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.
If using, mix the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use a spatula to mix the mayonnaise, mustard, kosher salt, garlic powder, dried thyme, and cayenne. Add the chicken tenders and toss to coat.
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.
Place the coated chicken tenders on the prepared roasting rack. Lightly spray them with avocado oil spray and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake the tenders for 15 minutes in the middle of the oven, then switch the oven to broil, keeping the baking sheet on the middle rack, and broil them until golden brown and cooked through (their internal temperature should reach 165ºF), about 2 minutes per side.
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Notes
*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 coarse almond meal in this recipe (available on Amazon), and not blanched, finely ground almond flour. Although if all you have is almond flour, it will be okay, just less crispy.You can keep the leftovers for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The almond flour coating will lose its crispness, but you can get some of it back by reheating them in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes.