Almond-crusted chicken tenders with honey mustard

Name: Almond-crusted chicken tenders with honey mustard
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb chicken breast, tenders, or breasts cut in strips; 2 1/2 tbsp tapioca starch (tapioca flour); 1 egg; 2 egg whites; 3/4 cup almond flour; 1 tsp paprika, smoked if you have it; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 3/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil, to brush or spray; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 3 tbsp yellow mustard; 2 tbsp honey; 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Juicy chicken tenders in a golden, crunchy coat of almond flour and smoked paprika, baked on a rack so the crust stays crisp all round. A sharp, sticky honey mustard made in a minute goes alongside for dunking. Kids and grown-ups will reach for the same plate.

Time: 40 min (20 prep + 20 cook)
Servings: 4
Per serving: 483 kcal
Protein: 50 g

Servings4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb chicken breast, tenders, or breasts cut in strips
2 1/2 tbsp tapioca starch (tapioca flour)
1 egg
2 egg whites
3/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp paprika, smoked if you have it
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil, to brush or spray

Honey mustard

2 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Steps

Heat the oven to 425°F. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and brush it with a little of the oil.
Pat the chicken dry. Set out three shallow bowls: the tapioca in the first, the egg and whites beaten together in the second, and the almond flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper mixed in the third. Dip each strip in the tapioca, then the egg, then press it firmly into the almond mixture. Lay on the rack, not touching.
Brush or spray the tenders with the remaining oil and bake for 16–20 minutes, turning once halfway, until deep golden and 165°F in the thickest part.
While they bake, stir the mustards, honey and lemon juice together until smooth. Taste and add a little more honey or lemon as you like.
Let the tenders rest for 2 minutes so the crust sets, then serve with the honey mustard for dunking.

Good to know

Can I air-fry them?

Yes, at 400°F for 10–12 minutes in a single layer, turning once, until 165°F inside. It is the quickest way to an all-over crunch.

Can I make the sauce sweeter?

Yes. Many paleo versions use equal parts honey and mustard: use 1/4 cup of honey and it will taste a lot like the bottled kind, at about 48 instead of 54.

Alternative

83keto, pork rind crustPork rind crusted chicken tenders

Per

Calories: 230
Protein: (42%); 24 g
Fat: (42%); 11 g
Carbohydrates: (16%); 9 g
of which sugar: 5 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 396 mg

More meals

Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How

As written, 1931 kcal goes into the pot and 1080 g of ingredients comes out as about 841 g of food: 230 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.

Almond-crusted chicken tenders with honey mustard