cooking. Once they’re cut in half, slice them into long strips.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the 2 eggs and set aside.
In a shallow dish, whisk together the almond flour and spices.
Taking a few pieces of chicken at a time, dip them in the eggs and allow any excess to drip off. Drop them in the almond flour mixture until they’re totally coated. Use your hand to press the coating on if needed. Place the coated chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure none of them are touching.
Repeat the above step for all of the chicken tenders. Bake for around 30 minutes, flipping in between. Enjoy!