Buffalo anything? Sign me up!! If you already follow me on instagram, you probably already know I have this thing for buffalo chicken. Add ranch? Uh, heaven!
For my ranch recipe, I use an immersion blender. In case you don’t have one, I’ve included a link in the recipe below to use a regular blender. I do highly recommend getting one for yourself, they’re inexpensive and SO useful! You can also borrow one from your parents, and keep it for so long that they end up gifting it to you, like yours truly! Thanks dad! 😉
You know what’s been one of the most interesting things that has happened to me since I went paleo? My taste buds have changed like crazy! I used to not be able to handle anything spicy, now I love it! Mayonnaise used to totally gross me out, but homemade mayo? A whole different story! It’s amazing stuff, and has endless possibilities! It’s even the base for my ranch dressing, used in this recipe. I also never liked mushrooms and fish, now I eat them all the time! It’s pretty cool what your body will do when you allow for change to happen.
If you’re not a fan of spicy, you can always skip the sauce in this recipe, and just make delicious chicken tenders! I personally think these are way better than the original breaded version, and a whole lot healthier. Now get to baking and dipping (into ranch, obvi)!
Buffalo Chicken Tenders & Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the Chicken Tenders:
- 1 pound chicken tenders, or chicken breasts cut into tenders (preferably organic/pastured)
- 1 pastured egg, beaten
- 1 cup almond meal (OR ½ cup coconut flour , your choice!)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
For the Buffalo Sauce:
- 1/3 cup hot sauce (I use Tessemae's Buffalo Sauce)
- 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
For the Ranch:
- 2/3 cup avocado oil
- 1 pastured egg
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dried dill (or 2 tablespoons fresh, minced)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley (or about 1 tablespoon fresh, minced)
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh, minced garlic (or ¼ tsp garlic powder)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the 2 tbsp of coconut oil on a rimmed baking sheet, and place in the oven to melt. Remove from the oven when melted; gently tip the pan to spread the coconut oil.
- Mix the almond or coconut flour in a shallow bowl, along with the salt and garlic powder. Beat the egg in a separate shallow bowl.
- Dry your chicken tenders with a paper towel. Dip each piece into the egg, and then into the flour mixture.
- Place the chicken tenders on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- While the chicken is baking, let's make the ranch! Place the avocado oil, egg, mustard powder, lemon juice and sea salt in a tall container (I use a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup). Place an immersion blender at the bottom and turn on. Once the mixture starts to blend together and become thick, move the immersion blender towards the top, until it is well blended. This should take less than a minute! Add the dill, parsley and garlic and blend until just combined. **If you're using a regular blender or vitamix to make the aioli, click HERE for a link for instructions, just add the sea salt, dill, parsley & garlic.
- Next, combine the hot sauce and ghee/coconut oil in a small pan. Heat over low heat until combined.
- Once the chicken has baked for 12 minutes, remove from the oven. Use a spoon to drizzle the hot sauce/ghee (or coconut oil) mixture onto the chicken tenders, coating them well until the sauce is gone.
- Place the chicken back in the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink on the inside.
- Serve up and dip in lots of ranch! Yum!
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I’m having a really hard time finding the mayo recipe on paleomg. Could you provide the direct link?
Hi Coral! The direct link to the mayo recipe is in my recipe (where it says “click here”). I went ahead and updated the first link in my write up as well, to make it easier to find 🙂 Hope that helps!
I’m jut curious if franks buffalo sauce is considered paleo?! I know the original red hot is but I thought the buffalo wasn’t! Thanks!!
Sorry, should have clarified, I used the original red hot 🙂 I actually have no idea what’s in the buffalo version, but I’m gonna go ahead a guess that it’s some sketchy ingredients!
This is great timing…. Super Bowl Sunday coming up and my husband ALWAYS makes wings…we were wondering what to bread it with and I was thinking coconut flour but this makes the decision easy! Thank you!
That was my exact thought, perfect super bowl snack! Hope you love them, I know I do!
great recipe sweetie pie! will definitely be making these! i haven’t made paleo mayo before (haven’t had mayo in YEARS!) so i am very excited
Thank you, Meg!! You’re too sweet! I kinda have an addiction to paleo mayo, it’s sooo good 🙂
These sound fantastic. I will be trying this week!
Can’t wait to hear what you think! Hope you love it!
my husband would love this!
It’s one of my husbands (and my brother in law’s) favorites!! Hope yours loves it too!
I really want to make this!
It’s one of my favorites, Stacey! I always have a double batch of my ranch in the fridge!
I just got my immersion blender in the mail today after waiting and putting off on ordering it for months. I wanted to give it a try and make something different and yummy. Looked around some other blogs, but came here because your recipes are so comforting and totally in my wheelhouse. I love how you cook familiar foods with ingredients that aren’t super exotic. Anywho! I got to use my new blender for the ranch – delicious and fun to make! The chicken was great. Thanks for all you are doing!!
– Nichele
Thanks so much, Nichele! I love hearing that! I love making healthy food accessible to anyone 🙂
Just made these tonight and they were great, even my super picky 3 year old said “these are yummy mama, thank you, Addy get more?!”
I adore that! Thank you so much for sharing, Christina! <3
Hi there! I am wanting to make this but I don’t have any lemons on hand, could I use lime juice instead?
I haven’t tried it myself but lime juice would probably work just fine!
Made this tonight on Day 28 of my 1st W30. SO delicious!!! Thank you thank you thank you!! It will definitely get added into our regular rotation. Thanks again!! 😀
So happy to hear that, Bridget! Congrats on almost finishing!