Recipes /
Chicken Fingers Three Ways

May 27, 2024

With three variations on this comfort food classic, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. I made three different types of chicken fingers for Chris, Bash, and myself! I considered everyone’s flavor profile, including Bash’s egg allergy. This is a fun dish to make with the whole family!

I want to point out something really important to understand that might just transform your relationship with food. Chicken fingers aren’t a “bad food” or a “good food.” Neither are onion rings, pork, fudge, or almost any other food. It’s not about the name of the food, but the quality of it. That includes the sourcing of the ingredients, the quality of the ingredients, and the macronutrient profile as a whole (Fab Four always for the win!).

Case in point → I don’t use conventional chicken deep-fried in inflammatory vegetable and seed oils like you’d find at most restaurants. Instead, I go for pastured chicken (use code BEWELLBYKELLY) and pastured egg. My “breading” is a chia/flax meal or almond flour, which are higher in healthy fat + fiber and lower in carbs than traditional breading. The result? A high, quality, nourishing, macronutrient-friendly take on a classic meal.

Find your high quality sources like Pasturebird (use code BEWELLBYKELLY) for poultry or Thrive Market for healthy pantry items. All of the pantry items – spices, chia, flax, almond flour, avocado oil – I purchase through Thrive Market at a discount. For dipping sauces and dressings, Primal Kitchen (use code KELLYSFAVORITES) is my go-to. They’re free of sugars and highly processed vegetable/seed oils.

When you find out that almost any food can be made healthy by using better ingredients or putting it together in a blood sugar balancing way, it’ll unlock a world of food freedom. Instead of being boxed into a diet or a do-not-eat list, you’ll find yourself creatively inspired to get into the kitchen and reimagine your conventional favorites in a brand new, body-loving way.

To learn more about how you can experience food freedom with the power of the Fab Four in order to look and feel your best, check out all of my resources:

Interested in learning more about healthy products I love? Visit Thrive Market to shop all of my favorites.

Prep Time
10 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Servings
3
Freezer Friendly
Yes

Ingredients

Chia + Flax Chicken Tenders (straight from Body Love):

2 4-6 ounces uncooked chicken tenders, pounded to ½-inch thick or less
1 large egg
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup flaxseeds
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of smoked paprika
½ tsp of garlic powder
3 tbsp Avocado Oil, for cooking

Egg-free Chicken Tenders:

2 4-6 ounces uncooked chicken tenders, pounded to ½-inch thick or less
1/4 cup aquafaba* (leftover chickpea liquid)
1 cup almond flour ⁣
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of smoked paprika
½ tsp of garlic powder
3 tbsp Avocado Oil, for cooking

Gluten-free Chicken Tenders:

2 4-6 ounces uncooked chicken tenders, pounded to ½-inch thick or less
1 tbsp of Primal Kitchen Mayo
1 cup of your favorite gluten-free crackers or breading
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of smoked paprika
½ tsp of garlic powder
3 tbsp Avocado Oil, for cooking

Our Favorite BBQ Dipping Sauces:

Use code KELLYSFAVORITES for 15% off your order of $40 or more at Primal Kitchen.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.⁣
Set up your dredging bowls. In two separate bowls, add 1 egg and aquafaba* (chickpea liquid), whipped with a fork.
In a separate bowl, create the coating with flour, panko or fiber blend mixed with 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. ⁣
Dip chicken tenders into liquid (eggs or aquafaba) and then coat in flour mixture. ⁣Repeat until all the chicken tenders are coated.
Put a large frying pan on medium high heat (I use my caraway pan for this) with 3 tbsp of avocado oil and brown both sides of the chicken tender for a minute each.
Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Enjoy with one of my favorite BBQ dipping sauces!

*Tip: To get aquafaba, drain a can of garbanzo beans or reserve the soaking or cooking liquid. Then use the beans for this hummus trio. Bon Appetit’s history lesson on aquafaba is worth a read, as is this quick guide to using aquafaba like a pro, especially if you’re egg-free.