Chicken tenders you can feel good about feeding the kids! These healthy Gluten-Free Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken Tenders are top 8 allergy-free, require no oil, and are baked in the oven. This easy, crispy, crunchy coating with a kick of spice will be your new go-to dinner recipe!
Just as with chicken nuggets, chicken tenders are a must in any family household. A good crunchy coating is always a perfect way to turn bland and boring naked chicken tenders into something more like to restaurant-style chicken fingers. But when you're cooking for a family with celiac disease and food allergies, while also wanting to serve healthier recipes for dinner...what's one to do?
My brother and I were NOT picky eaters growing up. We ate any and everything (especially me). I would actually get offended when I was given the "kid's menu" in restaurants. You can say I was a "budding foodie" at a young age. Without fail, all kid's menus included chicken tenders, grilled cheese, mac & cheese, and spaghetti with tomato sauce. WOW. How exciting. Sorry, but I have working taste buds and actually want the culinary experience you deserve when you go out to a restaurant to eat. I bet you can already tell that I'm one of those people who firmly believes "kid's menus" should NOT be a thing.
Kid's menus keep children from expanding the palette and having any chance at being adventurous eaters. Your children WILL continue to be a picky eater if they only experience a small selection of foods. Let them dive deep and try it all! Now, throw in the whole celiac disease and food allergy dilemma on top of that and the kid's menu is pretty much out of the questions, regardless. The kid's menu is just a list of gluten-filled carbs, oil, sodium, sugar, and cheese (always cheese). Here's an idea: If restaurants insist on a kid's menu, why not make the kid's "options" just parred down, smaller versions of the "adult" dishes? Expanding the food options leads to that adventurous eating and gives more options for those with food allergies (possibly healthier too, but restaurants aren't exactly healthy to begin with...that's another discussion for another time.)
Since I advocate for always eating at home, here's a recipe for something, chicken tenders, common on the kid's menu but 100% healthier, more exciting in terms of flavors and ingredients, acceptable for everyone in the family (including the adults), and is gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, tree nut and peanut-free. Not to mention, they're baked, not fried. Serve them with a smattering of homemade ketchup and you have a much better tortilla chip crusted chicken tender that will put any restaurant chicken tenders to shame! Adding a bit of spices and a small dash of hot sauce to amp of the flavor. You can easily modify by adding more or less, but I kept the spice level very, very mild.
Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken Tenders
Gluten-Free Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken Tenders (Allergy-Free)
Chicken tenders you can feel good about feeding the kids! These healthy Gluten-Free Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken Tenders are top 8 allergy-free, require no oil, and are baked in the oven. This easy, crispy, crunchy coating with a kick of spice will be your new go-to dinner recipe!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Skinless Chicken Tenders
- ½ Cup Vegan Soy-Free Mayo
- ½ to 1 Tsp Hot Sauce
- Tortilla Chip Coating:
- 1 7oz Bag of Reduced Fat Yellow Corn Chips (crushed)
- ½ Tsp Onion Powder
- ½ Tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ Tsp Cumin
- ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a bowl, combine the mayo and hot sauce, mix to combine.
- Pour out the crusted tortilla chips onto a plate and mix in the spices.
- Take each chicken tender and first dip in the spicy mayo, then roll in the crushed tortilla chips, before placing in a seasoned cast iron skillet or greased baking dish.
- Bake the coated tenders in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is throughly cooked through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
See? These will please kids, adults, celiac and food allergy folks, an any budding foodie out there! Yes, we all love the classics, like chicken tenders, but we can make them better, more adventurous, healthy, and appealing. It doesn't take that much effort and until restaurants start paying more attention to their younger patrons, well, I think cooking up the goods at home, like these gluten-free tortilla chip crusted chicken tenders, is the way to go!
So tell me:
+ What's your stance on the "kid's menu"?
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Zhenya
This is a beautiful recipe we loved making it!
Rebecca Pytell
Awesome enjoy!
Amy LePelley
I love this recipe and your blog. You make a great point about kids menus, one of our favourite places to take the children does just as you suggest, they don't have a kids menu but you can have anything on the adults menu kid sized.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! That's the way to go! Everyone should have ALL the options and downsizing portions is perfect!
Roseann Hampton
I love the combination of the spicy mayo with the tortilla chips!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Our perfect egg-free sticky coating!
Jasmine
YUM! I would so eat these. Look so good.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Ellen
These look delicious, even from someone who doesn't have dietary restrictions!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's the point!
Cherishing Lifes Sprinkles
ohhh I love the flakiness!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
All about the crunch!
Leah
My kids are going to love these!! I love things that crunch especially when you don't have to try!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! They will go crazy for these!
Jenni LeBaron
These look wonderflly crunchy! I love that you'd added a littel hot sauce in with them as well.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Crunchy and flavorful!
Sandra D Laflamme
I love this idea especially for my kids. Great recipe!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Definitely a kid pleaser!
Ashley Stephenson
Wow I had never thought about breading them like this! This looks delicious!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, wow!
cait
you had at me at chicken fingers but to know this is gluten free?! YES PLEASE!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
A perfectly yummy meal!
Tanvi Rastogi
I wonder if I can adapt the recipe with Tofu as I am a vegetarian.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
LOL!
Heather
I make something similar with salmon since we don't eat meat. Chip crusted anything is such a great go-to meal!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Crunchy coatings are always a great way to go!
Marta Rivera
I can just imagine the crunch on those beauties! Thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It's all about that crunch!
Andrea
I recently discovered that I’m a Celiac so I’ve been looking for gluten free recipes since I’ve never really cared. This looks so yummy! Thanks!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well you came to the right place, dear!
Lacey N.
This looks wonderful! We are a multiple food allergy family and I use tortilla chips A LOT. They are so tasty, and very versatile. They also happen to be one of my food allergy kiddo’s favorite foods.
Also, I must say, I really love your inclusion of the spicy mayo. That really makes this recipe stand out—I can just imagine how flavorful that must be!
I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Adds the perfect bit of easy flavor!
Reeni
This looks amazing! I am always looking for new gluten free recipes to try with my family! Thank you!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
This one will please the whole family!