Coconut-Flax Crusted Chicken Strips

If you’re a fan of chicken strips, but want to avoid the not-so-healthy deep fried version, my Coconut-Flax Crusted Chicken Strips are a must try! They’re even husband approved! Like a lot of kids and teens, I grew up on chicken strips [the not-so-healthy kind], and to this day I still crave them. It was a no-brainer to find a healthier version that wouldn’t have such a negative effect on my waistline and my health. In fact, these chicken strips are super healthy! They contain high quality lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Not to mention, they’re also gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and egg-free for those of you who are avoiding such foods. Pairing these chicken strips with a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce and roasted broccolini makes for a perfect + satisfying meal.

[coated + “breaded” chicken strips just about to go in the oven.]

There’s just something about the mixture of shredded coconut and ground flax seeds that give these chicken strips just enough crunch + flavor. Then the inner coating of the chicken strips is made up of a unique mixture of tahini [sesame seed butter], spices, olive oil and lemon. Tahini has a mild nutty flavor that won’t overpower the flavor of your chicken strips. This wet tahini-based mixture acts as a glue that keeps the coconut + flax coated on the chicken while it bakes and crisps up. If you’re not a fan of coconut, you can easily sub it for a ½ cup of ground almonds or almond meal.

[the main coating + “breading” ingredients.]

Broccolini is very similar to broccoli in terms of flavor and appearance. It’s just a little more dainty. Compared to broccoli, the long stems of broccolini are more tender and edible. I personally prefer a little shorter stem, so I trim them slightly, as shown in the picture below. Broccolini also takes slightly less time to cook and gets a nice char on the flowering end when roasted in the oven. I adore roasted broccolini and could probably eat it every night!

[raw broccolini.]

To plate the final dish, I add 2-3 chicken strips with a nice helping of roasted broccolini. Then you can either drizzle the honey mustard sauce on top of your chicken or use it more as a dipping sauce. You really can’t go wrong either way. If you’re not a fan of honey mustard, these chicken strips also taste delish dipped in some ketchup; just be sure to choose a ketchup that does not contain high fructose corn syrup. Or if you’re feeling really fancy you can make your own ketchup.

[ahh, and the final dish.]

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s kid-friendly, but can also act as more sophisticated meal. In addition, it’s super easy to make. It’s one of those recipes that when you make it once, you can probably make it again without having to even look at the recipe. It’s also versatile. You can easily add different herbs or spices to your coating mixture to change up the flavor slightly, you can pick a different dipping sauce and/or you can choose a different side dish. Have fun with it.

[drizzle a little homemade honey mustard and dinner is served.]

The homemade honey mustard dipping sauce is so easy to make. There’s nothing fancy; just two ingredients: honey + mustard of choice. Recipe is below.

Coconut-Flax Crusted Chicken Strips

Servings: about 4

Ingredients

Chicken Strips

• 12 organic chicken tenders
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut [or ground almonds/almond meal]
• ½ cup ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp tahini [sesame seed butter]
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Broccolini

• 3 bunches of broccolini, washed + stems trimmed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• sea salt + pepper to taste

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup dijon, spicy or stone ground mustard

Directions

For chicken strips: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get 2 bowls or dishes you will use to coat and “bread” the chicken. In one dish add shredded coconut, ground flax, sea salt and pepper. In a separate dish combine tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, paprika and red pepper flakes. Mix well. If mixture is really thick you can add a little bit of water or additional olive oil to thin it out. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each chicken tender in the wet tahini mixture [coating both sides with thin layer] and then transfer to the coconut/flax mixture coating the entire chicken tender. Lay flat on baking sheet. Continue this process with all chicken tenders. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip all chicken tenders over and bake for another 10 minutes. Turn oven to broil for 3-5 minutes until the “breading” becomes slightly brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool a bit before eating.

For broccolini: Wash and trim stems of broccolini. Drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil, sea salt and pepper over broccolini. Using your hands, massage the oil into the broccolini to coat well. Spread out broccolini on a parchment paper or foil lined baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until tender. Add broccolini to the oven after the chicken has been cooking for about 10 minutes. This way, the chicken and broccolini should be done cooking around the same time.

For honey mustard dipping sauce: Combine honey + mustard. Mix well. This sauce recipe can easily be doubled if needed.