Paleo Fried Chicken Tenders Recipe | Wicked Spatula (2024)

Your hunt for the best paleo chicken tenders recipes is over! You're going to love this paleo fried chicken - EASY, HEALTHY, and ready in 20 minutes.

by Maya Last Updated on January 14, 2021 6 Comments

If you’ve been on the hunt for paleo chicken tender recipes for a while now…your hunt is over! I’m sharing my paleo fried chicken recipe, and it’s such a good one! You guys are going to love it. Whether you want to feed your kids their favorite chicken tenders but in a healthier way, or you just love comfort foods like fried chicken, these paleo chicken tenders will fit the bill for all ages!

The main difference between fried chicken and this almond flour crusted chicken is in the breading. While most fried chicken is made with white flour, we’re using almond flour (which adds healthy fats, protein, and fiber) and tapioca flour (which helps keep it light and crispy). The combination of the two flours helps keep the almond flour breading for chicken light and crunchy.

So how should you eat paleo fried chicken? There are so many ways. It’s delicious served up with marinara and zucchini noodles for a paleo twist on chicken parmesan; or there’s always paleo chicken and waffles; or simply served with your favorite paleo dipping sauce. You really can’t go wrong.

How To Make Paleo Fried Chicken

• Heat up coconut oil. You’ll want it hot enough so that the paleo breaded chicken browns.
• Prep your egg wash and breading dips. Whisk together the egg. Whisk together almond flour, tapioca flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

• Cut chicken in half lengthwise. This helps make them paleo breaded chicken tenders. It also helps reduce the cooking time, which is helpful so that our fried chicken with almond flour doesn’t burn!
• Dip and bread the paleo chicken strips. First, you’ll dip the chicken tenders into the egg wash, then let any excess egg drip off the chicken, and coat it well with the flour mixture. You may need to lightly press flour mixture into the chicken to ensure all sides are evenly coated.

• Fry the chicken. Gently drop the chicken into the coconut oil and let fry until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip over, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.

• Drain the chicken. After you fry it, you’ll want to set it on some paper towel to absorb any extra oil. We want our paleo chicken tenders crunchy, not greasy!

Is Fried Chicken Paleo?

This fried chicken is paleo!

But most recipes would not be. Typically, fried chicken is made with a white flour coating and then deep fried in a refined vegetable oil.

My grain free fried chicken uses almond and tapioca flours and coconut oil – for a healthier version that’s just as tasty!

Can You Make Paleo Chicken Tenders Ahead?

Most fried food is best when it’s served immediately. As the paleo breading cools, it loses some of its crispness, and we don’t want that!

If you want to make the chicken ahead of time, my recommendation is to prep all of the ingredients and components so that all you need to do is coat the chicken and fry it, at that point, it can be ready in 15 minutes!

Can You Freeze Paleo Fried Chicken?

Yes, you can freeze paleo fried chicken. This is the best way to make paleo chicken tender recipes ahead of time.

After you fry the tenders, place them on a single layer pan or plate and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. Once they are frozen, you can place them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer.

When you’re ready to eat them, bake them at 375 degrees F, until hot, about 30 minutes.

Dips For Paleo Chicken Tender Recipes

You can serve up your paleo chicken tenders as simply or as extravagantly as you wish, but one thing is for sure – make sure you have your favorite paleo dips to go along with your paleo fried chicken! Ranch is obviously a classic, but the paleo mayo can also be mixed with a little paleo ketchup for a really tasty, sweet and savory dip.

• Paleo Vegan Queso
• Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

By the way, this paleo fried chicken recipe originally came about as part of a paleo chicken and waffles recipe! You can get the sweet potato waffles recipe here.

More Paleo Chicken Recipes

• Cilantro Lime Chicken Wings
• Piri Piri Chicken
• Buffalo Chicken Casserole