These Gluten Free Baked Chicken Tenders have a crunchy rice krispies and parmesan crust. They are delicious served with a Spicy Nectarine Yogurt Dip.
Crunchy chicken tenders are one of the most kid friendly foods around. Kids adore them and I suspect many adults do as well. Most family restaurants offer these golden nuggets on their kiddies menu and my boys have had their fair share when they were little. For that reason, I seldom cook them at home although they are really quite simple to prepare. Now that my boys have long outgrown the kiddies menu, it is time to make this adult version in my kitchen. These Gluten Free Baked Chicken Tenders are the much healthier, tastier, and every bit if not more delicious.
Over the weekend, I decided to surprise my two boys with these Gluten Free Baked Chicken Tenders. They were delighted when they saw what was for dinner. It has been a while since they had crunchy chicken tenders and they were eager to have a taste of one of their childhood favorites. Who could blame them? I was equally excited. 😉
I have been using rice puffs or cereal as a coating for my baked and fried foods for sometime now because of gluten sensitivities in the family. They are a wonderful substitute to breadcrumbs or panko. In many ways, I actually prefer them as they provide a superb coating and are lighter and super crunchy. Now, Kellogg’s has a gluten free version of their popular Rice Krispies which is great. One box goes a long way. I process the entire package and store them in plastic baggies to keep them handy. It takes about 2 and 1/3 cup of whole rice krispies to make 1 cup of processed (crushed) rice krispies.
For today’s recipe, I mixed the crushed rice krispies with dried thyme and finely shaved parmesan. I had a small block of parmesan cheese left which needed to be used and so I shaved it with my fine microplane grater. From the picture it looks a little like coconut flakes. To dredge the chicken tenders, I used a mix of rice flour, salt, and pepper.
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup rice flour (30g)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 cup gluten free rice krispies (finely crushed or processed) (70g)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese ( finely shaved) (60g)
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 egg
- 28 oz chicken tenders (rinsed and pat dry) (800g)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine rice flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and set aside. In another bowl, combine crushed gluten free rice krispies, parmesan cheese, and dried thyme. Mix well and set aside. In yet another bowl, beat egg with 2 tablespoons water.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Dredge chicken tenders in rice flour mixture. Then dip in egg mixture and finally coat with rice krispies mixture. Place on a rack over a baking sheet.
- Baked coated chicken tenders for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove and serve immediately with Spicy Nectarine Yogurt Dip.
To complete the meal, I served these tasty and crunchy Gluten Free Baked Chicken Tenders with a Spicy Nectarine Yogurt Dip, some salad, and a side of Baked Potato Tuna Croquettes. It was all so yummy!
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎
I love cooking
N all your receipe is awesome
Thanks Arie for the kind words. Please visit again soon. 🙂
They look so crisp! I love that you used rice flour to make the coating. Thumbs up for you!
Thanks Angie! I almost always use rice flour out of habit. 🙂
My kids would definitely love these. So much healthier than the frozen kind we get. 🙂
Most kids enjoy chicken tenders but who can blame them. My big kids still enjoy them just as much. 🙂
Who wouldn’t be excited over chicken tenders! These look great and I love the rice krispies for the crunch! A plate of these would put a smile on my face. 🙂
You are so right, MJ. Even I am excited about them. 🙂
Hi! My kids have dairy allergy. Will it work to just use rice flour and the egg beat for coating? Thanks!
You can simply omit the shaved parmesan cheese or substitute with coconut flakes if preferred. 🙂