(First off, no, they’re not really chicken fingers, so don’t get grossed out! haha! That’s just what we call them.)
This is a real simple recipe that my family loves. (Yes, even the most picky eaters love them!)
(I always go for organic whenever possible. We get enough chemicals and junk in foods we can’t avoid or have to choose while eating out. I choose to avoid whatever toxins I can.)
Ingredients:
- Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless, organic (whenever possible)
- 1/2 c Flour, unbleached, organic
- 1/2 c Corn meal, organic
- 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt (or sea salt – avoid table salt whenever possible)
- 1/2 tsp Paprika, organic
- Frying oil about 1/4″ deep in skillet (I use organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it is high in monounsaturated fats. However, EVOO has a low smoke point (it can’t take high temperatures) so I mix it with organic Avocado Oil. The AO has a higher smoke point. My logic is that the combination with get the best of both…if I’m right!)
- Large skillet (I prefer cast iron or stainless steel
- Frying screen (optional – sure helps minimize splatters and the sogginess that can happen from a lid)
Prep…
First, have a platter or plate ready with a couple of layers of paper towels on it to receive the soon-to-be-rinsed chicken.
Then, get a gallon-sized freezer zip bag and place in it all but the chicken. Zip the bag and thoroughly mix the ingredients by gently shifting the bag back and forth, up and down. Set aside.
Place a large skillet on the stove burner. Pour the oil into the skillet.
Next, rinse and blot the chicken breasts. (I use a low flow of water to rinse them under in an empty sink so that nothing else gets splashed or splattered with the raw chicken, thus lowering salmonella risk.) As each piece is rinsed, place it on the towel-covered plate and let them “drain” for a few minutes.
Once the chicken breasts are rinsed and have had a few minutes to drain, get out your raw meats cutting board. (You will be cutting the chicken breasts into strips or “fingers”.)
Be sure to cut across “the grain” of the chicken breast meat, otherwise they will be difficult to bite through when done. You can see “the grain” as the small little lines in the meat that seem to indicate the “flow” of its fibers. Cut across the grain, not with it, so that the length of lines are short, thus easier to bite through.
On the Chicken breasts, trim off any cartilage, fat clumps, and ligaments (to make eating them easier). Cut the chicken breasts into strips about 1/2″ thick. As you cut them, put them into the zip bag with the flour mixture, zip closed and shift the bag back and forth to coat the chicken. Place the bag on the counter. Cut and coat the next chicken breast. Continue until all chicken breast meat has been cut into strips and coated with the flour mixture.
You’re ready to fry!!! (Yes, I know frying is not the recommended healthiest way to eat, but at least this is a healthier version.)
Let’s get cooking…
Heat the skillet with the oil in it. You will know it’s hot enough for the chicken when you take a pinch of flour, sprinkle over the oil, and see the sizzle when the flour hits the oil.
Reach into the bag and begin to get the fingers out one at a time. If you see a lot of loose flour mix on them, give them a little shake (while still in the bag to minimize mess), then place in the hot oil in the skillet.
Once all the chicken “fingers” are in the oil, just let them fry on medium heat. (This is when I’d use the fry screen. If you don’t have one, you can place a lid loosely across the skillet with large enough gaps to let most of the steam out.)
When the side in the oil and against the pan is golden, turn them over. (If they stick, use a spatula to loosen them from the pan before turning them over.) Continue to fry until this side has also become golden brown.
Voila!!! You’re done!
Delicious! Thanks! 😋