Almond Flour Chicken Tenders with Spinach Salad
Almond Flour Chicken Tenders with Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Almond Flour Chicken Tenders
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 eggs, large, beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, for cooking
For the Spinach Salad
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 romaine lettuce, head, chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
For the Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) if baking, or prepare a large skillet over medium-high heat with avocado oil if pan-frying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for baking.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 400
- 2
Pat the chicken strips dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, garlic powder, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk the eggs in a separate shallow dish.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Dip each chicken strip first into the beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the almond flour mixture, pressing to ensure it's fully coated. Place the breaded tenders on a clean plate.
⏱️ 10 min
- 4
To bake: Arrange the breaded chicken tenders in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F). To pan-fry: Heat 1/4 cup avocado oil in the skillet. Cook tenders in batches for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Add more oil if needed.
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 400
- 5
While the chicken cooks, prepare the salad. In a large salad bowl, combine the baby spinach, chopped romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and thinly sliced red onion. Add the chopped pecans.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, optional honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
⏱️ 3 min
- 7
Once the chicken tenders are cooked, let them rest for a few minutes. Drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Serve the warm almond flour chicken tenders alongside the fresh spinach salad.
⏱️ 2 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Almond Flour Chicken Tenders with Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Almond Flour Chicken Tenders
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 eggs, large, beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, for cooking
For the Spinach Salad
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 romaine lettuce, head, chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
For the Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) if baking, or prepare a large skillet over medium-high heat with avocado oil if pan-frying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for baking.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 400 - 2
Pat the chicken strips dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, garlic powder, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk the eggs in a separate shallow dish.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Dip each chicken strip first into the beaten egg, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge thoroughly in the almond flour mixture, pressing to ensure it's fully coated. Place the breaded tenders on a clean plate.
⏱️ 10 min - 4
To bake: Arrange the breaded chicken tenders in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F). To pan-fry: Heat 1/4 cup avocado oil in the skillet. Cook tenders in batches for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Add more oil if needed.
⏱️ 20 min•🌡️ 400 - 5
While the chicken cooks, prepare the salad. In a large salad bowl, combine the baby spinach, chopped romaine lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and thinly sliced red onion. Add the chopped pecans.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, optional honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
⏱️ 3 min - 7
Once the chicken tenders are cooked, let them rest for a few minutes. Drizzle the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Serve the warm almond flour chicken tenders alongside the fresh spinach salad.
⏱️ 2 min