I created this gluten free and paleo chicken finger recipe so I could continue enjoying a healthier version of one of my favorite foods, and make something familiar for my family too. Plus, this recipe is AIP compliant, Whole30, keto, and kid-friendly to boot!
These chicken tenders/fingers are breaded in healthy coconut flour and oven baked instead of fried. They’re tasty and much healthier than anything similar that you’d find at a restaurant.
When I was in high school, I basically lived on chicken tenders. Every day I would eat a box from the local deli along with a pile of potato wedges.
If I had any idea what I was doing to my body, I would definitely have thought twice about my daily lunch!
Chicken tenders are coated in gluten-filled breadcrumbs and deep fried in low-quality vegetable oils. No wonder I struggled for years with inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and generally feeling like garbage.
Luckily, after studying nutrition, I got my act together and began eating more healing foods. Of course, I still crave familiar flavors – so, healthy comfort food recipes are essential!
Healthy Chicken Finger Recipe (Gluten-Free & Paleo):
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (for AIP sub for compliant spices like sage, thyme, salt and marjoram)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 lb boneless skinless pastured chicken breasts
- ¼ cup avocado oil or melted ghee
- Coconut or avocado oil in a spray bottle (for misting)
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a shallow bowl or on a plate, combine the coconut flour, poultry seasoning, and sea salt.
- Slice the chicken breast into strips, and coat generously with avocado oil.
- Dip the oil-coated chicken strips into the coconut flour mixture to coat.
- Place the finished strips onto a baking sheet one-at-a-time. When all the strips are coated, mist them with a thin coating of oil (this step makes them even crispier).
- Bake for 12 minutes, flip them over and mist with oil, before returning to the oven for another 12 minutes.
- Enjoy with your favourite dip like organic ketchup or homemade paleo mayo!
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About the Author Ashley Sauvé of Nutritionist Eats
Ashley Sauvé is a Certified Nutritionist and Wellness Chef based in Toronto. She is the blogger behind Nutritionist Eats. Her areas of expertise include: women’s health and hormone balancing diets, eating for autoimmunity, anti-inflammatory diets, gluten-free living, elimination/hypoallergenic diets, weight loss and metabolic balance, eating for energy and immunity and ancestral nutrition.
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This looks terrific. I can’t wait to try it out!
Yum! I love coconut flour– so many uses!
Wow, the coconut flour really transforms this into a tasty and totally guilt free snack 🙂
I love using coconut flour in a lot of things. This is such a great idea!
These look tasty! Love they are paleo.
Yum! I used to live on chicken fingers as a kid too. Love that you used coconut flour.
So simple! My kids will love these – thanks!
Oh yum, I haven’t used poultry seasoning in a chicken finger before but it sounds like a really great addition!
These look really amazing and tasty! Thanks for sharing.
This is a fabulous recipe, hun! It is amazing how our choices in our teens come back to haunt later in life. Glad you are making better choices now.
Chicken tenders are always a hit with me and the kids! These are a much healthier option 🙂 Thanks
Chicken fingers are pretty much the ultimate comfort food, I’ll never get over my ‘nugget’ cravings, so a healthy alternative is awesome!
I love how simple these are! They look so delicious, I know these would be a huge hit with my family.
Love that these can be made AIP! Win!
Chicken tenders where a favorite food of mine as well when I was younger. Ok, I still love them but only healthier homemade versions. These ones look so delicious and sound easy! Yum!
Love chicken fingers. I can have them all day long !
Oh, my kids would love these!!
Love chicken fingers! This version looks great!
Love how easy this recipe is! Can’t wait to try it out!
This looks like restaurant quality. 🙂 So tasty-looking.
These look lovely and crispy and are always a firm favourite for children.
Oh my my kiddies would be all over this!
GREAT RECIPE!, TRYING TO START A KETO AIP TYPE DIET, IT’S GOING TO BE VERY HARD FOR ME TO DO, BUT HAVE A LOT OF HEALTH ISSUES.