These chicken tenders are coated in almond meal and baked for a healthy take on traditional chicken fingers!
Ever want a no-fuss dinner that you know everyone will love?
All the time, right?
Add this one to your weekly rotation.
Oh yes, I said weekly.
If you know me well, you know I RARELY cook anything twice, but I’ve already made this dish numerous times because it’s such a crowd-pleaser.
I mean, everyone loves chicken tenders, right?
Exactly.
Thankfully, these are much more heart-healthy than what you’d order in a restaurant or buy at the store because they’re breaded in almond meal instead of flour, and they’re baked, not fried.
Let’s be honest, usually when something is baked, that’s code for “not-as-good-as-fried”, but this chicken turns out perfectly cooked and amazing. Plus, it’s so much easier than frying since you just stick the whole pan in the oven at once and you’re done!
Before baking, I dipped the chicken in a beaten egg and then in a spicy almond meal mixture. A lot of fun spices come together here like cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. There’s a bit of heat from the pepper but it’s not overpowering.
I used Trader Joe’s almond meal for the breading. Depending on what brand you use, you may have different results. 1 cup of almond meal is perfect for 2 pounds of chicken. Your chicken should be perfectly cooked in about 25 minutes, making this a great weeknight meal option your whole family (even picky eaters) will love!
Easy Paleo Chicken Tenders
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t want it spicy)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- cooking spray
1). Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a pan with foil for easy clean-up if desired, and spray with cooking spray.
2). Cut the chicken breasts into long strips about 1-2″ wide.
3). In a small bowl, beat the egg lightly.
4). In a larger bowl, combine the almond meal with all of the spices.
5). Dip each piece of chicken in the egg, letting the excess run off. Then dip into the almond meal mixture, coating well. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with leftover chicken. Tip: don’t overcrowd the pan! For crispy chicken tenders, there has to be space between them for the air to circulate.
6). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Enjoy!
Servings: about 8. Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 214 Carbs: 4g Fat: 11g Protein: 28g Fiber: 2g Points+: 6 Recipe adapted from here. Adapted recipe courtesy of Audrey’s Apron.
Audrey's Apron 