I have had a craving for buffalo wings lately, and I wanted to make a healthier option. I coated organic free range chicken tenders in a panko breadcrumb and cornmeal mixture, and cooked them in a skillet to develop a crust. Then, I baked them for the remaining time. This method made them so tender and juicy and they had the perfect crust.
My friend Megan gave me the inspiration for the buffalo cauliflower. She is a vegetarian and wanted me to make my vegetarian take on buffalo chicken. I decided to coat them in a very light batter, and then baked them in a hot oven. I also made a yummy oniony Greek yogurt dip for them as an alternative to ranch or blue cheese. Delicious. I’ve been eating the dip with pita chips and pretzel chips and it is too good.
Makes 6-8 buffalo tenders, and enough cauliflower for 4-6 people
For the buffalo chicken tenders:
1 lb. chicken tenders
1/4 c. gluten free all purpose flour (regular all purpose is fine too)
1 egg, beaten + 2 T. water
1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
1/4 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper
3/4 c. Franks Red Hot Sauce
sunflower oil or canola oil
For the buffalo cauliflower:
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3/4 c. gluten free all purpose flour (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
2/3 c. water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper
3/4 c. Franks Red Hot Sauce
For the caramelized onion chive greek yogurt dip:
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 T. sugar
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. mayonnaise
1 small 5 oz. container plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 T. chives, chopped
pinch of garlic powder
salt and pepper
To begin, preheat oven to 400℉. If making the buffalo chicken, assemble 3 bowls for dipping the chicken. The first bowl with flour, the second with the egg and water mixture, and the third with the panko cornmeal spice mixture. Dredge tenders in flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumb coating. Preheat nonstick skillet to medium/high heat with canola oil. Cook tenders 2-3 minutes per side until golden, then place on a baking sheet with rack inserted if you have one. It ensures extra crispiness. Make sure you spray the rack with cooking spray. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, then brush tenders on each side with desired amount of hot sauce, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. When finished, remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. It helps the coating set. Enjoy with ranch or blue cheese, or my caramelized onion dip.
If you are making the cauliflower, preheat the oven to 425℉. Begin by making the batter. Whisk together flour, water, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Coat cauliflower florets in batter, shaking off excess. Place florets on baking sheet with baking rack inserted, and make sure you spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking. If you don’t have a baking rack, it’s not a problem, the cauliflower just might not turn out as crispy. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then flip, and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes. Then, brush the florets with hot sauce, and position the oven rack to the top position. Place cauliflower under the broiler for 3-5 more minutes until slightly golden. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. It helps the coating set.
To make the caramelized onion chive dip, begin by preheating a small skillet to medium/high heat with 2 T. olive oil. Sauté onion for 15-20 minutes, until caramelized and golden, stirring frequently. You want the sugars to develop and the onion to get dark brown and sweet. Be careful not to burn the onions, it is easy to do. During the last several minutes, add the tablespoon of sugar. Make sure you cook onion for 5 minutes or so after adding the sugar, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool. Once onions have cooled, you can assemble the dip. Combine onion, Worcestershire, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, chives, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and stir. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. You can serve it at this temperature, but I think it gets even better if you refrigerate it for a couple of hours. It is up to you! This onion dip is delicious and it is guilt-free because of the Greek yogurt..this kind of dip is usually made with sour cream and way more mayo.
Enjoy!
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