Buffalo chicken tenders!! Need I say more?!
Buffalo chicken is one of my favorite foods (as you can see from the slew of buffalo chicken recipes). I grew up eating chicken wings with my dad and it brings back such good memories. I also ate a lot of chicken tenders growing up. So this recipe is marrying some of my childhood favorites together.
Never Miss a Recipe!
Get new recipes like this delivered to your inbox.
These baked buffalo chicken tenders are based on my pistachio coconut chicken tenders which are one of my favorite older recipes. I changed up the recipe a little – added some spices to kick up the heat, mixed the egg wash with some hot sauce, and changed out the nuts to have a more neutral flavor.
They are double-breaded and baked, making them a healthy option as opposed to the typical ones you find at restaurants. Make them for a fun weeknight dinner, for meal prep over the weekend to have on hand during the week, or for a gameday party/tailgate for some Sunday football action!
Why we love these buffalo chicken tenders
- made from 10 wholesome ingredients – the breading is a coconut and cashew mixture that acts as the “breadcrumbs” and crisps up perfectly (no flour needed).
- ready in about 35 minutes – once you get your assembly line set up, it is smooth sailing and they come together quickly
- baked and not fried for a healthy alternative
- great for the whole family and picky eaters – you can adjust the spice level as needed
- low-carb, gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30, although no one would know if you didn’t tell them!
Ingredients
- chicken tenderloins
- coconut flour – for the first round of breading
- eggs
- hot sauce – Franks Red Hot is my favorite for buffalo flavor
- cashews – ground up and used as the second round of the breading
- shredded coconut – mixed with the cashews and adds a touch of sweetness
- chili powder
- paprika
- cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper
How to make baked buffalo chicken tenders
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack on top of the parchment paper and spray with cooking spray/oil (necessary to help them not stick) to help with even airflow.
- Make the breading. Add the cashews to a high-powered blender, Vitamix, or food processor. Pulse until nuts are coarsely ground but a little texture remains, about 30 seconds. You don’t want a fine flour, but still want some texture to the mixture – most will be ground, but you want some texture with small pieces of nuts in there. This will add crunch to your breading.
- Set up an assembly line. In a medium shallow bowl, mix together the ground cashews, shredded coconut, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Place the coconut flour in a separate shallow bowl or plate. Mix together the whisked eggs and hot sauce in a shallow bowl.
- Bread the chicken. Dip chicken in the coconut flour and roll around to fully coat. Then dip it in the egg mixture, fully coating. Last, roll in the cashew mixture, fully coating. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Enjoy! Serve with dip and sides of your choice.
Can I make buffalo chicken tenders in the air fryer?
To cook chicken tenders in your air fryer basket, spray the bottom with some oil and place on a single layer spreading out evenly. Set to 375 degrees and cook for 15-18 minutes until cooked through. You will probably have to do them in a few batches depending on how big your air fryer is.
What to eat with buffalo chicken strips?
What are chicken tenders without French fries?! Kidding, but not really. Here are a few options for what you can serve with them:
- carrots and celery
- dip – blue cheese dressing or more buffalo sauce is my favorite way to go, but ranch dressing is also a great option.
- french fries – a match made in heaven!
- use them on top of a salad as the protein source
- with some roasted veggies or broccoli salad
- inside a wrap or sandwich
Storage and reheating
- refrigerator – first, let the tenders cool completely. Add to a sealable airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days
- freezer – let cool completely and place chicken tenders on a large plate or baking sheet. Place in the freezer and let freeze for 2 hours or until hardened. This will help ensure they freeze individually and won’t stick together. Transfer to a large bag (we love these reusable silicone bags) and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost by placing them in the refrigerator and then warming up the microwave or oven.
Substitutions
This recipe is pretty straightforward and can be changed up to your liking. Here are a few suggestions I have:
- chicken – if you can’t find chicken tenders, you can also use boneless skinless chicken breast that you just cut into strips. I’ve done this plenty of times in the past and it works the same.
- cashews – I like using cashews since they are pretty neutral in flavor, but you can substitute any nuts you have on hand. Macadamia nuts would be delicious as they have a buttery flavor.
- shredded coconut – if you can’t have coconut or don’t like it, you can try to skip it and just double the nuts. I haven’t tried it, but it should work. The flavor will be totally different though.
- flour – coconut flour is absorbent and I like using it as the first breading, but you can substitute almond flour or all purpose flour as well.
- spices – you can omit the cayenne if you don’t want them too spicy. You can also add more spices like garlic powder and onion powder for a little more flavor.
More healthy buffalo chicken recipes
- air fryer buffalo wings
- buffalo chicken casserole
- creamy buffalo chicken soup
- buffalo chicken pasta salad
- buffalo chicken fries
- air fryer boneless buffalo wings
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced meal, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Buffalo Chicken Tenders
ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce*
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
- salt and pepper, to taste
- optional for serving: carrots, celery, blue cheese, ranch, hot sauce…
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack on top of the parchment paper and spray with cooking spray/oil (necessary to help them not stick) to help with even airflow.
- Make the breading. Add the cashews to a high-powered blender, Vitamix, or food processor. Pulse until nuts are coarsely ground, but a little texture remains, about 30 seconds. You don’t want a fine flour, but still want some texture to the mixture – most will be ground, but you want some texture with small pieces of nuts in there. This will add crunch to your breading.
- Set up an assembly line. In a medium shallow bowl, mix together the ground cashews, shredded coconut, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper. Place the coconut flour in a separate shallow bowl or plate. Mix together the whisked eggs and hot sauce in a shallow bowl.
- Bread the chicken. Dip chicken in the coconut flour and roll around to fully coat. Then dip it in the egg mixture, fully coating. Last, roll in the cashew mixture, fully coating. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Enjoy! Serve with dip and sides of your choice.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
video
notes
nutrition
Get My Guide On
How to Build a Balanced Plate
No recipe, no problem! Learn the key factors to build a balanced plate for sustainable eating and to fuel your body to support your activity, goals, and lifestyle.
These are so good! Love the crispy coating, and the extra kick of buffalo from the batter. Served with French fries and a salad- highly recommend!
So glad you enjoyed them Liz! Can’t go wrong with fries with chicken tenders too. Thank you for trying them!
Best super bowl appetizer ever! We’ve tried a ton of buffalo recipes and this is by far our favorite!! Perfect amount of kick!
Yay!! Glad you guys love them!!
These have been sitting on my Pinterest board for quite some time and we haven’t made them for a year or so but man am I sad that I waited so long to make these again! So delicious, the kids like them and I love how clean the ingredients are. Yum!
Yay, that makes me happy to hear that everyone enjoyed them! Thanks so much Shelby!
These buffalo chicken tenders had perfect flavor and crunch. I even make extra and ate them all throughout the week and they were just as good reheated! Highly recommend this recipe and many other on this page!
So glad they worked so well for easy meals for the week! Thank you so much Andrea!
can you leave out the coconut?
Hey Lori! Apologies for the delay! You need the coconut to have enough breading for the chicken, but you can just use more cashews instead. Hope that helps!
I’m confused on the nutrients section.
It says serving is 1g. What does that mean? One piece? Or the entire package of chicken?
Hey Ali! Sorry about that, the recipe plugin sometimes does that. I updated it to be 1/6 of the recipe. It depends on how many chicken tenders you have, but say if it makes 12, the nutrition is for 2 tenders.
OH EM YUM! Kelly has done it again! You have to try these chicken tenders. They’re so delicious and perfect for a Whole 30 or just a random Sunday!!
Yes, we love these!! So glad you liked them Courtney!
Any thoughts on cooking these in an air fryer? Just got one today, and I’d love to give these a whirl!
Hi Judith! I haven’t tried it, but I think they would be great! I have one at home and have been meaning to try it. I think 15 minutes at 375, flipping once halfway through would work. Let me know if you try it!