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These Baked Gluten-Free Cracker Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce are super crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle and very easy to make. Try the tenders on their own, with your favourite side dishes, or overtop of a delicious salad!
Gluten-Free Cracker Crusted Chicken Tenders? Could it be true?
Not only are these baked chicken tenders gluten-free, but they’re also grain-free! The secret is using Simple Mills Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers. I absolutely love these crackers on their own and they just so happen to make the absolute best gluten-free and grain-free crust.
Because the crackers are already very crispy, you can get away with baking the tenders instead of frying them. If you didn’t know any better, you’d never guess the cracker crusted chicken tenders were paleo-friendly! They’re made without any grains, gluten, corn, dairy, gums or emulsifiers and are non-GMO Project Verified.
What You Need for the Cracker Crusted Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Breast: Technically, the chicken tenderloin, or “tender”, is the small piece of meat located on the underside of the chicken breast. Nevertheless, it’s very common to refer to baked or fried chicken strips as chicken tenders, even if they’re made with chicken breast.
You can definitely use chicken tenderloins for this recipe. Or, you can cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the shape of tenders, as I do here. Simply slice the breasts into thirds, lengthwise, to create the tenders. - Arrowroot Starch: The first step in creating the crust is dredging the chicken in arrowroot starch. This grain-free and gluten-free alternative flour is similar to corn starch. It provides a sticky surface for the egg wash to stick to. You can order it online or find it at many major health food and grocery stores.
- Eggs: After dredging the chicken in arrowroot starch, I like to dip it into an egg wash made by whisking eggs and a splash of water together. This step will then allow the cracker crust to stick better.
- Crackers: If you want to keep things gluten- and grain-free, I recommend using Simple Mills almond flour crackers. They come in different flavours so consider which one you’d like to use depending on what other seasonings and dipping sauce you’ll be serving them with. I use the finely ground sea salt flavour here. Of course, if you are OK with gluten and grains, you can use a different store-bought cracker.
- Seasonings: Feel free to use the seasonings I share in this recipe. Or, create your own mix based on what you have and like. You’re the boss, applesauce! I will say that one thing I maybe would add next time is some paprika for a bit of colour.
- Dipping Sauce: I love a honey mustard sauce for my chicken tenders so that’s what I served here. It’s super easy to make one from scratch and it’s way healthier than store-bought ones! Feel free to serve the tenders with whatever you like though.
Can I Use An Air Fryer?
I don’t own an air fryer so I can’t provide any specific details or cooking times, but my guess is that this recipe would work in one.
Can I Make The Chicken Tenders Egg-Free?
Yes, these gluten-free cracker crusted chicken tenders can be made without eggs. Simply skip the arrowroot starch dredge and egg wash and go directly to coating the chicken pieces in the cracker crust.
The crust will still get nice and crispy in the oven. The only downside is that because there isn’t much for the coating to stick to, some of it might fall off as you cook and flip the chicken. A small price to pay if you have an egg allergy.
More Chicken Breast Recipes
- Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast with Salsa Verde
- Chicken Stroganoff
- Bruschetta Chicken
- Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with Asparagus
- Chicken with Mushroom and Tarragon Cream Sauce
- Chicken Piccata
Baked Gluten-Free Cracker Crusted Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
- ¼ avocado oil mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons all-natural honey
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
For the Baked Gluten-Free Cracker Crusted Chicken Tenders:
- 2.5 cups Simple Mills Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon water
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thirds, lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
- In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey and garlic. Stir until combined, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Lasts 5 days in the fridge.
For the Baked Gluten-Free Cracker Crusted Chicken Tenders:
- Preheat oven to 425F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine the crackers, granulated onion, granulated garlic, basil, parsley, oregano and black pepper. Pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Place the arrowroot starch and eggs into two separate bowls. Add the water to the eggs and whisk vigorously until frothy.
- Dredge each piece of chicken in the arrowroot starch to coat both sides, then dip into the egg wash, letting excess drip off. Dredge in the cracker mixture and set onto the prepared sheet pan.
- Drizzle both sides of the chicken tenders with the olive oil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, or until the cracker crust is golden brown and the thickest part of the chicken registers 165F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Serve with the lemon wedges and Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce.
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
