This easy at-home chicken tender recipe will soon become your favorite option for lunch or dinner. Perfectly crispy without using conventional breadcrumbs!
I recommend making a double-batch; you'll find yourself eating leftovers for days – reheat them in the oven or toaster oven for the best texture.
This recipe also contains two of our Balanced Bites Spice Blends - TRIFECTA and SUPER TRIFECTA - which you can shop here!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cooking fat of choice
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon SUPER TRIFECTA or TRIFECTA spice blend
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 large eggs
- 2 pounds chicken tenders, see note
- Mustard for serving
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then place a wire baking rack on top of it and set aside.
Place a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Using just enough fat to coat the bottom of the pan, melt the cooking fat and allow it to become hot (but not smoking), about 5 minutes. While the fat is heating up, bread the chicken.
Create a breading station for the chicken: In a large shallow bowl or dish, whisk the coconut, coconut flour, and spices until well combined. In a second large shallow bowl or dish, whisk the eggs until well beaten.
Dip a piece of chicken into the egg to coat it completely, allowing excess egg to drip off. Next, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture to coat it completely, gently shaking off any excess. Repeat this process for all the nuggets.
Working in batches, place the chicken tenders in the hot pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the breading has turned golden brown, adding more cooking fat to the pan as needed. Transfer the browned chicken to the wire rack on the baking sheet and space them out evenly.
Once all of the chicken has been browned, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Serve with mustard on the side.
Notes
If you can’t find precut chicken tenders, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced into roughly 1 by 4-inch strips.
CHANGE IT UP
Use your favorite spice blend - I also love to make these with SUPER GARLIC, SUPER ONION, RANCH, and DINER blend as well!