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!
I truly canāt say enough good things about this recipe! Tonight was our second time making the chicken tenders and they were even better than the first time! This time we ensured to shake off the excess egg and let the tenders rest in the fridge for an hour which really helped the breading stay together! Thank you so much! This is a forever staple in our home now!
That is so great to hear! If you ever want to switch it up a little I have a recipe for Paleo Honey Garlic Chicken Fingers that is similar but with more of a sweet garlicky sauce. š
These were ah-maaaazing! Is there nutrient nfo anywhere? I canāt seem to find it, even though I bought I saw it yesterday..
I’m so happy you like them! Sometimes the nutritional label takes a few minutes to pop up. One serving has 491 calories, in case that’s the number you were after. š
Hello! What would you consider an average serving for that calorie counts – like 4 tenders?
It would be a quarter of the recipe, or 1/4 lb of chicken tenders. Depending on how big they are it will probably be 3-4 tenders. š
This chicken is ridiculous in the best way possible. I thought it might be too spicy but itās the perfect balance. Will be making this often!
Haha what a great compliment! I’m so happy you liked it!
Iāve made these three times in the last few weeks and I know weāll make them plenty more. Thank you for a healthy recipe my kids will actually eat!
Yay! It makes me so happy to hear the recipe is a hit!
This is the best chicken recipe ever. My kids go absolutely crazy for it!
I’m so happy you and your kids like the recipe as much as we do!!
Question about the honey, do you use the honey you squeeze from a bottle or raw honey from a jar?
Either would work in this recipe. š
Just made it for dinner and we all loved it.. Will definitely be making this again?
I’m so happy to hear you like this recipe! Hooray!!
Hi Kristen,
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
My husband is gluten free (sensitive) and so is my daughter, but we love all the tasty foods we grew up with.
I’m always on the look out for a recipe like this where my family can enjoy their favorite sour and spicy chicken without the use of gluten items. Not all recipes I try come out successful, and I (and my family) was so thrilled when this came out just the way I imagine and better!
This has been my go-to recipe for a game night and has been used multiple times since the discovery!
Since the readers of my blog are also paleo and gluten-free, I shared your chicken recipe with them (here: http://fitwirr.com/health/tips/paleo-recipes) in hope that they’ll find it useful and love it just as much as me.
Just wanted to say thank you, and look forward to more of your awesome recipes!
Best,
Misato
I’m so happy to hear you and your family like the recipe! And thank you so much for sharing the link with your followers. You are a rockstar!
This is by far my favorite Paleo recipe I’ve found!! The sauce is to die for! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you like it!!
Is there a way to do this without the tapioca flour step? My Son cant have any type of starch at all. Also, would this be possible to do in a deep fryer, or would the breading just fall off?
You can leave out the tapioca and the recipe will still work, although it may not stick as well to the chicken. Although I’ve never tried deep frying these, I have a feeling the breading would fall off. Maybe start with just one small piece and see how it goes. You can always bake them if the deep fryer doesn’t work!
I NEVER comment on recipes, but OMG this was amazing!! Thank you for this recipe… I may be making this weekly from now on! I used the shake n’ bake bag method than another commenter described and arrowroot as a base instead of the tapioca and it was perfect.
Hooray! You just made my day. I’m so happy you liked the recipe!!
This is one of our all time favorite Paleo recipes! It is seriously so good. I can call this fried chicken and it actually tastes like it. One word of advice- do like shake ‘n bake! I put the chicken in a bag and shake it all around then add the arrowroot powder and shake/roll around. Then add the Almond flour mixture and shake/roll. It coats it amazingly well, and is so much easier! My husband LOVES it and requests this about once a week. We like to do it over salad and use any extra sauce as a spicy dressing! Thanks for the AWESOME recipe! š
{I never comment on recipes, but I had to on this one, it is that good}
Thank you so much, Mel! Your comment just made my day! And great tip about shaking it in a bag … I’m doing that next time!
My breaking is falling off:( what am I doing wrong?
Did you follow the directions exactly?
I recommend salting the chicken both sides and let rest at least 30 minutes between plastic wrap. Then pat the chicken dry with paper towels and proceed. The salt will draw out the excess water, this works for any chicken recipe where crispy crunchy coating is desired.
That’s a great tip. I’ll have to try it next time I make this. š
Hello from Texas! I made these chicken fingers tonight and they were delicious! It was my first ever Paleo recipe. My husband is a very picky eater and loved them, too. Thanks for taking the time to create and share your recipe! It’s in my meal rotation now.
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy to hear that both you and your husband loved them!!
Oh my gosh! I’m obsessed with these. These will be a staple in my house for sure. I followed all of the optional steps and they turned out perfect. The broiling at the end is key!
We’re pretty obsessed with them here, too! So happy you like them!!