Sweet and Spicy Paleo Chicken Fingers
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These delicious Paleo Chicken Fingers are sticky and sweet with just the right amount of spice. They're a quick and easy, healthy dinner recipe your whole family will LOVE!
In the off chance that you can't tell by the picture, I'll say it here, āthese sweet and spicy paleo chicken fingers are amazing.ā Wait ā¦ paleo? Yep, you heard right. The chicken is coated in an almond meal (aka almond flour) crust that is both 100% paleo and gluten-free.
After a bake in the oven, it's dunked in a deliciously sticky sweet and spicy sauce. If you forget about your knife and fork, you'll be licking the sauce off your digits for sure.
One thing you'll notice is, because of the almond meal the chicken is VERY filling. The first time I made this I was super starving and thought that the recipe would only serve 2, at most. Even with the best of intentions my handsome man and I could barely finish half this recipe.
I should warn you that it is not quite as crispy as it would be if it were coated in panko or breadcrumbs. Maybe that seems obvious to you, but I had my fingers crossed that it would be.
The almond meal does give the chicken a nice coating that adds extra flavor and helps all the delicious sauce to cling better.
Watch the Video How to Make Paleo Chicken Fingers {1 min}
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These guys have become a family favorite for us. We've made them many times over the past few years and never seem to tire of them. Our little girl loves them as much as we do.
I think the best part about them is that they taste like something that shouldn't be healthy. They're like your favorite deep-fried Honey Garlic Chicken Wings or breaded chicken nuggets dipped in a sweet sauce.
But these chicken fingers are neither of those things. These babies are HEALTHY. It's crazy, I know. It does my head in each time we eat them.
While these chicken tenders are delicious all on their own, they're also delicious dipped in a little paleo ranch dressing.
If you include a little dairy in your diet, some plain yogurt (is there really any other kind?) or sour cream on the side for dipping is nice, too.
Enjoy!
Update: since first making this Sweet and Spicy Paleo Chicken Fingers recipe, I've played around with other versions. This Paleo Honey Garlic Chicken Fingers recipe is amazing, too!
Your Paleo Chicken Fingers Game Plan:
- Pour some tapioca starch into a bowl, whip some eggs, and season some almond flour. Dip the chicken fingers from one bowl to the next. Set them aside and go relax.
- Put the chicken in the oven. Quick boil the honey, hot sauce, and garlic powder. Go relax some more. (Truth: you might want to put on some cauliflower rice and make a quick salad.)
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and put it back in the oven for a few minutes to caramelize the sauce.
- Dig in and watch the smiles spread across everyone's faces!
How to prevent the crust from falling off?
- Start with the best quality chicken you can afford. Cheap chicken is typically pumped full of water, making it look like it's better value than a smaller piece of chicken. The problem with this is that when the chicken cooks the water is released, and it pushes the crust off. Don't be fooled!
- Let the chicken sit for 30-60 minutes after you coat it in the almond flour; this helps to bind the crust together so that it sticks to the chicken.
- Make sure to shake any excess egg off the chicken before dipping it into the almond flour. You need some moisture to help it stick, but not so much that it causes the breading to fall off.
PS. If you're looking for some more deliciously paleo inspiration, make sure to check out the Paleo Recipe Category. While I'm not strictly paleo myself, I eat a grain-free, bean-free, sugar-free diet about 90% of the time and totally love it!
What to serve with baked paleo chicken tenders?
I often keep things super simple and serve a big green salad on the side. But sometimes it's nice to make this an even heartier meal. Here are some of our favorite sides:
- The Best Greek Salad (paleo if you skip the feta cheese)
- Asian Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Sweet and Spicy Yam Wedges
- Cajun Sweet Potato Fries
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Smoky Roast Potatoes
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popular Paleo Dinner Recipes:
- Creamy Paleo Cauliflower Soup with Bacon
- Paleo Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
- Coconut Thai Chicken Zoodle Soup
- Cashew Coconut Salmon Curry
- Perfect Baked Chicken Breasts
Sweet and Spicy Paleo Chicken Fingers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Ā½ cups almond meal (can use almond flour)
- Ā½ teaspoon sea salt
- Ā¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- Ā¼ cup tapioca or potato starch
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- Ā½ cup honey
- ā cup hot sauce (Franks or Tapatio work great)
- Ā½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Minced cilantro or parsley (for serving)
- Optional: paleo ranch for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the almond flour, sea salt, and pepper into a bowl and stir it together. Place the eggs in another bowl with a splash of water and whisk them.1 Ā½ cups almond meal, Ā½ teaspoon sea salt, Ā¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 large eggs
- Dip the chicken tenders, one at a time, into the tapioca or potato starch, then into the egg, and then into the almond flour. (Keeping one hand for the egg and one for the starch and flour makes this a lot less messy.) Lay the chicken tenders on the baking sheet.Ā¼ cup tapioca or potato starch, 1 lb chicken tenders
- *OPTIONAL STEP*: Let the chicken rest for 30-60 minutes in your fridge before you bake it. This step will help the crust to stick to the chicken.
- Bake the chicken for 25 minutes, or until it is crispy and beginning to look golden brown.
- While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce. In a small frying pan over high heat bring the honey, hot sauce and garlic powder to a boil then set it aside.Ā½ cup honey, ā cup hot sauce, Ā½ teaspoon garlic powder
- When the chicken has finished baking, remove it from the oven and turn the oven to broil. Dip each of the chicken tenders in the sauce then lay them back on the baking sheet. Save the extra sauce.
- Put the chicken back in the oven for 2-5 minutes for the glaze to caramelize slightly. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Baste the chicken with any extra sauce once they come out of the oven, sprinkle with some minced cilantro or parsley, and serve immediately.Optional: paleo ranch for dipping
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our paleo recipes!
Just made this for my fiancƩ and I this evening and holy moly!!!! Super DELICIOUS! Thank you for posting this easy and scrumptious recipe.
Thanks for making the recipe and for the feedback. I love this one, too!
I used coconut flour for the crust and arrowroot flour for the base and did not have the issues with the crust falling off like I did when I followed your directions for the almond flour. Just a tip!
That’s awesome! Thank you for the feedback!!
Yup! Me too. Just made them today! Delicious. (A little high in carbs, but totally worth it.)
So happy you like the recipe!
Dumb question when it calls for a 1lb of chicken tenders does that mean store bought frozen breaded chicken tenders or just sliced raw chicken?
Not a dumb question at all! I like to use raw chicken tenders – the little piece that is on the underside of the chicken breast. My local market sells them seperately but you could always just use chicken breasts and slice them. š
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! It looked so yummy, that I couldn’t help but take a bite the moment I took it out of the oven. I looked forward to serving this for dinner!
You are so welcome! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them!!
Do you by chance have the nutrition facts?
Hi Janessa,
I’ve just added them to the bottom of the recipe. I’m slowly adding nutritional facts to all the recipes on The Endless Meal so keep your eye out for more on the way. š
When it says one portion how many strips is that?
It’s for 1/4 of the recipe, or 1/4 lb. of chicken. I can’t say how many strips exactly since they can differ in size. When I buy chicken tenders I find the sizes vary a lot. Hope that helps a little!
These look delicious. Are they good for leftovers, do they reheat well? How long would they stay good in the fridge?
Thanks, Alex! I reheat them in the oven and they’re actually pretty good as leftovers too. Make sure to eat them within 2-3 days. š
These turned out GREAT! Thank you for the recipe.
You are so welcome!!! š
No cooked food, should be stored more than a maximum of 3 days in the fridge š
Hey Ole,
How long you can safely store cooked food depends on what it is. For chicken, the recommended maximum storage is 2-3 days. Other things, like bacon, can last up to a week.
Here’s a link to a handy chart that is used in the restaurant industry: http://www.foodsafe.ca/resources/storagetimes.pdf
Out of curiosity … does it say in this post or comments anywhere that the chicken can be stored longer? I can’t find anywhere, but I want to make sure I’m not missing something.
Looks great. Are you turning them over at any time in the oven, or bake them on the same side the whole time?
Thanks, Erin! Nope, I just leave them in the oven and don’t flip them. The ‘breading’ is a little delicate so I find it’s best just to put them in the oven and leave them alone. š
can i use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
I haven’t tried it myself but others have commented on here that they have used coconut flour with success. I’d love to hear if that modification works for you too!
I used coconut flour in place of almond flour and I think it came out great. I also used Frank’s sweet chili sauce for hot sauce, and I added some fresh garlic into the sauce too. I would definitely make this again.
Thank you so much for the update. I seriously appreciate it!
I love that you used sweet chili sauce instead … I bet it was extra delicious. š
This recipe was PHENOMENAL! I decreased the honey to a half a cup, but otherwise followed the directions and it was delicious. Even my super junk food eating husband and incredibly picky kids loved it. My husband loved it so much that he made sure there was enough for him to take to his friend to try. Thanks for this recipe; it’s a keeper
I’m so happy to hear you and your family loved this chicken. It’s one of my all-time favs!!
Disclaimer:Had screenshot the old recipe and didn’t see the good tips about the crust not falling off because that’s surely what happened.
However, the sauce was really good, and sweet with a spicy kick. Think I may have used too much franks. We used plain Greek yogurt as a dipping sauce and my daughter liked it. Will make again with the new updated recipe. I love recipes but hate to cook but glad I found it on Pinterest.
So happy to hear you liked the sauce! š
Unfortunately the breading on mine completely fell off so I couldn’t really dip them in the sauce. I just sort of poured it over the top of the strips.
Hi BP,
Thank you so much for your feedback!
I’ve just made some small changes to the original recipe, as well as added some tips in the post, that should help the breading stay on better next time. š
I’m making this now. it looks nothing like the pic. it looks oatmeal-ly in the oven
You’re actually totally right, almond meal can look a little oatmeal-y. I’ve even used it before to make a paleo version of oatmeal. š
Made these last week and the flavor was delicious!! One question though, I always seem to have a hard time with my breading staying on the chicken and not falling off, any tips!? Or happen to anyone else, I think I’m alone here! Thanks so much!
So happy liked the taste! The breading definitely doesn’t stick as well as more traditional breadcrumbs do. If I figure out how to make the almond meal stick as well as panko would I’ll definitely update.
I just wanted to reach out again and let you know that, after doing a little recipe testing, I’ve made some small changes to the original recipe that should help the breading stay on better. I’ve also added some tips about making the breading stick in the last paragraph of the post. š
I am the only one in my family that can’t have eggs. What would you recommend to help the almond meal stick and not change the flavor?(I can’t do dairy either) Would egg replacer help or no? I am new to this paleo thing due to my Rheumatoid Arthritis… getting the hang of baking and cooking differently. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Courtney,
I would try dipping it in some non-dairy milk and see if that works. Or maybe try a chia egg; they’re pretty sticky so that might be a good alternative too. š
Would love to hear if one of those alternatives worked for you!
This was delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re so welcome, Carly! So happy to hear you like it!!
Will definitely make these again because the flavor profile is definitely there. However I will need to adjust the cooking times for my oven. These started to burn in my oven on 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Once I added the glaze, it started to burn at the 2 minute mark. Some flavor still managed to shine through, so I know next time it’ll be awesome. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you so much for the feedback! Cooking times can sometimes be tough to gauge accurately as all our ovens are a little different. Not all ovens are the temp they say they are. I’ll make a note of that in the recipe. Thanks again!