These baked Almond Coconut Chicken Tenders are delicious, healthy and fun for the whole family! Serve them up with baked sweet potato fries, on a salad or in a wrap for a quick and easy weeknight meal! {Paleo & gluten-free}
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Chicken tenders are always a family favourite, but the store-bought variety tends to be so processed that we generally like to make our own. These homemade healthy chicken fingers are a great alternative and make for such an easy weeknight meal!
Not only is this chicken fingers recipe delicious, it’s also perfect for little hands. The tenders are easy to hold, fun to eat, have a tasty breading and can be dipped in everyone’s favourite sauce!
Made with just a handful of basic ingredients, they are super quick to prepare and are baked in the oven until perfectly golden brown and crispy. And there are so many different ways to serve them up, so they never get old!
If you’re looking for more family-friendly recipes, be sure to try my Air Fryer Chicken Bites and Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Baking Powder too!
Table of Contents
Why we love this healthy chicken tenders recipe
- Easy: The breading for these chicken tenders is so simple that you can pretty much memorize the recipe the first time making them. That’s a huge bonus in my books.
- Nutritious: Rather than using white flour and bread crumbs, which are generally filled with refined carbs, almond flour is used to make the crust which provides a nice dose of healthy fats and a delicious nutty taste and crumbly texture. And the coconut compliments it so nicely. The perfect recipe for healthy chicken tenders!
- Family-friendly: These chicken tenders make such an easy meal that’s tasty and fun for the whole family!
Ingredient Notes
- Egg: The chicken strips are dipped into the beaten egg so that the almond coconut breading adheres for one crispy bite.
- Chicken: Chicken tenders are perfect to use for this recipe and are a great option if you want to save time. You can also use skinless chicken breasts and cut them into strips.
- Almond flour and coconut flakes: This gluten-free breading adds a great flavour to each bite and it gets nice and crispy when baked in the oven.
- Seasonings: Paprika, garlic powder, parsley and salt add flavour to the breading. Feel free to adapt the amount used according to personal taste preferences.
Step by Step Instructions for Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In one shallow bowl, whisk an egg until mixture is smooth. In another shallow bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
- One at a time, dip the chicken strips into the egg mixture and flip until well coated.
- Next, transfer the egg-coated chicken strip to the dry mixture. Flip until both sides are well coated with the almond, coconut and spice mixture. Continue until all of the chicken strips have been completed.
- Place chicken fingers on the prepared sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until no longer pink inside. Serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- One of my favourite ways to save time with these chicken tenders is to make up a batch of the batter in advance. I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe for the breading and storing it in an air-tight container in the cupboard. That way, when you go to make these chicken fingers, the majority of work is already done!
- Another strategy I like to use if I’m tight on time is to buy the pre-cut chicken tenders. If the breading is already made and the chicken breasts are already cut into strips, all that you have to do is dip the chicken strips in the egg and breading and bake. So easy!
- If you want the breading to be extra browned and crispy, place under the broiler for a minute or so in the last couple of minutes of baking. You may also wish to lightly spray the breaded chicken fingers with a bit of oil before placing in the oven.
Recipe FAQs
These chicken tenders are great for weekly meal prep, so bake up a double batch! Once cooked, allow them to cool and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days.
Yes! These chicken fingers can be frozen and will keep well for up to one month. Let the tenders cool, then place on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them solid for 1 to 2 hours. Once frozen, place in a freezer safe container or bag.
Chicken tenders that have been stored in the fridge can be reheated in the oven at 350F for around 15 minutes to heat them through. They can be reheated straight from frozen too for around 25 to 30 minutes.
Yes! Generally, it’s recommended that babies and toddlers avoid having whole nuts as they can be a choking hazard. However, because the almonds are finely ground into flour, it’s the perfect way to serve nuts and get some healthy fats into little ones.
If serving these chicken fingers to babies, I recommend making the breading mixture, leaving out the salt and breading theirs first to limit sodium intake. Then, if the rest of the family wants a bit more flavour, you can always add a bit of salt to the mixture afterwards and bread the rest.
Serving Suggestions for Almond Flour Chicken Tenders
There are so many options for serving up these chicken tenders!
You can serve them as an appetizer or main with:
- A dip (try BBQ sauce, Roasted Garlic Spread or honey mustard sauce)!
- 5-Ingredient Mac and Cheese
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Creamy Cranberry Walnut Coleslaw
- Sweet Potato Kale Bowls
- Spinach Orange Salad with Pomegranates & Almonds
- Packed into a wrap or tacos
They’re delicious no matter how you serve them and make the perfect easy and tasty weeknight meal!
Recipe Variations
- Make nuggets: Cut the tenders into smaller pieces to make chicken nuggets.
- Adapt seasonings: You can easily use different seasonings for the breading. Add a little cayenne if you like things spicy, or use other dried herbs like oregano or thyme.
More similar recipes
- Mini Chicken Avocado Quesadillas
- Pesto Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Healthy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Almond Coconut Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders (can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In one shallow bowl, whisk an egg until mixture is smooth. In another shallow bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut, paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley and salt.
- One at a time, dip the chicken strips into the egg mixture and flip until well coated.
- Next, transfer the egg-coated chicken strip to the dry mixture. Flip until both sides are well coated with the almond, coconut and spice mixture. Continue until all of the chicken strips have been completed.
- Place chicken fingers on the prepared sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until no longer pink inside. Serve warm.
Notes
- One of my favourite ways to save time with these chicken tenders is to make up a batch of the batter in advance. I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe for the breading and storing it in an air-tight container in the cupboard. That way, when you go to make these chicken fingers, the majority of work is already done!
- Another strategy I like to use if I’m tight on time is to buy the pre-cut chicken tenders. If the breading is already made and the chicken breasts are already cut into strips, all that you have to do is dip the chicken strips in the egg and breading and bake. So easy!
- If you want the breading to be extra browned and crispy, place under the broiler for a minute or so in the last couple of minutes of baking. You may also wish to lightly spray the breaded chicken fingers with a bit of oil before placing in the oven.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted November 2018 and was updated August 2021 to include better tips and photos.
Adapted from my Almond Coconut Crusted Fish Sticks recipe
This post may contain affiliate links which means that I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I love and feel will benefit my readers :)
absolutely delicious!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Jill! It’s definitely a family favourite!
This looks really yummy. I could actually think of putting this over rice or using it in sushi rolls or something. Cheers.
-Kam
Thanks Kam! Love your serving ideas — they definitely can be used in lots of different ways :)