I don’t know a single person who doesn’t go as giddy as a five-year-old over chicken tenders and fries. There’s something so nostalgic about “fried” chicken and something so whimsical about eating an entire meal with your hands. These Paleo Chicken Tenders + Fries will evoke any and all of the sweet emotions associated with the tried + true classics (except the gluten brain fog + the fried food tummy aches.)
As Good as McDonalds?
When I set out to create this recipe, I knew I wanted a chicken tender that could rival my husband’s favourite restaurant – McDonalds. It’s a bit hilarious that I harp on + on about “real food” while my other half is happiest with a chicken legend in his right hand. But, my whole entire food philosophy is about creating the diet + lifestyle that works best for you. And I hold to that truth for Mark, even if his best life includes a Mcflurry and fries.
While I’m very happy for Mark to enjoy his McDonald’s chicken strips, I’m not able to partake in them with him. They boast a loooonnnnggg ingredient list full of items that I can hardly pronounce, let alone be happy to ingest. And so, I decided to create my own Paleo, Whole30, Grain-free version that we could happily share for dinner in the comforts of our very own home.
Paleo Ingredients for Crispy Tenders
To start with, we use some very basic ingredients. Naturally, for chicken tenders, we’ll need chicken. I sometimes purchase pre-chopped tenders, but you can just as easily buy a chicken breast + slice it into whatever sized shapes you like. It’s absolutely up to you!
To create the dreamy, crunchy coating that’s so essential to the perfect tender, we’re using a blend of both almond + coconut flour. The coconut flour is great for absorbing moisture, ensuring a crisp coating, but the almond flour creates the real crunch when it comes in contact with a high roasting temperature. Together, these two form the paleo chicken tender dream team. They mimic a wheat flour breading beautifully, but also bring all sorts of healthy fats + minerals to the table.
For the necessary side-kick to the tenders, we’re simply throwing the same, spice mixture onto some white potatoes. You can’t have chicken tenders without fries, can you? Paleo chicken tenders AND fries – they’re like batman + robin. I prefer to use Maris Pipers for fries, but any white potato should do (russet potatoes are great too!). If you have access to an air fryer, USE IT. An air fryer revolutionises the french fry game. But don’t worry if you don’t have one, they cook up beautifully in the oven too. They’ll just take a bit longer.
How to Make Paleo Chicken Tenders + Fries
Turning raw chicken into the tenders that we know and love is a really easy process. The different elements of the crust (coconut flour, eggs, and almond flour) are emptied into different bowls into which we’ll dunk + dredge the chicken.
Once you have the tenders in the shape you like, simply dip them into the coconut flour and salt. Putting the salt in the first layer of the breading means that it really impacts + flavours the meat. All that we want from this first step is a light dusting of coconut flour, just enough to absorb the moisture on the chicken + to give the egg something to stick to.
Next, drop the tender into the whisked eggs and give it a toss. The egg will bind to the coconut flour and give the almond flour something wet to stick to. Make sure to let the access egg drip off of the chicken before transferring it to the almond flour bowl. Once in the almond flour, really press the crumb into the outside of the chicken. You’re looking for a thorough covering to ensure maximum crisp + delight.
Then, throw the prepared chicken tenders + potatoes into a hot oven or a hot air fryer to cook them to crunchy completion. And with little more work than a turn over midway through cooking, you’ll end up with the most delicious, crisp, breaded paleo chicken tenders and fries.
This dish is husband approved, child approved, dietary restriction approved, heart + tummy approved. They are absolutely perfect. Serve them up with a side of my Best Salad Ever + you’ll be living the dinner time dream! (If you’re really feeling a real food, real reward meal, add these paleo fudge brownies to this list for dessert. #winning)
If you make any of my recipes, if you’re AT ALL sceptical about eating real food, please, please, please start with this one. It’s easy to make + even easier to eat. Honestly, if you don’t tell them it’s healthy, they probably won’t even know! When you do bite into your crunchy, lovely tender, I’d love to know what you think. Comment down below + let me know if they live up to the hype or tag me in your photos on instagram. I love hearing your feedback!
Paleo Chicken Tenders + Fries with Awesome Sauce
Ingredients
Chicken Tenders + Fries
- 1.5-2 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders
- 1 pound white potatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp paprika (optional)
- 2 tsp dried parsley (optional)
- 2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut/olive/avocado oil
Awesome Sauce
- 1/4 cup avocado mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions
- For the air fryer method, preheat your air fryer to 400f or 200c.
- Chop the potatoes into fries or wedges. Toss with the olive oil and 1 tsp of salt, paprika, garlic powder and parsley.
- Place the fries into the air fryer + cook them for roughly 15-20 minutes, shaking halfway through. You can keep them warm in the oven while you prepare and cook the chicken!
- Prepare a "dredging" station for the chicken by placing three bowls or shallow dishes next to eat other. In the first bowl, place the coconut flour + 1 tsp salt. In the second bowl, crack both eggs and whisk them together. In the third bowl, mix together the almond flour and remaining spices.
- Take each chicken tender and dip it into the coconut flour until covered. Then, drop it into the egg mixture. Once coated, drip off the excess and move it to the almond flour. Be sure to really press the almond flour onto the outside of the chicken. It needs to have a thick, thorough coating.
- Once the chicken tenders are all dredged, either place them side by side in the basket of the air fryer. Cook them for roughly 8 minutes, flipping once halfway.
Oven Cooking Instructions
- For oven cooking, preheat the oven to 400f or 200c. Prepare a roasting pan by placing a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. This will allow the hot air to circulate + will ensure crispy chicken tenders.
- Chop the potatoes into fries or wedges. Toss with the olive oil and 1 tsp of salt, garlic powder and parsley and 1/2 tsp of paprika.
- Prepare a "dredging" station for the chicken by placing three bowls or shallow dishes next to eat other. In the first bowl, place the coconut flour + 1 tsp salt. In the second bowl, crack both eggs and whisk them together. In the third bowl, mix together the almond flour and remaining spices.
- Take each chicken tender and dip it into the coconut flour until covered. Then, drop it into the egg mixture. Once coated, drip off the excess and move it to the almond flour. Be sure to really press the almond flour onto the outside of the chicken. It needs to have a thick, thorough coating.
- Place the french fries in a single, flat layer on top of the cooling rack. If there's room, add the chicken or add the chicken to its own baking sheet on its own cooling rack. The potatoes will take roughly 25-30 minuntes to cook, depending on their size. The chicken tenders will be perfectly golden brown + juicy in 13-15.
Awesome Sauce
- Simply stir all of the ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Dip the chicken + the fries to your heart's content.
These. Are. Amazing!!!!! Just made these for our Sunday dinner, and my husband said they were way better than “normal” fried chicken! I added some cayenne to our almond flour mixture to give it some spice, and it seriously couldn’t of turned out better! Thanks for this delicious, easy recipe!
Kassie, this comment could make me cry!! Thank you so much for your sweet review and for trying these out. I’m SO glad they’re hubby approved 😉