Rather than a heavy coating, these chicken fingers are lightly covered in a spicy ground almond and whole-wheat flour mixture that'll have the kids forgetting about fast food and begging for this dinnertime treat.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

Canola oil cooking spray
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 egg whites (see Ingredient note)
1 pound chicken tenders

1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Set a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.
2. Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
3. Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray; turn and spray the other side.
4. Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 175 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 65 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 1 g fiber; 254 mg sodium; 79 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Selenium (28% daily value).

0 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 3 very lean meat, 1/2 fat

TIP: Ingredient Note: Dried egg whites are convenient in recipes like this one because you don't have to figure out what to do with 4 egg yolks. Look for powdered brands like Just Whites in the baking aisle or natural-foods section or fresh pasteurized whites in the dairy case of most supermarkets.

RELATED RECIPES: Buffalo Chicken Wrap | EatingWell’s Oven-Fried Chicken | Turkey Potpie | Turkey Fingers with Maple-Mustard Sauce | EatingWell Sloppy Joes

I've made this easy dish several times and it's loved by the whole family. However I have yet to figure out how to cook it without losing the crust when pulling off the rack. Any suggestions?

Andrea

I bought those silicone baking pads to put on my baking sheets and they work like a treat! No need to spray or grease and the food just lifts right off! They are very easy to keep clean also. I have made this and it works out perfectly. I know what you mean about the coating falling off, and it doesn't do that now!

Megan

Even my picky husband liked these.

Anonymous, tx

These chicken tenders are AMAZING! They are so light yet have great flavor. It feels like an indulgence, but they're definitely not. You've gotta try them.

Anonymous, Columbia, MO

To make sure you don't loose the yummy coating, place a sheet of "no stick" foil, or piece of "wet" parchment paper on rack.

Anonymous, Ancaster, ON

We LOVE this dish! It's so satisfying with flavor and yet so healthy and light! A joy to eat. We make it all the time as a perfect meal. You can make it for versatile company because it's so well-rounded and tasty:):)

, New Orleans, LA

Love this recipe! I makes these often - kids and grownups eat them all up!

Rajani, Concord, MA

This is an excellent, excellent kid-friendly recipe that adults will also enjoy. I've made it many times. My 6-year old loves to bring leftovers to school in her lunchbox.

Try refrigerating the breaded cutlets for at least 20 minutes before baking them. That usually works for schnitzel et al.

Anonymous, Washington, DC

Easy to make, great to eat! I sprayed each side of the tenderloins so that it appeared to be "fried". My picky kids ate it all with the Oven Fries as a side.

Anonymous, The Woodlands, TX

I am pregnant and have been craving chicken fingers (something I *never* eat!) but do not want the toxic kind in restaurants with all the trans fats. My husband made these for me and I loved them! I think I'll keep eating them even when the cravings go!

Anonymous, Austin, TX

We couldn't find a small bag of whole wheat flour, but splurged and know we'll be consuming it 1/4 cup at a time for this recipe. These are surprisingly satisfying and it's nice to have some healthy oil in the coating... typically we remove all oil and still feel hungry. I'll save time by making some of the coating in advance and freezing it to keep it fresh.

Anonymous, Durham, NC

I hate to say this because it will be the first recipe from EatingWell that I didn't care for, but nobody in my family enjoyed this. I thought that the whole wheat flour for the breading was just too much. Had I known what it would have tasted like beforehand, I would have at least mixed the whole wheat 50/50 with some white flour to lighten it up a little.

Anonymous, Orlando, FL

It's really great but i would like it more if there is a way which we can make without an oven.

Shaiha, Maldives, MA

Oh my gosh its so good! Evrey person should try this! Add mushrooms,and its even better!

Fashin Wannabe, Wirdoville, MU

This was super yummy!!! Everyone enjoyed including a very picky husband and 2 very picky toddlers. Next time I will just use 2-3 egg whites instead of 4. I ended up throwing away a good bit of whites.

Lisa, Chapin, SC

These are the best chicken strips I've made yet! And the healthiest.

Jen, Clayton, CA

Try using whole wheat pastry flour. Regular whole wheat flour can be too coarse. Also whole wheat flour will go rancid so make sure it's fresh when you buy it. Silicone cooking mats are great for cooking with less fat! Yummy Chicken Fingers!

Enjoying the chicken fingers, Ann Arbor, MI

I made this recipe for supper today, I used thin-sliced chicken breasts instead of tenders. Just had to compensate for serving size. Was fairly easy to make. I made sure to spray the baking pan rack with cooking spray, I didn't have any trouble removing them once done. The taste was a little bland, compared to the way I usually do them but over all, very palatable. We like it much more spicy!

MsAnon, PA

These were excellent... instead of wheat flour i used soy.

Kathy Dean, Meridian, MS

Pretty good. I think I may have overcooked them, because they were a bit dry. My kids loved them though, and the almond crust was a nice surprise instead of bread crumbs. I love that they are baked instead of fried. Will make again.

Jennifer Hoff, Sacramento, CA

My kids loved these. I think they actually taste better breaded with almonds then bread crumbs. Instead of baking them on a wire rack I baked them on parchment paper. They turned out perfect.

Melissa, Sheboygan, WI

It was good, but I think it could have been done at a lower temperature, and maybe for a little less time. At 30 minutes, the coating was scorched. I reduced the heat to 375 to finish the cooking. Also, a little spice in the coating would have been nice. Next time.

Jenny, Victoria, BC

Followed the recipe and listened to the suggestion and i found it tasteless. Sorry, i wont be trying it again.

Sonya, San Antonio, TX

These were delicious... they tasted like eating chicken fingers out at a restaurant, only without making you feel horrible afterwards.

MB, Ewing, NJ

These were great... no need to buy boxed chicken strips with who knows what in them! My husband, who is not a fan of wheat flour, almonds or healthy recipe makeovers, loved them and devoured. The leftovers mad a great chicken cobb salad the next day.

Natalie, Columbia, MO

So good! Will be having again and again.

Jeremy, Manhattan, KS

Actually I was very disappointed. They appeared to be overbaked and dry. It seemed to me that they should not be baked over 12-15 min at that high a temp.

Sylvia Bagge, Glen Ellyn, Il

Tried this recipe tonight. Almost a disaster. Almond, flour, etc., in blender became a paste with olive oil. Had to spread it on chicken tenders with spatula after egg white dip. Coating baked in chunks on chicken. What did we do wrong?

Don McCurdy, Silverton, OR

This was not hard to make, and it was pretty good! My 18 month old daughter liked it, and it is a good way to get protein.

Stasi, Lakewood, CO

Made this last night and was very pleased. The chicken was a bit dry, so next time I may reduce time, but not temperature as they came golden and crispy, very much like they had been fried, which I have never been able to duplicate in the oven before. Great way to have chicken fingers without the guilt.

Nancy, Collegeville, PA

Great recipe, but isn't the nutritional value way off? By my calculations the fat per serving would be closer to 15g not 4g. After all, that half cup of almonds has almost 40 grams of fat in it, not to mention the chicken and the oil! I would love to be able to make this and only have 4 grams of fat so if I'm misunderstanding something, someone please explain it to me. Thanks!

Karen, Dalton, GA