Gluten-Free Chicken Strips (with Dill Pickle Chicken Option)
The family wants chicken nuggets for dinner but you don’t want to get those pre-made, dinosaur-shaped nuggets from the store right? You can make the Easiest Gluten-Free Chicken Strips from scratch, without the preservatives and additives, in just about 30 minutes.
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What’s for dinner? Forget the store-bought chicken tenders. These are the Easiest Gluten-Free Chicken Strips ever. They are so easy to make – from prep to oven time it’ll take about 20-25 minutes. And I know what you’re thinking… oven-baked chicken? Will that come out crispy? It will with this recipe. I’ve got a cooking hack to get the crispiest gluten-free chicken nuggets. The whole family will love it.
Why These Gluten-Free Chicken Strips?
These breaded chicken tenders are coated with a combination of spices for tasty gluten free homemade chicken fingers. Made with gluten-free breadcrumbs and rice flour, and baked in the oven rather than fried, they are a great alternative to store bought frozen nuggets.
How to Make These Chicken Strips Taste Like Chick Fil-A
Do you love Chick Fil-A? Their chicken sandwich and nuggets are delicious? But sadly, they are not gluten free. You can make a version that tastes just like it with this recipe.
The only modification is you need to brine the chicken strips in pickle juice for 24-48 hours. Place 1 lb of uncooked chicken tenders in a food storage container. Add about 1 cup of pickle juice (from your favorite jar of pickles). The pickle juice should cover the chicken completely. Put the cover on the container and store in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
When you’re ready to make the chicken strips, remove from the refrigerate, drain the pickle juice, and pat the chicken dry. Then continue on with my recipe below.
How to Make the Easiest Gluten-Free Chicken Strips
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a shallow bowl, combine milk, cracked egg, gluten-free flour, and all spices. Whisk to mix.
In a separate shallow bowl, add the gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Dip each chicken tenderloin in the milk and flour mixture to coat. Then, dip each coated chicken tender in the breadcrumbs to cover.
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
What Cut of Meat is a Chicken Tender?
A chicken tender (loin) is found under the chicken breast and they are a strip of meat. They are high in protein and extremely lean. They are just as nutritious as chicken breast, so they are a great option as part of a well balanced diet. Because they are smaller in size, they take less time to cook than chicken breasts.
Make Crispy Chicken Strips Every Single Time
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to fry foods to get a crispy coating. This oven cooked chicken is just as crispy, much healthier and a less messy way to cook! You just need to bake the in a hot pre-heated oven for around 18 to 20 minutes until they are cooked through and golden brown. I love how they are so quick to make and they were a hit with the whole family!
What to Serve with These Gluten-Free Chicken Strips
These breaded chicken tenders can make up part of a well balanced family meal with the addition of some easy to make healthy sides. Serve alongside a fresh green salad, Creamy Bacon Mashed Potatoes, sautéed greens or Gluten-Free Fried Rice or any of your favorites. Don’t forget a little tomato ketchup for dipping!
Top Tips to Make The Easiest Gluten-Free Chicken Strips
- Cook the chicken in a pre-heated oven for the crispiest results.
- The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165ºf / 75ºc.
- Use chicken that hasn’t been raised on antibiotics.
- When breading the chicken, try to keep one hand dry and one hand wet so that the breadcrumbs don’t clump together.
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The Easiest Gluten-Free Chicken Strips
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins or tenders
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan or celtic salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a shallow bowl, combine milk, cracked egg, gluten-free flour, and all spices. Whisk to mix.
- In a separate shallow bowl, add the gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Dip each chicken tenderloin in the milk and flour mixture to coat. Then, dip each coated chicken tender in the breadcrumbs to cover.
- Place each covered tenderloin on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Nutrition
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A great recipe that my kids really enjoyed!
Love the gluten-free coating! Especially if you have visitors and want to offer gluten-free, this is perfect! Thank you!
These are so tasty and I love the fact that they’re baked and not fried!
My kids loved these.