Ease the heat of these Spicy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers by serving them with some Creamy Avocado Dipping Sauce.
Ever feel like you’re preparing the same 4 or 5 meals for your family? Over, and over, and over. Although they fulfill the dietary requirements, they just don’t excite anyone anymore. When you start hearing responses like “Again?” when you answer your child’s inquiry about dinner, you know it’s time to burst out of the rut and liven things up a little bit. That’s the inspiration behind these Spicy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers. My kids love chicken fingers – what kid doesn’t – but my kids also love spicy foods. Not hot enough to make your brow bead up with sweat, but enough heat that you know you’ve got some great flavours going on.
When I received an email earlier this week from Closet Cooking showcasing 35 quinoa recipes, I was immediately intrigued by the Quinoa Crusted Chicken Parmesan that Kevin featured. I’ve always cooked up quinoa and used it as a side dish, but I’d never even thought to use it as a “breading”. Using cooked quinoa as the “breading” for these Spicy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers worked brilliantly. It adheres to the chicken well, browns beautifully, and holds up to being dunked in the Creamy Avocado Dipping Sauce well too.
Spicy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers
Since this recipe uses cooked, cooled quinoa, it would also be a great use for leftover quinoa. You will need about 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa for this recipe.
Ingredients
Spicy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers
- 600 grams (1.3 lbs) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" strips
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (for a little heat, stick to the 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup white rice flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Creamy Avocado Dipping Sauce
- 2 small avocados, peeled and pitted
- 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves (no stems)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
Spicy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers
- In a small saucepan, bring the water and quinoa to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and transfer to a bowl to refrigerate until chilled. Once cooled, add the chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet that has sides with parchment paper.
- In a resealable bag, combine the rice flour, cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon salt. Seal the bag and shake it until evenly mixed. Open the bag and roll down the sides so that you can easily access the flour mixture. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and lime juice.
- Line up the strips of chicken, flour/cornstarch mixture, egg mixture, and quinoa mixture, beside your prepared baking pan.
- Working one at a time, coat the chicken strips in the flour mixture, then dip into the egg mixture. Using other hand (keeping one hand for dry ingredients and the other for wet), coat the chicken with the egg mixture, and then coat with the quinoa mixture.
- Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the chicken strips have been coated.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Serve hot with the Creamy Avocado Dipping Sauce.
Creamy Avocado Dipping Sauce
- While the Spicy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers are baking, place all of the ingredients for the dipping sauce into a food processor.
- Process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
Notes
Leftover Spicy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Fingers would be perfect on a salad or wrap as well. Plan ahead, and prepare enough for lunch the next day!
Looking for more information on Quinoa? Be sure to check out our FOOD FACTS article discussing Quinoa.
Teri says
Sounds yummy. And a nice change. Going to give it a try. The quinoa needs to be well rinsed prior to cooking right? I don’t use it much but have always been told to give it a good rinse first to get rid of the bitter coating.
Jeanine Friesen says
Hi Teri, the quinoa I buy says “Pre-rinsed” right on the package, so I never bother rinsing. If it doesn’t say that though,then I’d suggest a very fine mesh strainer, and leave the water running until it doesn’t foam (apparently the coating that is bitter foams in water) – about 2 minutes.
Teri says
I wasn’t aware that it could be purchased pre-rinsed. I will definitely be looking for that. Thanks!
Jeanine Friesen says
Yes! Here is the brand I buy – I get it at Costco: http://truroots.com/products/truroots-single-grains/organic-quinoa/
Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts says
I have several favorite recipes for chicken fingers, but these look awesome, Jeanine! I’ve also made sauces with avocado to balance heat before. They always work well and make for delicious combos. 🙂 Off to share …
Shirley
Jeanine Friesen says
Thanks, Shirley! They do work well together. 🙂
Robyn says
Yummy!!!
Jeanine Friesen says
Thanks, Robyn!
Chloe says
Hi there! I’d love to try this recipe but my child is allergic to eggs. Can you suggest another ingredient? thanks a lot.
Jeanine Friesen says
The egg is used to help the quinoa adhere to the chicken, I’m really not sure what you could replace it with, since I don’t have an egg allergy, sorry. Maybe even just dipping in milk after the flour?
Alma says
Jeanine, I made these for my husband and myself a couple of nights ago. I used the light side of the cayenne pepper. It was just spicy enough for us. Excellent recipe. I can’t wait to share this recipe with my daughter in law, she is trying to get more quinoa in her family, the boys are 7, 5 and 2, so you know they love chicken tenders. The baby is allergic to eggs, could milk be used as a substitute?
Thanks for all of the great recipes.
Jeanine Friesen says
So glad that you liked it, Alma! I’m not sure about the eggs, but I’d suggest milk as a substitute as well. Worth a try!
Lorna says
This looks and sounds great! I like the look of crunchy and crispy, but I need to substitute the corn as my son and I are allergic. What would you suggest as a good replacement for the corn? Thanks for the help and sharing your talent for recipes that are gf, but minus other ingredients as well. Again, thank you as you help me, I’m not a big risk taker with gf cooking and baking. Cheers!
Jeanine Friesen says
Hi Lorna, If you can’t have the corn, I’d either substitute it with arrowroot, or even use all rice flour instead. Hope this helps! 🙂
Amy says
Help! I’m out of cornstarch. What else can I use? Tapioca flour??
Jeanine Friesen says
Yeah, you could use tapioca in it’s place – I think straight rice flour might even work.
Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts says
Hey Jeanine!–I made these for dinner! Delish! We just dipped them in our bees’ honey. 🙂 Mr. GFE NEVER chooses quinoa, but he didn’t know any different. 😉
Thanks so much, dear!
Shirley
Jeanine Friesen says
So glad to hear that you, AND Mr GFE liked them! 😀
sirlansa says
Not too familiiar with quinoa, except in premade noodles (spaghetti, rotini, etc.)
Will the 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa really expand to the 1-1/2 cups uncooked?
Jeanine Friesen says
Hi sirlansa! Ye quinoa cooks up very similarly to rice, so the volume really does increase that much when you cook it. 🙂
Janel says
My quinoa turned out gummy and when I went to bread it wouldn’t stick at all, so I guess I’m baking it and trying again, eating an hour later than I planned.
Chris says
Killer dish Jeanine, the grandkids loved it. You are more than just great cinnamon buns!
Nathan says
Would this recipe work if you replaced the chicken with halloumi?
Citygal says
So excited to find this recipe but I’m out of white rice flour, I do have mochiko (sweet rice flour) coconut flour and quinoa flour which would be my best substitute?? Thanks!!
Kaley says
these are great on whole wheat waffles or gluten free waffles for healthier chicken and waffles!!
Jeanine says
It would have to be gluten free waffles to maintain a gluten free diet, but I’m glad to hear that they are good that way, I’ve never tried waffles & chicken, but have been tempted to!