Almond Flour Chicken Tenders
Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, these almond flour chicken tenders are an easy, family-friendly dinner made with simple ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 269kcal
Ingredients
- Avocado oil spray
Dipping Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened ketchup
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or a pinch of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Chicken tenders:
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup almond meal
- ¼ cup Parmesan grated
- 1 pound raw chicken tenders 8 tenders
- Pinch paprika optional, added for color
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed, broiler-safe baking sheet with foil and fit it with a roasting rack. Spray the roasting rack with oil.Avocado oil spray
- If using, mix the dipping sauce ingredients (mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, ketchup, salt, pepper, and garlic powder) in a small bowl. Set aside.2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon unsweetened ketchup, ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- In a large bowl, use a spatula to mix the mayonnaise, mustard, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and cayenne. Pat the chicken tenders dry with paper towels, then add them to the mixture and toss to coat.1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- In a 9 x 13 baking dish, whisk together the almond meal and Parmesan. Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, one by one, and press on both sides until well coated.½ cup almond meal, ¼ cup Parmesan, 1 pound raw chicken tenders
- Place the coated chicken tenders on the prepared roasting rack, not touching. Lightly spray them with avocado oil and sprinkle them with paprika.Pinch paprika
- Bake the tenders for 15 minutes in the middle of the oven. Switch the oven to broil, keeping the baking sheet on the middle rack, and broil the tenders until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Their internal temperature should reach 165ºF.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Pan-frying instructions: Instead of baking, you can fry the chicken in an inch of avocado oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium after flipping them if the pan gets too hot and the oil starts to smoke. For the fried version, pound the tenders lightly before coating them to make them thinner and ensure even thickness.
- Seasonings, especially salt, are just guidelines. Please adjust to taste.
- Nutrition for 2 tenders plus ¼ of the dipping sauce: Calories 320; fat 19g; saturated fat 3g; carbs 4g; sugars 2g; sodium 628mg; fiber 2g; protein 31g.
- It's best to use almond meal and not superfine almond flour. Its texture is coarser than that of blanched almond flour, so it more closely resembles breadcrumbs. However, if all you have is blanched almond flour, you can use it in this recipe.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The almond flour coating will lose its crispness, but you can regain some of it by reheating the chicken uncovered in a 350°F oven until heated through. You can also enjoy the leftovers cold.
Nutrition
Serving: 2pieces | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 416mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g
