Almond Flour Chicken Tenders

If you love crispy, juicy chicken tenders but want to avoid the carbs, grains, or gluten from panko crumb, then this low-carb chicken tender recipe is for you.

They are naturally:

• Low-carb
• Keto-friendly
• Paleo-friendly
• And a dairy-free option is provided

How To Make Almond Flour Chicken Tenders

It’s so easy to make these healthy chicken tenders that you will bring this recipe to your family table weekly.

Ingredients

All you need to make juicy chicken tenderloins are an excellent marinade, also called egg wash, made of:

• Egg – eggs are naturally low in carbs.
• Mayonnaise or swap for Greek yogurt if you don’t like mayonnaise.
• Dijon Mustard
• Lemon Juice – you can use store-bought lemon juice or make your own by juicing fresh lemons.

For the almond flour coating, you need:

• Almond Flour – or almond meal both options work very well as low-carb flour.
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper
• Blanched Almonds – crushed in a grinder for a few seconds to add crunchy pieces of almonds to your coating.

You can also optionally add parmesan cheese.

Cutting The Chicken

If you can’t find chicken tenderloins at the grocery store, buy chicken breast instead.

Then, place the chicken breast on a chopping board and cut into thick 2/3-inch slices that resemble chicken tenderloins.

Soaking The Tenderloins

The secret of juicy chicken tenderloins is the marinade.

If you have time, soak the tenderloins for 30 minutes in the fridge.

If you can’t, the recipe will still work, but the meat won’t be as juicy and flavorsome.

Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard in a large mixing bowl.

Place all the chicken pieces in the bowl, cover with a lid and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes or while preparing the coating.

Coating

First, place the blanched almond in a herb mixer or Nutribullet and pulse them to form a thick, coarse crumb.

This adds a crunchy texture to the chicken.

Place the almond flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, and coarse almond chunks in a small, shallow bowl. Stir with a spoon to evenly combine.

Remove the chicken from the fridge.

Cover a baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment paper and set it aside.

Using tongs and working with one chicken tenderloin at a time, bring the tenderloin into the bowl with the almond flour coating.

Press to stick the coating on one side, and with your other dry hand, sprinkle some coating on the other side of the chicken piece. Press to stick.

Place the coated chicken tenders on the baking sheet.

Repeat the step above until all the chicken tenderloins are evenly coated.

Make sure the chicken pieces don’t overlap on the baking tray.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Baking Chicken Tenders

When all the chicken tenders have been coated, spray olive oil on top and bake in the center rack of the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven using tongs and flip each chicken tender on the other side. Spray some oil on top of each of them again.

Return to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes – don’t exceed 20 minutes, or the meat will be very dry. Bake until golden brown and crispy.

Air-frying Chicken Tenders

Another option is to air fry the chicken tenders.

Lightly oil the air fryer basket with oil spray.

Place the coated chicken strips in the basket, leaving some free space between each.

Spray some oil on the chicken and air fry for 6-8 minutes.

Flip the tenderloins over, spray some more oil, and air fry for an extra 6-8 minutes until crispy and golden brown on the outside.

Frying The Tenders

The last option consists of frying the tenders in oil. It’s not my preferred method because the almond coating is fragile and often falls apart in the oil bath.

The best oils for frying chicken are high-smoke point oils like avocado oil.

Warm half an inch of oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown – it takes about 6 minutes.

Cool down on absorbent paper to remove excess oil before serving.

Chicken Tender Sauces

Chicken tenders are delicious finger food also called chicken fingers and delicious served with a creamy dipping sauce like:

• Thousand Island Sauce
• Homemade Ranch
• Homemade Ketchup
• Dijon Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Sriracha Sauce
• Buffalo Sauce
• Tahini Sauce
• Mushroom Sauce

Serving

You can use these chicken tenders to dip into a sauce as mentioned above or as:

• A salad topping to make a low-carb cobb salad.
• Chicken wrap filling – using my almond flour tortillas.
• Pizza toppings – to make a keto pizza.
• The main to vegetable like my Roasted Rutabaga, Oven Roasted Potatoes, or Roasted Zucchini.

Storage Instructions

You can store these chicken almond tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze the chicken tenders for later and thaw them in the fridge the day before.

Chicken tenders can be easily rewarmed in a hot oven, air fryer, or frying pan.

Avoid using your microwave as the chicken gets dry and the coating soft and soggy.