Buffalo Chicken Tenders
A delicious spin off of my beloved buffalo chicken nuggets! These lightly-spicy (if you ask me!) tenders are just as delicious and open up endless opportunities for a family-friendly meal. Serve these with your favorite dips and sauces, of course, but turn this into an even heartier meal with a side of grilled or roasted veggies and crispy sweet potato or yuca root fries!
Ingredients:
4 cups crackers (I used these!)
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp hot sauce
1.5 pounds organic chicken tenders
2 tbsp avocado oil + more, as needed
Directions:
In a small dish, whisk the egg and hot sauce together well. In a food processor or blender, pulse the crackers and all four spices until a breadcrumb-like texture is reached. Transfer the breadcrumb mixture to a plate, and spread it out relatively evenly.
Use a meat tenderizer to level out each piece of chicken until they’re all about even. This will allow the pieces to cook much more evenly.
Dip and lightly press a single chicken tender into the egg mixture, then let the excess drip off. Immediately press each side of the chicken into the breadcrumbs. Place the prepped chicken on a plate as you go. Repeat this process until all of the chicken is used.
In a medium-large skillet, drizzle on the avocado oil and turn the heat onto low. After about 1-2 minutes, fill the warmed skillet with the breaded chicken tenders, leaving a few inches between each. You may have to do a few rounds of cooking the chicken. Turn the heat up to low-medium, and let each tender cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a fresh serving plate or platter as you go.
Serve with your favorite sauces, or enjoy plain alongside roasted veggies, homemade fries, you name it! Once fully cooled, store leftovers, if any, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 5 days for best results.
