***Recipe courtesy of our awesome friends at PaleoHacks***

Take your childhood favorite to new heights with these crispy chicken tenders coated in a tangy, peppery crust!

 Chicken tenders get a grown-up makeover in this easy recipe. To keep things gluten-free, we use blanched almond flour instead of all-purpose flour. Instead of deep-frying in oil, we crisp up our chicken tenders right in the oven until they reach golden brown perfection. This Paleo recipe will please adults and kids alike and makes a terrific high-protein snack or appetizer.

The coating for the chicken tenders is full of flavor, but requires just one spice in your pantry: Ava Jane’s Citrus Salt and Pepper seasoning. You’ll get a bright and peppery blend of lemon and orange peel, garlic, and onion that adds lots of zip to plain chicken. The Citrus Salt and Pepper blend also tastes great on shrimp and fish.

To make the chicken tenders crispy, we bake them for 15 minutes on each side for even browning. Then, we serve them up with a savory honey mustard dipping sauce that complements the zesty flavor of the chicken tenders. We love making our own homemade dipping sauces, because it helps you cut back on added sugar while greatly improving the quality!

Tips

• Start by trimming off any white tendons on the chicken for the most tender end result.
• If chicken tenders aren’t available, simply slice 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast into strips.
• You can substitute other gluten-free flours for the almond flour, like cashew or macadamia nut flours.
• To turn this recipe into a full meal, serve alongside grilled vegetables like asparagus or a large salad.
• The sauce can be prepared a day ahead of time so it’s ready to go.

Prep time- 10 minutes

Cook time- 30 minutes

Total time- 40 minutes

Serves- 2

Tools

Medium baking sheet

2 shallow bowls

Parchment paper

Small mixing bowl

Ingredients

 For the Chicken Tenders:

1 lb pasture-raised chicken tenders

1 large pasture-raised egg, beaten

½ cup blanched almond flour

2 T Ava Jane’s Citrus Salt and Pepper Seasoning

For the Honey Mustard Dip:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 T yellow mustard

1 T raw honey

½ t paprika

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Crack an egg in a shallow bowl. Stir together Ava Jane’s seasoning with almond flour in a separate shallow bowl.
3. Blot chicken tenders with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Dip each chicken tender in the egg mixture followed by the almond flour mixture. Shake off the excess and place onto a baking sheet.
4. When all the chicken is dredged, bake for 30 minutes, flipping each chicken tender halfway through cooking.
5. Meanwhile, stir together the ingredients for the sauce in a small mixing bowl. Serve your chicken tenders hot with honey mustard sauce on the side for dipping.

Easy to download PDF: Citrus Salt and Pepper Chicken Tenders

Visit PaleoHacks.com for more Paleo friendly recipes!!