A family favorite made healthier! Whole30 buffalo chicken fingers are crisp, full of flavor, and made even better with buffalo ranch for dipping. This is a meal you’ll want to repeat over and over!
Whole30 buffalo chicken fingers with buffalo ranch.
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This recipe goes into my top favorite recipes that I’ve ever shared. I mean, of course they do. Whole30 buffalo chicken fingers? Yes. Buffalo ranch? Heck yes. What’s not to love?
If you’re doing Whole30 (or even if you’re not), you’re going to flip over these chicken fingers! They are:
- Crispy
- FULL of flavor
- Spicy (but can easily be mild)
- Gluten-Free
- Grain-Free
- Dairy-Free
- AMAZING
You might remember the buffalo ranch from this salad. Not only is perfect for salads and these chicken fingers, but it’ a great dipper for oven fries, homemade sweet potato chips, and fresh veggies.
Let’s talk about the breading. I use the dry, wet, dry breading method. In non Whole30 recipes that usually consists of flour, then egg, and then breadcrumbs. In this case we use tapioca, eggs mixed with hot sauce, and then a mix of almond flour, finely shredded coconut, and a bunch of spices.
I like using a mix of almond flour and coconut because the shredded coconut provides more crunch, but the almond flour helps keep the flavor mild. If you use all coconut you’ll taste a strong coconut flavor and if you use all almond flour they will be softer and less crisp. Make sure you are using unsweetened finely shredded coconut!
I could go on and on about these Whole30 buffalo chicken fingers, but I think the title speaks for itself. If you love buffalo, you’re going to LOVE this recipe. We gobbled these right up… forgetting they are Whole30 and Paleo!
Have a fantastic weekend, friends. ✌?
- ¾ Cup Tapioca Starch, Arrowroot Powder, or Coconut Flour
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 Eggs
- ½ Cup Hot Sauce
- ¾ Cup Almond Flour
- ¾ Cup Finely Shredded Coconut (make sure it’s unsweetened)
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Onion Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 3 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
- Avocado or Coconut Oil, for frying
- ½ Cup Homemade Mayonnaise, or store-bought compliant mayo
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce*
- ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Chives, chopped
- Place the tapioca in a shallow dish and season well with salt and pepper. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs with the hot sauce until well combined. Toss the almond flour, coconut, and spices in another shallow dish.
- Bread the chicken pieces starting with the tapioca, then into the egg, and then into the breadcrumbs.
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- Heat oil in a large skillet (enough to coat the bottom and come up about an inch on the sides) and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer the browned chicken to a cooling rack placed on a baking sheet.
- Bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through. Turn the oven off and crack the door open, allowing the chicken to rest for 5 minutes in the oven. (This helps with crispness!)
- Make the buffalo ranch by combining the mayo, coconut milk, hot sauce, and spices.
- Serve the chicken alongside the ranch for dipping.
- *Reduce the hot sauce to make a milder dressing. You can start with a teaspoon or two of hot sauce and then add more until your desired heat level.
Could these be made and then frozen? Was thinking about making them ahead of time, freezing and then just reheating in the air fryer. I’m due with my second baby in a few weeks and looking for some quick meal ideas.
Yes, these will freeze well! Congratulations 😊
I made these tonight and they were delish…I used almond flour instead of tapioca starch it was all I had on hand and the coating did not adhere to the chicken very well. Pieces of the coating fell off during flipping when frying. Could this be from the almond flour? We enjoyed them anyway they had a really nice flavor. The sauce was excellent too.