Easy weeknight dinner coming right up!
Who doesn’t love a juicy, crunchy chicken tender with a flavorful dipping sauce? Making them at home with simple ingredients makes them even better. I use garlic almonds to create the crunchy coating — they take this recipe from good to irresistible.
The coating is just seasoned almonds, finely ground. If you don’t have pre-seasoned garlic almonds, you can still make this recipe — see the notes for easy seasoning substitutions to mimic the same bold flavor. Using seasoned garlic almonds is a time-saver and gives a consistent, delicious result.
Let’s talk about the roasted garlic aioli: creamy, savory, and deeply garlicky. It pairs perfectly with the crisp, nutty tenders and elevates the whole meal.
I served these tenders with simple green beans and crispy smashed potatoes for a well-rounded, family-friendly dinner.
Try these garlic almond-coated tenders the next time you want a quick, impressive dinner. If you give the recipe a try, I’d love to hear how it went!
Garlic Almond Chicken with Roasted Garlic Aioli
5 from 3 reviews
- Author: Erica
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings
Description
Crunchy, flavorful chicken tenders baked to a golden finish and served with a roasted garlic aioli. This gluten-free, wholesome recipe is simple to prepare and perfect for weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 egg + 1 egg white
- 2/3 cup garlic almonds (finely ground)
- Avocado oil spray
Aioli
- 1 head garlic
- 1.5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
Aioli
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the top off the head of garlic so the tips of the cloves are exposed. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, wrap in foil and roast for 45–55 minutes, until the cloves are deep golden. Let cool.
Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins and mash into a paste. Whisk together the mayonnaise, roasted garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of salt until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Chicken
Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Pat chicken tenders dry and season with salt and pepper. Pulse the garlic almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Whisk the egg and egg white in a shallow bowl. Dredge each tender in the egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then press into the ground almonds to coat.
Arrange the coated tenders on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and lightly spray with avocado oil. Bake 8 minutes, flip, then bake another 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and the coating is golden and crisp. Serve warm with the roasted garlic aioli and your choice of sides.
Notes
If you don’t have seasoned garlic almonds: use the same amount of roasted almonds and pulse them with 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne to mimic the flavor. If your almonds are raw, roast them at 300°F (150°C) for 25–30 minutes until golden and fragrant.
For a shortcut on the aioli, substitute 2–3 teaspoons minced garlic if you’d rather not roast a full head of garlic—flavor will be slightly different but still very tasty.
Always use a wire rack on the baking sheet so the coating stays crisp instead of getting soggy from trapped steam.
To make smashed potatoes: boil baby gold or quartered Yukon potatoes until just tender (about 20–25 minutes), drain, place on a baking sheet, smash with the heel of your hand or a glass, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Broil for 5–6 minutes until crisp and browned.
For green beans: blanch for 5 minutes, plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking, then reheat briefly in a skillet with olive oil and season to taste.