These easy, gluten-free, Baked Chicken Tenders take me right back to my childhood! I love remaking my favorite comfort food recipes using simple ingredients that taste just as GOOD! It makes eating healthy sustainable and enjoyable for me.
I always always always recommend that people eat the food they love OFTEN. There are so many great alternatives to not so “healthy” foods we loved growing up— you can make almost any of your favorite dishes with clean, simple ingredients.
If you don’t loveee salad, don’t eat it! There are plenty of other ways to get your nutrients in. For example, these Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders are actually a super balanced and nutritious meal with a side of sweet potato fries and maybe a roasted vegetable like zucchini, carrots, broccolini— whatever you prefer!
For the chicken tenders you will need:
- chicken tenders— you can also use chicken breast sliced into thiner strips. I always do my best to buy higher quality meat, organic if possible.
- your favorite crackers— these will be used as your “bread crumbs”. Traditional panko contains gluten and some other not so great additives. By using a healthier cracker, you are getting added nutrients, simple ingredients, and the perfect amount of crunch. All you need to do is pulse the crackers in a blender or food processor. I like using Bob’s Red Mill Crackers, Simple Mills, or Ella’s Flats.
- 1 egg
For the sweet potato fries you’ll need:
- 1 large sweet potato— you could also use a regular potato if you prefer
- avocado oil— or oil of choice
- sea salt and seasonings of choice— I typically enjoy keeping it simple with just sea salt but feel free to get creative!
Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders and Fries
Ingredients
For the chicken tenders
- 1 package chicken tenders (6-8 tenders)
- 1/2 box crackers (see above for recommendations)
- 1 egg
For the sweet potato fries
- 1 large sweet potato
- avocado oil (or oil of choice)
- sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
For the fries
- Slice sweet potato into fries and place on 1 baking sheet. Drizzle oil and salt and toss until evenly coated. Bake for 30-35 minutes (broil for the last couple if you like them crispy).
For the chicken tenders
- Add crackers to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times until you reach a thicker course “flour” consistency.
- Add “bread crumbs” to a wide shallow bowl. Whisk egg in a separate wide shallow bowl.
- Dip each chicken tender in the egg wash and then the “bread crumbs” and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, flip, and bake another 8 minutes (may be a couple min more or less depending how thick your tenders are).
- Serve with condiments of choice. I like ketchup, ranch, honey mustard, etc.!