Low Carb Chick Fil A Chicken Strips
This is a copy cat recipe for Chick Fil A Chicken Strips that taste remarkably similar!
Ingredients
- For the chicken marinade:
- 1 lb chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 cup pickle juice use a good-quality, vinegar-based pickle juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika optional, for a little smokiness
- For the breading:
- 1 cup crushed pork rinds or a mix of 1/2 cup almond flour and coconut flour
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika optional
- For frying:
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, butter or a combination for frying
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken:
- Place the chicken strips in a bowl or resealable bag.
- Pour the pickle juice over the chicken, ensuring it is fully covered.
- Add the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika to the marinade.
- Seal and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours, preferably overnight for more flavor.
- Prepare the breading:
- In a shallow dish, mix together the pork rinds (or almond/coconut flour), Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Ensure the breading is well combined for even coating.
- Coat the chicken:
- Once the chicken has marinated, remove it from the pickle juice and gently pat it dry with paper towels.
- Dredge each piece of chicken in the pork rinds mixture, pressing lightly to ensure a good, even coating.
- Fry the chicken:
- Heat the avocado oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet, but not deep fry.
- Once the oil is hot, add the coated chicken strips to the skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches if needed.
- Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Serve:
- Remove the chicken strips from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
- Serve the chicken strips with your favorite low-carb dipping sauce (like sugar-free honey mustard or ranch dressing).
- Tips:
- Pickle juice: The longer the chicken marinates in the pickle juice, the more flavor it will absorb. Aim for at least 1 hour, but if you have time, overnight is ideal.
- Breading texture: Almond flour gives a nice crisp texture, but I prefer the crushed pork rinds. Feel free to experiment with a mix of almond flour and coconut flour for a slightly different texture.
- Cooking oil: Avoid using seed oils like canola or vegetable oil. Avocado oil and butter are great alternatives for high-heat cooking but butter can burn!
- Enjoy your homemade low-carb, pickle-juice marinated chicken strips that taste just like Chick-fil-A!