Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

I love traditional buffalo wings; the messier and spicier the better.  But honestly; I never eat them anymore.  All of the saturated fat and preservatives make me feel weighed down, and I’m not the kind of girl who eats just one!  These buffalo tenders are different- think all natural comfort food minus the extra fat and calories.  Bonus: I’m also pretty psyched because this recipe was featured on the New England Patriot’s website!  So, what did I do to lighten up this dish?

First, I used organic chicken (I personally always go for organic poultry and meat), ditched the processed buffalo wing sauce (sorry Frank’s!) for a gluten free, preservative free version (Wing Time at Whole Foods is great) and then crafted a perfectly balanced homemade blue cheese dressing with real ingredients for leaner dipping.

Is there a ton of extra vitamins and minerals in this particular dish? Nope- but it is downright delicious and so much better for you than traditional wings. Double up the ingredients below if you have a crowd.  A quality, non-stick pan is helpful to prevent having to add additional oil while cooking the chicken; if you don’t have a non-stick pan you may need to add additional cooking spray or extra virgin olive oil.  You can make the homemade blue cheese dressing up to 2 days in advance and if you’re dairy free, just skip it and enjoy the buffalo chicken on it’s own.  Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

Makes about 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the buffalo chicken tenders:
  • 1 1/2 pounds organic chicken tenders, cut into even, bite-sized chunks
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour
  • few pinches sea salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • garlic powder
  • your favorite all natural cooking spray and/or extra virgin olive oil
  • about 1/2 cup Wing Time Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (gluten/sugar/preservative free found at Whole Foods)
For the homemade blue cheese dressing:
  • ½ cup 2% Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons all natural mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon worchestshire sauce
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • 3 big pinches Sea salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 heaping tablespoon chopped celery leaves (the leaves found on celery)
  • ½ heaping cup crumbled Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese
  • Scallions, chopped (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. Make the blue cheese dressing: whisk together the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, mayonnaise, worchestshire sauce and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fold in the chopped celery leaves and blue cheese.  Set aside.
  2. Combine flour, salt, pepper and desired amount of garlic powder in a large bowl. Toss chicken with flour mixture until evenly coated.
  3. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat.  Once pan is hot, spray generously with cooking spray or add extra virgin olive oil and swirl to coat pan.
  4. Let pan heat up for a moment or two and then carefully add chicken pieces.  I like to add them individually with a fork making sure to not overcrowd the pan ( I prefer to cook the chicken in two batches.   You may need to cook in several batches depending on the size of your pan and especially if you are doubling the recipe).  Allow chicken pieces to cook undisturbed on each side until a light golden crust forms and no longer pink inside but still tender (take care not to overcook). Lower heat and add additional cooking spray or olive oil as needed. Once chicken is cooked, set aside in a bowl.
  5. Drizzle desired amount of hot sauce over the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Serve with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing and garnish with chopped chives if desired.  Enjoy!

SO, WHAT’S THE NUTRITION BALANCE?

This recipe is mostly protein and fat. Add some carbohydrates on the side (such as veggie sticks for dipping) for a balanced meal.

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