I was born in Alabama, that’s where my family roots are. And there’s nothing like southern fried chicken.
But, as you can guess, it is not very good for you! It’s usually breaded with wheat flour, cornstarch, and other ingredients that I try to stay away from. Not only that, but it is usually fried in highly processed peanut oil. Bleh!
So, I’ve been experimenting with a homemade, gluten-free, keto-friendly, healthier version.
Why Coconut Oil?
This recipe uses coconut oil for frying instead of vegetable or canola oil. Oils play a large part in our health and it’s important to consume oils that are not highly processed. Cold pressed coconut oil is my favorite. It is a good fat to have in your diet! For more information on coconut oil, I love this post on another blog.
Why Almond Flour?
This recipe also uses almond flour instead of wheat flour. I have really been careful about feeding my daughter wheat as there are often so many problems with it (read this post for more info). So, I’ve incorporated almond flour into our diet more and more as a result. I think it’s pretty tasty in this recipe!
Almond flour is often used in recipes that follow the Ketogenic diet, a diet high in fats, with no sugar and grains. While I am not “keto,” this recipe is keto friendly!
So here is the final recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments below! Thanks for reading!
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Gluten-Free Fried Chicken
Jump to RecipeIngredients:
2 chicken breasts (preferably organic and free-range)
1.5 cups almond flour
2 teaspoons salt (preferably unrefined sea salt)
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 eggs (preferably organic and free-range)
2 cups coconut oil (preferably organic), for frying (measurements depends on size of pan used)
Equipment:
8×8 baking pan (for breading)
Deep pan (for frying)
Prepare Your Stations
Add the almond flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to your 8×8 baking pan and mix.
Add eggs to medium-size mixing bowl and whisk them up.
Set both the 8×8 pan and the mixing bowl aside while you prepare the pan for frying.
Pour the coconut oil into your pan and place on medium heat. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need a little less or a little more coconut oil. You want the coconut oil to be one inch deep.
Prepare the Chicken
While the pan of oil is heating up, cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch strips and pat dry. (You could also cut them into smaller nugget size pieces and cook them for a shorter amount of time).
Dip each strip into the beaten eggs, hold the strip above the bowl to let the eggs drip off the end. Once they’ve dripped some, lay the strip into the almond flour mixture, turning to cover all the sides.
Fry the Chicken
Before you place the breaded chicken into the pan of oil, drop a tiny piece of the flour mixture into the oil. If the oil started to bubble when the flour is dropped in, it’s ready for the chicken. If it does not boil, wait a little longer for it to heat up and test again.
Place the chicken strips into the oil and let cook for 8 minutes on each side or until golden brown and the center is no longer pink.
Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel or flour sack cloth to drain.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauces. Ketchup, mustard, and barbecue are my favorites.
This is a great recipe for a weekend get-together or for a weeknight meal. My toddler loves this recipe! But who doesn’t like fried chicken?!?
Gluten-Free Fried Chicken
Course: MainCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 chicken breasts (preferably organic and free-range)
1.5 cups almond flour
2 teaspoons salt (preferably unrefined sea salt)
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 eggs (preferably organic and free-range)
2 cups coconut oil (preferably organic), for frying (measurements depends on size of pan used)
Directions
- Mix almond flour, cayenne pepper, pepper and salt in an 8×8 baking dish set aside.
- Whisk eggs in a medium-sized mixing bowl, set aside.
- Pour oil into deep frying pan and set on medium heat.
- Cut chicken breasts in 1 inch strips. Dip into egg mixture, let mixture drip off ends. Lay chicken strips in the almond flour mixture, turning to coat all sides.
- Once oil is hot, place chicken strips into oil. Fry on each side for 8 minutes, until golden brown and no longer pink inside.
- Remove from oil and let drain on paper towel or flower sack cloth.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce!
Notes
- You can cut the chicken into smaller, nugget-sized pieces. Just fry them for a shorter amount of time.
