This meal is sure to please kids and adults alike! This lighter take on your classic fried chicken tenders uses a simple spiced almond and coconut coating and get baked in the oven until golden brown. It gets served with a zippy honey mustard and/or ketchup (I highly suggest both).
I love the lightness and simplicity of this meal, but you can easily add some roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes to make it a bit more hearty.
Ingredient highlight
Apple cider Vinegar! Is one of my favorite all purpose vinegars for dressings, slaws, and pickling. It’s made by fermenting apple juice, turning the sugars to alcohol.
It’s become popular for its potential digestive benefits and for blood sugar regulation. It may help with bloating when eaten before or with a meal for people with low stomach acid, though most evidence is anecdotal. It also may help reduce your body’s blood sugar response to carbohydrate-rich meals. Read more about it here.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 20 minutes 
Total Time 30 minutes Ingredients
For the chicken tenders:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup raw almonds
- ½ cup coconut flakes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ lb chicken tenders*
- Ketchup for serving (optional)
For the slaw:
- 4 cups thinly sliced veggies (cabbage, carrot, kale, etc…)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the honey mustard**:
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- *Or use chicken breast, sliced into tender-sized pieces. Ask your butcher to do this for you if they don’t sell tenders.
- **Skip the honey mustard and use ketchup (or both)!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F convection or 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle with the olive oil and use a pastry brush or your fingers to spread it around to coat the parchment.
- Add the almonds, coconut flakes, spices and salt to your blender and blend into a fine meal. Reserve a scant 1 cup and add the rest to a large plate or shallow bowl.
- Add egg to another shallow bowl and whisk thoroughly. Dip the chicken in the egg (shake off any excess) and then into the almond coating. Use a spoon to roll/coat the tenders with the almond mixture. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken. Add more almond coating if you start running low.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottoms.
- In a large bowl, add the vegetables and herbs and toss with vinegar and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey mustard ingredients until combined.
- Serve chicken tenders with slaw and honey mustard for dipping.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Make chicken coating
- Prep the thinly sliced veggies
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian: substitute with tofu (drained and pressed) cut into long slabs (for dipping).
- To make vegan: substitute maple syrup for honey.
- Try it with flaky white fish (like cod) instead of chicken.
- To make nut-free, try blending sunflower or pumpkin seeds with the coconut.
- Add some roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes (cut into a “french fry” shape) to make it a heartier meal.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge
- Chicken tenders: up to 4 days
- Slaw: up to 5 days
- Honey mustard: up to 2 weeks
- Leftover almond coating: store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up the tenders in the microwave. Serve with slaw and mustard and/or ketchup.
- Save any leftover almond coating to make another batch or try it with a flaky white fish!
- Toast the almond coating in a pan with some oil until browned for a crunchy, salty, nutty topper for salads or bowls.
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