I admit it. Wings are a weakness of mine. By far, they are my favorite pub food item. But like anyone else, I want the taste, without all the fat and calories.  The breading on many typical wings also bothers my stomach (thanks gluten!).  These boneless chicken strips really lend the flavor of traditional wings.  You can’t even tell the “breading” is almond meal. It tastes like regular breadcrumbs! Hubby really loved these.  I’ll warn you, they are spicy.  I’m a wimp when it comes to spice. You could tone it down by using less hot sauce or using your favorite not-so-spicy hot sauce.

Grain Free Buffalo Chicken Strips

Makes 4 servings

4 x 3 oz raw chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 cup almond meal (ground up raw almonds)
1 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce (original)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a shallow bowl, mix together almond meal, garlic powder and pepper. Place raw chicken in mixture to coat.  Place in oven proof dish or cookie sheet.  I lined mine with parchment so it didn’t stick.  Mist ‘breaded’ chicken with oil or cooking spray. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until golden (turning halfway through).  Meanwhile, place hot sauce in larger bowl. Remove chicken strips from oven.  While still hot, lightly dunk in hot sauce using tongs.  I served with a spinach salad and a side of light ranch dressing (not included in nutrition).

Nutrition (per serving)   Calories: 179   Fat: 8.4 g   Carbs: 3.7 g   Sugars: 0.7 g   Fiber: 1.6 g   Sodium: 590 mg   Protein: 23 g