Paleo Keto Fried Chicken Tenders
These Paleo Keto Fried Chicken Tenders are fabulous! Prepare yourself for tender, juicy, and flavor-packed chicken tenders that make a rockstar addition to any meal!Whether or not you’re following the paleo or keto guidelines, you’ll want to try this delicious fried chicken that's sure to become a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lbs Chicken Thighs or Chicken breasts with thigh meat cut into small tender strips
- 1 13.5 oz Can Full-Fat Organic Coconut Milk
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1½ tsp Sea Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- *Coconut Oil for Cooking
Dry Coating:
- 2 Cups Almond Meal or flour of choice, see notes in blog post
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Dried Minced Onion
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper Freshly Ground
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp Nutritional Yeast optional
Instructions
Prepare Chicken:
- In resealable plastic bag or sealable container, combine coconut milk and marinade spices until blended and smooth. Coconut milk separates in the can so you’ll want to make sure it is mixed well to create a thick, rich milk.
- Using fork, poke uncooked chicken tenders on all sides to allow greater permeability. Place chicken in milk mixture, shaking sealed container to completely coat chicken. Allow chicken to soak overnight or at least 6 hours before cooking.
Cooking Directions:
- In an 8”x8” pan with deep sides, combine dry coating ingredients with a whisk.
- Using tongs or a fork so that you don’t wipe off the coconut milk coating, roll each coconut-milk coated tender in the flour mixture. Fully coat and proceed with either skillet frying or baking directions.
- *If frying in a cast iron skillet, heat 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil (enough to coat the skillet well) over medium heat. Place tenders carefully in hot skillet, frying on each side until golden before flipping (about 5-8 minutes). When tenders are golden on both sides and chicken is cooked through, place tenders on a plate covered with a paper towel to cool for a couple minutes before serving.
- *If baking, preheat oven to 375f. Lightly grease raised baking sheet (with rack for better crisping) with coconut oil. Place coated tenders on pan and lightly mist the top of the tenders with coconut oil spray or other oil if extra crispiness is desired. Bake for about 20 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. For a darker crust, turn oven to broil for a minute or two before taking out of oven (watch chicken carefully to avoid burning). Allow to cool for a couple minutes before serving.