Chicken lightly coated in nutty almond meal or almond flour is the perfect homemade and healthier alternative to fried and battered chicken nuggets. These are kid-approved!
I seriously cannot believe it’s taken me so long to share this recipe with you. This is a recipe that I make so often, I almost forget that it’s something other people may not do or know about.
When I’m not taking my classes to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, teaching group fitness, playing with Bernie, or singing, I am a nanny to a little girl who professed her love for chicken tenders (or shall I say, chicken nuggets) to me pretty early on in our relationship.
While I think that chicken nuggets are probably fine every once in a while (just like any other treat) my mind set out on a mission to create a healthier version that she could enjoy more than just every once in a while.
How did I make them healthier? Well for starters, these chicken tenders are baked rather than fried. And for a little extra flavor boost, and a nutritional punch full of fiber, protein, healthy fat, vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium I coated them in almond flour (almond meal works well here too!).
The first time I made them, I crossed my fingers as we both sampled a bite…and they were delicious! The outside coating is slightly crunchy, the seasonings pair perfectly with the slightly sweet and nutty almond coating, we had a win. I made them for Brian not too long ago and he told me that he could literally eat these every day. HA!
Well, variety is the spice of life and I like experimenting too much to make a recipe on repeat THAT often, but I will be making them again for Brian in the very near future.
These chicken tenders are delicious on top of a salad, they pair perfectly with roasted vegetables (carrots and Brussels sprouts especially!), and they taste amazing with homemade sweet potato fries.
Chicken lightly coated in nutty almond meal or almond flour is the perfect homemade and healthier alternative to fried and battered chicken nuggets. These are kid-approved!
Ingredients
Scale
2 chicken breasts (I prefer free-range, organic)
2 eggs
1 cup almond meal or almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with coconut oil cooking spray, or the cooking spray you prefer.
Slice your chicken breasts into your desired size. I like longer strips/tenders, but some people prefer smaller nugget shapes.
Break two eggs in a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the almond meal/flour and the seasonings and gently stir to combine.
Take one piece of chicken and dip it into the scrambled eggs, then dip it into the almond flour/meal. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until the tenders are crisp and golden on the outside and the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit.
Hi there,
I’d love to make these. Do you know if they are low FODMAP? I’m new to low FODMAP, so I just wanted to see if you have any advice for this recipe. Thanks!
Lauren
Hello! Great question! According to the Monash University app, 1/4 cup serving of almond meal/flour is low FODMAP. If you are sensitive to GOS or completing the elimination phase of the diet, I suggest making sure that your serving is limited to 1/4 of this recipe so you stay within the 1/4 cup limit of your serving of almond meal/flour. I hope this helps!!
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[…] Baked Almond Chicken Tenders | Treble in the Kitchen — I LOVE the flavor of these chicken tenders! The almond flour and spices create a great batter. Another staple recipe at my house. […]
I love baked almond chicken bites and make them all the time. While doing that I also like to make a little berry crumble with fresh berries, honey and lemon that is topped with almond meal and butter crumble (you could totally substitute coconut oil). So tasty!!
These look delicious! I love using almond meal as a coating for chicken. It’s such an awesome and easy way to spice us regular baked chicken. I love using Trader Joe’s Thai Chili almonds as the coating or their coconut cashews!
These turned out really well! I’ve been meaning to try my hand at home made chicken strips for a while, and actually enjoyed the process of making these. My kiddos all gobbled them up too! Happy to add a new simple, quick recipe to our lives, thanks!
these sound INCREDIBLE! I am almost finished with Whole30, but it has made me a new person and I’m sticking with it as long as I can with maybe a few add-ins here and there. Adding these to my dinner rotation!
Leave a comment
Hi there,
I’d love to make these. Do you know if they are low FODMAP? I’m new to low FODMAP, so I just wanted to see if you have any advice for this recipe. Thanks!
Lauren
Hello! Great question! According to the Monash University app, 1/4 cup serving of almond meal/flour is low FODMAP. If you are sensitive to GOS or completing the elimination phase of the diet, I suggest making sure that your serving is limited to 1/4 of this recipe so you stay within the 1/4 cup limit of your serving of almond meal/flour. I hope this helps!!
[…] Pan Green Chile Beef Nachos from How Sweet It Is, Baked Quinoa Arancini from Sinful Nutrition, Baked Almond Chicken Tenders from Treble in the Kitchen, Totally Loaded Vegan Chili Cheese Nachos from Dianne’s Vegan […]
[…] Baked Almond Chicken Tenders | Treble in the Kitchen — I LOVE the flavor of these chicken tenders! The almond flour and spices create a great batter. Another staple recipe at my house. […]
I love baked almond chicken bites and make them all the time. While doing that I also like to make a little berry crumble with fresh berries, honey and lemon that is topped with almond meal and butter crumble (you could totally substitute coconut oil). So tasty!!
This sounds amazing!!!!
[…] Baked Almond Chicken Tenders […]
I love baked tenders! These look awesome and they would definitely be kid-approved in my house 🙂
These look delicious! I haven’t made chicken tenders since I went gluten free, so I’ll have to give these a try!
Ooh, I love homemade chicken nuggets but it’s been a while since I’ve made em. That coating looks so perfectly crispy!
These look so good! I’m sure Brian gobbled them up! 🙂
You know it! 🙂 Thanks, Marisa!
These look great. I never think to make chicken fingers but they’re so easy. Thanks for the recipe.
Of course!! Seriously, if a 7 year old can do it…we can do it!
Childhood classic!!!! But then again, I love ANY chicken and always with ketchup!!
YES! So much ketchup 🙂
These look delicious! I love using almond meal as a coating for chicken. It’s such an awesome and easy way to spice us regular baked chicken. I love using Trader Joe’s Thai Chili almonds as the coating or their coconut cashews!
These turned out really well! I’ve been meaning to try my hand at home made chicken strips for a while, and actually enjoyed the process of making these. My kiddos all gobbled them up too! Happy to add a new simple, quick recipe to our lives, thanks!
Thank you for sharing!
Love those ideas!! Sounds like a real flavor boost!
That looks amazing and simple! I can totally make that this weekend and eat in my salads all week 🙂
YES! They are perfect for meal prep!
I love the use of almond meal on these tenders! I haven’t had them in so long because they are so unhealthy, time to change that 🙂
YES! I think you will really like these 🙂
these sound INCREDIBLE! I am almost finished with Whole30, but it has made me a new person and I’m sticking with it as long as I can with maybe a few add-ins here and there. Adding these to my dinner rotation!
YEAH! Good luck finishing, Haley! 🙂