Paleo Chicken Tenders

Chicken nugget lovers, REJOICE. It’s no secret that we love food, and when that food is a childhood staple like a nug, we can’t help but love those, too. Did any one ever eat a Dino Chicken Nugget as a kid? The 90s moms we knew definitely had a box of these in the freezer at all times. There is something so satisfying about nuggets, but when it comes to their nutritional value, they are a little less appealing considering they are usually deep fried and made of processed ingredients. Not to worry– we are serving up a paleo chicken tender made from real ingredients while still being incredibly delicious and satisfying.

For this recipe, our key ingredient is: Almonds

Here’s why we care about this recipe:

• Almond flour is a gluten-free flour, made from finely ground almonds. In addition to it being gluten free, we use almond flour constantly for a few reasons. It is far lower in carbohydrates than regular flour, which is a part of a “paleo” diet. Paleo dieters stick to foods that are not processed, like lean meats and veggies, and also eliminate most grains. The idea is that you eat what our ancestors ate, so the foods are usually whole and simple.
• Almonds contain both mono-unsaturated fatty acids as well as antioxidants, both of which increase overall heart function. They also contain other minerals which are linked to cardiovascular health, including magnesium, calcium and potassium.
• There are some pretty dark rumors floating around about almonds being fattening, so let us set those straight. 24 almonds contain 14 grams of healthy fat. While you do want to exercise self control and portion these out, these healthy monounsaturated fats benefit your heart and also contain high levels of vitamin E.
• We are just riddled with dietary issues. Christina can’t have gluten, Amanda can’t have dairy. This makes almond flour the perfect ingredient. It is a gluten free flour alternative as we mentioned, but it is also a great way to sneak in more calcium if you can’t have milk. One ounce of almonds has as much calcium as 1/4 cup of milk.
• If you’re struggling with cholesterol issues, almonds also help lower LDL cholesterol, or the ‘bad’ kind. This is the kind that collects in your blood vessels causing blockages.

Paleo Chicken Tenders

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Servings 4

Calories 230 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders
• coconut oil spray

For the Egg Mixture

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk

For the Breading

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and almond milk.
• In another medium bowl, mix together almond flour, coconut flour, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add almond milk to the bowl and use a fork to combine.
• Dip each chicken tender into the flour mixture, then into the egg mixture, then back into the flour mixture to fully coat the chicken strips.  Place each strip on the parchment lined baking sheet.
• Generously spray the tops of the chicken strips with coconut oil spray. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Notes

NUTRITION INFORMATION Yield: 4 Servings

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230, Total Fat: 6.8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 156mg, Sodium: 963mg, Total Carbohydrates: 3.8g, Dietary Fiber: 1.8g, Total Sugars: 0.7g, Protein: 38.4g

Happy President’s Day everyone! Pay homage to our nation’s leaders by making yourself a batch of delicious paleo nuggets in their honor!

XO,

Amanda and Christina