These baked paleo chicken tenders are made with organic chicken, almond meal, shredded coconut and a blend of spices. They’re absolutely delicious high in protein, low carb and whole30 approved.
A couple months ago I was in New York for an event and asked my friend, Kris for a few restaurant recommendations. One of her top suggestions was Hu Kitchen so I ended up there for dinner one evening. Rather than a sit-down restaurant, Hu is a quick dine-in or take-out spot. You simply order at the counter, grab your food, pay and then find a spot to enjoy your meal. Their menu is completely gluten-free and features all real food. <– Right up my alley!
That evening I decided to get the Sides Matter with root vegetable mash, roasted cauliflower and roasted sweet potatoes along with a few baked chicken tenders. The chicken tenders were from the prepared food section so they were served cold, but they were still crazy good.
Once home I had a craving for the chicken tenders and since Richmond doesn’t have a Hu Kitchen (yet!) I decided to make my own homemade version.
I knew it wouldn’t be too hard because I’ve made baked chicken tenders before. The only difference is that these chicken tenders are paleo and grain-free so the crust is made with almond meal instead of rice cereal and an egg instead of Greek yogurt. Easy peasy!
It took me a couple weeks but I finally got around to making them and they turned out to be REALLY good — crispy, flavorful and just as delicious as I remember them being at Hu.
Isaac and I ate them with honey mustard the first night and then I put the leftover tenders on salad for lunch the next day.
It was absolutely delish!! I already want to make another batch of the tenders (and these sesame roasted carrots) just so I can have this salad again.
One quick note — the Hu Kitchen chicken tenders don’t have coconut, I just decided to add a little unsweetened shredded coconut to my recipe for added flavor and crunch. If you want to stick with the traditional version or simply don’t like coconut, just use 1/4 cup more almond meal instead of the shredded coconut.
Inspired by the chicken tenders from Hu Kitchen in New York, these baked chicken tenders are made with organic chicken, almond meal and a blend of spices. They’re paleo, packed with protein and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
1 lb organic boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 egg
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (or 1/4 cup more almond meal)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Place almond meal, coconut, paprika, cayenne, garlic, sea salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
Crack egg into another shallow bowl and whisk.
One by one, dredge each chicken tender in the egg bowl, wiping off any access and then dip each into the almond meal mixture. Roll until each tender is covered completely. Place the coated tenders on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or a wire rack that fits on a baking sheet. The wire rack will make for a crispier texture. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the tenders once at the 10 minute mark. When done the chicken tenders will be golden brown and completely cooked through. Remove tenders from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Inspired by the Baked Organic Chicken Tenders at Hu Kitchen.
I hope you like these baked paleo chicken tenders much as we do. If you happen to try them, please let me know in the comment section or share a photo via social media. Don’t forget to tag me (@eatingbirdfood) so that I see it. You have no idea how excited I get when you make my recipes. <3
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My 5 1/2 year year old son has NEVER liked chicken fingers. Literally refuses to eat them. I have tried several times making
my own and he still refuses. He ate ALL of these (I gave him three fairly large ones). He told me they were “delicious” and he can’t wait to eat more. Thank you 😊!!!
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Kate. I’m so glad these chicken tenders were a hit!! Thanks for making my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. 🙂
These are delicious and satisfying! Even my husband loves them. After one time making these yummy chicken tenders, we printed an official copy to add to our cookbook. Thank you for making this healthy alternative recipe! It’s genius!
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Jessica! I’m so glad these tenders were a hit. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. <3
Great recipe! Very easy!! I can’t seem to get the crispness that I was hoping for. I even cooked for an extra 7 minutes. Any input would be appreciated.I’ll definitely be making them again!’
Hi Brittany! Loved your recipe, but alas, I had to make a few changes, lol, i.e. fix my mistakes…😏 So I made a Mexican herbed marinade, used lemon juice n olive oil, then the pain hit, n it ended up sitting in the frig overnight uncovered…It was really thick but fine, cut it up, breaded it, it’s baking now…I used your coconut flakes n almond flour, but also added some ground up walnuts, so fingers crossed! Thank you for your recipes, much peace n love…😏❤🕊💚✌
I love this recipe!! So easy and delicious, I come back to it time and time again. I need to invest in a baking rack so I can get these extra crispy! Great recipe.
Hey Brandy – I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how the tenders would turn out. I have seen people use full-fat canned coconut milk as a sub for eggs when breading chicken. Let me know if you try it.
I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoy this recipe!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. The ratings are super helpful to other readers, so I really appreciate it. <3
Yayy!! Thanks for trying this recipe, Rebecca. I’m so glad you enjoyed the tenders! And thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me! <3
I’m so glad you liked the tenders, Cristin. And I so appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a star rating on the recipe. The ratings are super helpful!
Hi Garnett. I’m not sure if you’re trying to keep these paleo, but if not you could use bread crumbs. Another option is to try my chicken tenders that use brown rice crisp cereal for the coating. I shared this recipe over on myfitnesspal: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/crispy-baked-chicken-tenders/ You might just want to leave out the hot sauce since you’re making them for your daughter. Hope this helps.
“The chicken is not dry!” My husband blurted out after his first bite. We were out of paprika so I used some chipotle powder and I made extra for a salad to take to work tomorrow. Great recipe, thanks!
I loved this recipe! I’m usually not a huge chicken fan but am trying to incorporate more of it into my diet for a boost of lean protein, which means I’m on the hunt for flavor filled, versatile recipes. I can’t wait to work these into my meal prep regularly and use them for salads, grain bowls, and more. Thanks so much for sharing this one.
We make these regularly for our girls. I like to double the recipe so hubby has leftovers for lunch. Another neat trick is to make an extra batch of the breading and cut up an extra batch of chicken for an easy throw together meal on a night you don’t have a lot of time. Thank you so much for this wonderful, kid friendly, leftover friendly and freezer friendly meal!!
Yay!! So glad that you and your family like these chicken tenders and I love the make-ahead trick you shared too! I’m actually working on a new chicken parm recipe with these.
Hello, My husband and I just started the Paleo diet. We are having great success with all the meals we’ve been making. I was so excited to find the Baked Paleo Chicken Tenders recipe. I am making this recipe for my husband tonight for dinner along with a Paleo friendly mustard dipping sauce and a Paleo Salad. Thank you for posting this…
Going to try these tonight, but one of my kids doesn’t like spicy food, so i was wondering about the spice level? maybe i will omit the cayenne even though i LOVE spicy…
I love these chicken tenders. I’ve done the recipe straight up, and then done different variations, using smoked paprika, etc. Also, once I realized I didn’t have almond meal when it was too late to run out and get it, so I used panko. I know they weren’t then paleo, but they still tasted good.
Made these tonight and the family loved them!! I made a double recipe so the kids could take them to school for lunch. Great recipe as I’m really trying to eat clean and feed the family delicious nutritious meals.
When I was preggers, I craved chicken strips all the time — and apparently that hasn’t changed! These look SO good. Is it kinda bad I want to dunk one in a milkshake or slather it with honey? Yum!
I definitely want to try these! I was diagnosed with celiac disease in March, and I’ve been missing chicken tenders as my go-to restaurant meal! I’m just a kid at heart ; )
I make a recipe similar to this for the little girl I nanny and she loves them!! Always gobbles them up and they are WAY better for her than those frozen things 🙂 She also loves helping to bread them…even though she doesn’t want to get her hands dirty 😉
These look so good and definitely a recipe I need to try. I tend to get stuck in such a rut with how I make chicken, meat, etc. but this looks like a twist that is both tasty and easy!!
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If I use 2 lbs of chicken should I cook it for 40 minutes? I plan on doubling the recipe.
Hey Ginger – 20 minutes should still be fine if you use 2 lbs, you might just need a second pan for cooking.
My 5 1/2 year year old son has NEVER liked chicken fingers. Literally refuses to eat them. I have tried several times making
my own and he still refuses. He ate ALL of these (I gave him three fairly large ones). He told me they were “delicious” and he can’t wait to eat more. Thank you 😊!!!
★★★★★
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Kate. I’m so glad these chicken tenders were a hit!! Thanks for making my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. 🙂
These are delicious and satisfying! Even my husband loves them. After one time making these yummy chicken tenders, we printed an official copy to add to our cookbook. Thank you for making this healthy alternative recipe! It’s genius!
★★★★★
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Jessica! I’m so glad these tenders were a hit. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. <3
Can you use almond flour instead of the almond meal?
★★★★★
Hey Kayla – That should work just fine. 🙂 Let me know if you try it and how they turn out!
Great recipe! Very easy!! I can’t seem to get the crispness that I was hoping for. I even cooked for an extra 7 minutes. Any input would be appreciated.I’ll definitely be making them again!’
★★★★★
You could try broiling them for a few minutes to get the crispy outside, but just keep an eye on them because you don’t want to overcook them.
I have made these twice. Each time they came out delicious! Thank you for the yummy 😋recipe!
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Anne-Marie! Thanks for taking the time to come back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Hello! Could you cook these in the air fryer instead? If so, for how long and what temp? Thanks!
Hey Kara! I haven’t tried these in the air fryer, but I’m sure you could! Let me know if you try it and how they turn out. 🙂
Hi Brittany! Loved your recipe, but alas, I had to make a few changes, lol, i.e. fix my mistakes…😏 So I made a Mexican herbed marinade, used lemon juice n olive oil, then the pain hit, n it ended up sitting in the frig overnight uncovered…It was really thick but fine, cut it up, breaded it, it’s baking now…I used your coconut flakes n almond flour, but also added some ground up walnuts, so fingers crossed! Thank you for your recipes, much peace n love…😏❤🕊💚✌
★★★★★
Ahh let me know how they end up turning out for you!!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe
Really good! Very easy to put together also!
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Leah. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
This was delicious!
A great healthy alternative for chicken tenders!
The recipe was super easy and quick to make.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Love this recipe. Easy, delicious, and healthy. A weekly staple in my house!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you’re a fan of this recipe, Rachel!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. <3
I love this recipe!! So easy and delicious, I come back to it time and time again. I need to invest in a baking rack so I can get these extra crispy! Great recipe.
Great recipe!! will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kim!! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Think this would work with almond milk in place of egg?
Hey Brandy – I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how the tenders would turn out. I have seen people use full-fat canned coconut milk as a sub for eggs when breading chicken. Let me know if you try it.
Love this recipe!
Question, 1/4 serving size, what’s the conversion? I’m trying to log my calories but recipe isn’t an option.
★★★★★
Hey Jolee – I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy this recipe! If you use 1 lb of chicken breast one serving would be 1/4 pound. Hopefully that helps. 🙂
Love this so much. My husband ask for it all the time and I like that it’s Paleo . Thank you so much!!!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoy this recipe!! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. The ratings are super helpful to other readers, so I really appreciate it. <3
This recipe was super easy. So delicious and yummy. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try more recipes.
★★★★★
Yayy!! Thanks for trying this recipe, Rebecca. I’m so glad you enjoyed the tenders! And thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me! <3
These were easy to make and delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked the tenders, Cristin. And I so appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a star rating on the recipe. The ratings are super helpful!
I would love to make these, but my daughter has a tree nut allergy. I saw someone made them with sunflowerseed meal. Any other ideas for a substitute?
Hi Garnett. I’m not sure if you’re trying to keep these paleo, but if not you could use bread crumbs. Another option is to try my chicken tenders that use brown rice crisp cereal for the coating. I shared this recipe over on myfitnesspal: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/crispy-baked-chicken-tenders/ You might just want to leave out the hot sauce since you’re making them for your daughter. Hope this helps.
So tasty!! I don’t like too much spice so I halved the cayenne and it still had a good kick! I also double breaded them! Turned out UH-MAZING!
★★★★★
Can’t wait to try paleo chicken nuggets.
Just a suggestion. I plan to read most of plan quickly and then organize a week of meal plans and shopping list. Then start program.
★★★★★
Hi, sounds great I’m going to try it, is it freezeable though? I guess it is however let me know your thoughts please please ?
Thank you
I’ve never had a change to freeze them (we usually eat them all up), but I would assume that they freeze well. Let me know if you try it.
This was sooo good! I literally ate 3 pieces before I even sat down for dinner. Thank you so much for another delicious, healthy recipe 🙂
★★★★★
“The chicken is not dry!” My husband blurted out after his first bite. We were out of paprika so I used some chipotle powder and I made extra for a salad to take to work tomorrow. Great recipe, thanks!
★★★★★
Hooray!! So glad you both enjoyed these. They’re a favorite over here too! 🙂
Great recipe – these turned out perfectly! Very yummy!
I loved this recipe! I’m usually not a huge chicken fan but am trying to incorporate more of it into my diet for a boost of lean protein, which means I’m on the hunt for flavor filled, versatile recipes. I can’t wait to work these into my meal prep regularly and use them for salads, grain bowls, and more. Thanks so much for sharing this one.
We make these regularly for our girls. I like to double the recipe so hubby has leftovers for lunch. Another neat trick is to make an extra batch of the breading and cut up an extra batch of chicken for an easy throw together meal on a night you don’t have a lot of time. Thank you so much for this wonderful, kid friendly, leftover friendly and freezer friendly meal!!
Yay!! So glad that you and your family like these chicken tenders and I love the make-ahead trick you shared too! I’m actually working on a new chicken parm recipe with these.
Hello, My husband and I just started the Paleo diet. We are having great success with all the meals we’ve been making. I was so excited to find the Baked Paleo Chicken Tenders recipe. I am making this recipe for my husband tonight for dinner along with a Paleo friendly mustard dipping sauce and a Paleo Salad. Thank you for posting this…
These are so so delicious!!! We’re doing Whole30 and they were such a nice change from roasted chicken. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
★★★★
Also, I tried to give 5 stars but my phone wasn’t having it. Definitely a 5 star recipe!!
Thank you so much, Anne!!
Going to try these tonight, but one of my kids doesn’t like spicy food, so i was wondering about the spice level? maybe i will omit the cayenne even though i LOVE spicy…
Yeah! I would just omit the cayenne. Let me know how they turn out. 🙂
I love these chicken tenders. I’ve done the recipe straight up, and then done different variations, using smoked paprika, etc. Also, once I realized I didn’t have almond meal when it was too late to run out and get it, so I used panko. I know they weren’t then paleo, but they still tasted good.
★★★★★
These are amazing & have become a regular in my house! Any idea if they would freeze well after baking? Thanks!
★★★★★
Made these tonight and the family loved them!! I made a double recipe so the kids could take them to school for lunch. Great recipe as I’m really trying to eat clean and feed the family delicious nutritious meals.
Loved these! I have a nut allergy, so I made Sunflower Seed meal to substitute and it turned out great!
Woo-hoo! So glad that they turned out with sunflower seed meal. I didn’t even know sunflower seed meal was a thing.
How easy! Can’t wait to try
Yay! Let me know how they turn out if you try them.
When I was preggers, I craved chicken strips all the time — and apparently that hasn’t changed! These look SO good. Is it kinda bad I want to dunk one in a milkshake or slather it with honey? Yum!
Umm, yes!! Sounds like my childhood in a nutshell. I never ate chicken nuggets without honey!
I definitely want to try these! I was diagnosed with celiac disease in March, and I’ve been missing chicken tenders as my go-to restaurant meal! I’m just a kid at heart ; )
Love these! I have not had a chicken tender in FOREVER. Almond meal is always awesome to cook with for sure.
I make a recipe similar to this for the little girl I nanny and she loves them!! Always gobbles them up and they are WAY better for her than those frozen things 🙂 She also loves helping to bread them…even though she doesn’t want to get her hands dirty 😉
On my list to make this weekend. Love this is low carb! Going to try with a tahini honey mustard dressing. Sound good?
Mmmm these look delicious!
These look so good and definitely a recipe I need to try. I tend to get stuck in such a rut with how I make chicken, meat, etc. but this looks like a twist that is both tasty and easy!!
Ohh these look yummy! I love chicken tenders!
Wow, these look like naughty fried chicken tenders. I want to try this recipe!