Healthy Buffalo Chicken Fingers

GF, Paleo, Keto, Whole 30 Approved

Football on TV again has got me in a mood, a mood for buffalo wings! Game day food like wings and nachos have always been a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, these foods do not fall into the “healthy” bucket. I am a huge fan of splurging every once in a while but for some reason I was craving wings, boneless ones, too often to continue ordering them from my favorite places. I wanted to find a healthier version of this tasty treat that met that satisfaction, but also met a lower caloric and fat intake.

I first made these chicken fingers in 2012 back when almond and cashew flour were not really accessible everywhere like they are now. It was such a labor of love to make because I had to ground the almonds and cashews to make almond and cashew flour then I would add the seasoning. It took a bit too long so once I had kids I noticed I wasn’t making this recipe as often.

Luckily now almond flour is available, and in bulk so I can make my coating for these chicken fingers that much faster. I no longer use the cashew portion because its another step and I have found this new recipe to be that much easier and just as delicious.

Buffalo Chicken Fingers – Paleo, Keto, Whole 30 Approved

Prep Time: 10 Min

Total Time: 40 Min

Ingredients:

• Organic Chicken Breast Tenders – I buy the tenders so they are already cut for me but if you have chicken breast filets, that is fine, you will want to cut them into smaller pieces though

• One Egg

• ½ Cup of Water

• Dry Ingredients: Madi’s Paleo, Keto, Whole 30 Breading

  • 1 Cup Almond Flour

  • 1 Cup Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers (either sea salt or rosemary flavor) smashed very small, almost a chunky powder consistency. Link here for crackers

  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder

  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley

  • 1 tablespoon dry oregano

  • 1 tablespoon dry rosemary

• Franks Hot Sauce – not the Buffalo Wing sauce because that has oil in it. Just the regular Hot sauce. Be sure and check the label if you are unsure.

• **Homemade Ranch Dip – If you dip the wings in the ranch sauce this will remove the Whole 30 and Paleo aspect of these chicken fingers.

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • 1 tablespoon dried dill (or 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill)

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

  • 1 tablespoon water (for thinning purposes)

Instructions

1)  In a bowl whisk one egg and ½ cup water together, set aside

2) Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl for Madi’s Paleo, Keto, Whole 30 Breading, set aside.

3)  Put baking tray down and if you have an elevated baking rack to place in the baking tray, that is ideal to ensure the chicken tenders cook crispy and equally on both sides. Elevated baking racks are non- stick so do not require spraying. If you do not have one then be sure and spray your tray with non-stick cooking spray of choice.

These are the chicken fingers, breaded, uncooked, and on the baking rack that rests inside the baking tray

4)  Open chicken tenders and begin coating one in egg mixture, then move to next bowl and coat in breading mixture, then move to baking tray. Do this with each piece of chicken until you are through the package. I have found the packages yield anywhere from 8-12 tenders consistently.

5)  Once all the chicken is breaded and on the tray, cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. I check on them and sometimes flip them to ensure even cooking and crisp. Cook another 10 - 15 minutes. If the chicken looks cooked but the breading isn’t quite crispy to your liking, go ahead and increase heat to 425 or 450 and leave in for another 5 minutes. I say this because everyone prefers different consistency on the breading and also, ovens will always vary.

6)  Let cool on rack for about 5-10 minutes. Put on a plate to serve and top with Frank’s Red Hot sauce and leave some on the side for extra dipping. Sometimes I do not coat all the chicken at once in the event I want to have some for leftovers. If you coat all the chicken and do not eat it all, it can get soggy with the sauce on it.

7)  **For Ranch dip, mix all ingredients together besides water. Add a little bit of water and stir to desired consistency. Serve with cooked chicken fingers. Ranch dip is good in sealed container in fridge for 3-5 days. Mix thoroughly for reuse as ingredients may settle.