Paleo Battered Chicken Tenders
These chicken tenders are juicy and crispy and oh so delicious! Gluten free, dairy free, grain free, and if you use the ingredients listed here this recipe is also paleo and Whole30 compliant.
- Prep Time: 35
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 45
- Yield: 8-10 Tenders 1x
- Category: Dinners
Ingredients
Scale
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Kosher salt (I prefer Diamond brand) and pepper
1 cup (150 g) arrowroot flour
6 TB (40 g) almond flour
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne or chipotle pepper powder
3/4 cup (52 g) seltzer or club soda
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups (145 g) refined coconut oil
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast into 1-inch-thick pieces that are about 3 inches long. This is not an exact science. Cut up the chicken breast the best way you can!
- Dissolve ¼ cup of salt in 1 ½ quarts cold water in a large container. Submerge the chicken pieces in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Cutting up the chicken first will give you the best results versus brining a whole chicken breast.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and then place wire rack on top of paper towels. You will place the cooked chicken here in the warmed oven while you are frying the batch.
- Whisk arrowroot flour, almond flour, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne/chipotle, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper together in a large bowl. Whisk in seltzer/club soda until thoroughly combined and smooth. Let sit until thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Whisk cream of tartar and baking soda into batter. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels; discard brine. Add chicken pieces to batter and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Heat oil in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat to 375 degrees (use a food thermometer). Remove chicken from batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl, and carefully add chicken to the hot oil. Fry the chicken until deep golden brown. First side should take about 3 minutes, then flip and fry about 2 more minutes until golden brown. Use food thermometer to check that internal temperature is at least 160-165 degrees.
- Place cooked chicken on wire rack on baking sheet in the oven to keep warm while cooking the other batches. It usually takes 3 batches, but it can vary based on your pan size and how you place the chicken in the pan. Return oil to 375 degrees prior to frying the next batch.