Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Strips

Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Strips + Leftover Chicken Strip Spinach Salad

So I went to make my Coconut-Flax Crusted Chicken Strips the other night and come to find out, I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed. So what did I do? I improvised! And I’m glad that I did because these chicken strips turned out great! In the middle of a bite my husband says to me, “this should be one of your recipes.” And that’s all there is to it; this recipe was born.

What I’ve come to realize is that you really can’t go wrong with a little ground flax and some chicken tenders. The ground flax doesn’t provide much flavor, just the bit of crunch you expect from chicken strips. So when I made these chicken strips I used ground flax as my base, but then added in some spice and dried herbs to kick up the flavor a notch or two. I also didn’t have any tahini [sesame seed paste] on hand for my “binder” so I went with almond butter. Almond butter doesn’t ever run out in my house, as it’s definitely a staple food for smoothies, dipping fruit in and just having a spoonful…or two.

I pride myself in making the most of leftovers. I love eating leftovers as is or transforming them into something new. That’s exactly what I did with my leftover chicken strips. And when I can expand my leftovers and make them last longer, I will usually take advantage of that. The best way to do that is to add leftovers to a salad. I always have a big container of baby spinach or mixed greens in the fridge, so it makes it very easy to create a healthy + hearty lunch salad. Just take a few handfuls of greens, leftover chicken strips, leftover roasted broccoli and some salad dressing + lemon. Done. Lunch is served.

In this post you’ll find the following super simple recipes:

[1] Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Strips

[2] Semi-Homemade BBQ Sauce

[3] Spicy Honey Mustard

[4] Leftover Chicken Strip + Spinach Salad

Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Strips

servings: 4-6

Ingredients

• about 15 organic chicken tenders† [I usually get 2 packages]
• 1 cup ground flax seeds [I buy this in bulk and store in the fridge in a mason jar]
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning [oregano, basil or thyme will work also]
• 2 Tbsp almond butter
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

†chicken tenders are smaller than chicken breasts and are the perfect size for chicken strips. If you don’t have chicken tenders, you can gently pound out some chicken breasts with a meat mallet and slice them in half length-wise.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl or container, add ground flax, sea salt, chili powder, paprika, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Mix to combine. In a second small bowl, add almond butter, lemon and olive oil. Whisk to combine until mixture reaches a smooth consistency. Dip each chicken tender in the wet almond butter mixture to coat lightly and completely, then add to ground flax mixture, again coating completely. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat this process with all chicken tenders. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and flip each chicken tender carefully. Bake for another 10 minutes. Turn oven to broil. Broil for 2-3 minutes until flax coating crisps up and reaches a golden brown color. Keep an eye on your chicken so it doesn’t burn. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before eating. Serve with semi-homemade BBQ sauce or homemade honey mustard.

*I served this meal with a side of roasted broccoli [which I also added to my salad for lunch the next day]. To prepare: I used two small heads of broccoli, cut into bite-size florets. Coat with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, sea salt + black pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven while chicken is cooking. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Your broccoli and chicken should be done cooking at the same time.

Semi-Homemade BBQ Sauce

servings: makes about ¾ cup

Ingredients

• ½ cup organic ketchup [no high-fructose corn syrup]
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp molasses [I get the “Wholesome Sweeteners” organic brand from Fred Meyer]
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp sea salt

Directions

Whisk all ingredients together until well combined. This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for one week.

Spicy Honey Mustard [dipping sauce or salad dressing]

servings: makes about ½ cup

Ingredients

• ¼ cup stone ground or spicy mustard
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp sea salt

Directions

Whisk all ingredients together until well combined. This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for one week.

Leftover Chicken Strip + Spinach Salad

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• 2 large handfuls organic baby spinach or mixed greens
• 3 leftover baked chicken strips, sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup leftover roasted broccoli
• 2 Tbsp spicy honey mustard
• squeeze of lemon

Directions

Add spinach and/or mixed greens to a large bowl. Top with chicken strips, broccoli, honey mustard + lemon. Mix and enjoy! Feel free to add in any other veggies or sliced avocado if desired. 

I hope that you find these chicken strips to be as tasty as I do. And feel free to experiment with different spices and herbs to make this recipe your own. If you don’t like spice, omit the chili powder + red pepper flakes and add in some other dried herbs such as rosemary or parsley. Let me know what you think! Comment below 🙂