Meal: Lunch or Dinner
Dietary Type: Omnivore
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
The Dish
Now here is a meal the whole family can enjoy (especially if you have a couple picky eaters in the group)—baked crispy chicken tenders with crispy sweet potato wedges, yogurt ranch dressing, and fresh salad.
The yogurt ranch dressing actually plays three roles in this recipe: as the dressing for the salad, the chicken dipper, and as the marinade for the chicken itself, which makes prep (and clean up!) that much easier. In fact, you might love this dressing so much that it’ll become part of your weekly routine (there’s always a ranch fan).
The secret to crispy homemade sweet potato wedges is cornstarch, which we’re deploying here. The result is a bubbly crispy ‘crust’ on the outside of the potatoes, while the inside is soft and tender.
Ingredients
Dressing
1/2 cup (150g) yogurt
1 teaspoon (5ml) lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon (1g) dried minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon (1g) dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon chives (fresh or dried)
1/8 teaspoon dill (fresh or dried)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon (.5g) salt
pinch of black pepper
Chicken Tenders
1 1/2 lbs. (650g) boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into tenders (or chicken tenders)
1 cup (90g) panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup (10g) parmesan, grated
1/2 teaspoon (2g) paprika
1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
Sweet Potato Wedges
1 medium (300g) sweet potato, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons (17g) cornstarch
1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Salad & Toppings
2 cups (120g) mixed salad greens
1 each (150g) tomato, cut into wedges
1/2 each (80g) cucumber, quartered and sliced
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a large bowl combine the dressing ingredients (yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, onion, chives, dill, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper), whisk until blended and divide (in half) between two bowls. Set one of the bowls aside (for the salad dressing).
- In one bowl, toss the chicken with the dressing until coated.
- In another clean, separate bowl, toss together bread crumbs, parmesan and paprika. Remove the chicken from the dressing (letting any excess dressing drip off) and coat in the bread crumbs, pressing with your hands to adhere. Place breaded chicken on one half of the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- Place potato wedges in a large bowl and toss with cornstarch, until coated. Then drizzle the potatoes with olive oil until coated (the wedges will be a little ‘gummy’), place on the other half of the sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is crisp, golden brown and cooked through and the potatoes are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.
- To serve, plate chicken tenders and potatoes with salad greens topped with tomatoes and cucumbers. Serve with a little dressing on the side or drizzled on top.
Gluten Free Modifications: Substitute the panko bread crumbs in this recipe with almond meal or gluten free bread crumbs.