My grandmom made the best fried chicken ever and she unfortunately passed away before teaching me her secrets. This recipe from @thedefineddish brought fried chicken back into my life after a 30 year absence and in a cleaned up, healthier version. What a gift! The trick is in the pickle juice! Now I just need to figure out what the heck to do with all those juiceless pickles in my fridge! You and your whole family will love these!
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1&1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
Lay chicken breasts in a single layer on a cutting board and put parchment/plastic wrap over them. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken until about 1/4″ thick. Discard parchment/plastic and cut chicken into nuggets or tenders.
Place chicken in a bowl or bag with pickle juice and allow to brine for at least 2 hours but could be overnight.
When ready to cook, strain off pickle juice. Then, in a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs with 1 tablespoon of water until frothy. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Stir to combine and break up any clumps.
Dip each piece of chicken in the egg, allowing extra to drip off and then roll in flour mixture to coat. Place coated chicken pieces on a clean plate until you have all the chicken ready.
In a dutch oven or frying pan, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. When hot, work in batches (to not overcrowd pan), fry the chicken until the crust is golden brown and cooked through, usually about 3 minutes on the first side and 1-2 minutes on the second. Once cooked, transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate and continue cooking until all are cooked and crispy.
Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce!