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Mmm…these low-carb Panfried Chicken Strips took 4 attempts to perfect, but the work was worth it. With their thin breading and great flavor, they remind me of Chick-fil-A chicken strips, one of my favorite fast foods.
I wanted a fried chicken recipe, so I started testing this recipe with bone-in chicken but met resistance each time because my family just plain doesn’t like bone-in chicken. It didn’t help that I was baking all of these attempts (sometimes without frying at all to simplify things, sometimes after frying to finish the cooking process). Bone-in chicken releases a lot of juice and all attempts were soggy. Grossness. (I didn’t want to have to use a ton of oil, which is why I wasn’t deep-frying the chicken in butter and/or refined coconut oil.) So I abandoned my traditional fried chicken dream and stuck to chicken tenders, frying them until cooked all the way through to keep them crispy. I loved the results! The chicken is juicy inside but the breading is nice and crispy.
Please don’t omit the sriracha in the egg wash. It doesn’t make the chicken spicy, but it does add great flavor. If you want to kick things up a notch in the heat department, dip these chicken tenders into a sriracha Ranch dipping sauce. (Literally, just squirt some sriracha into some Ranch dressing. This is one of my favorite dipping sauces of all time.) Not into heat? Just use plain ‘ol Ranch! I want to develop a healthy version of Chick-fil-A sauce for my next cookbook but haven’t gotten around to that yet. LOVE that stuff!
If you have leftover chicken, warm it up in a skillet and eat it in a low-carb wrap with Swiss cheese, lettuce, some Ranch dressing, and a drizzle of sriracha. This makes a great lunch!
Are you a Chick-fil-A fan? CLICK HERE to see my healthy version of their Frosted Lemonade!
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Want to make your own Ranch dressing? Check out Rhonda’s recipe HERE!
Until I come up with a copycat Chick-fil-A sauce, check out Sarah’s recipe HERE!
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission (but your price doesn’t change).
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- 1 (3.5 oz.) pkg. plain pork rinds
- ½ c. oat fiber (use gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 tsp. each onion powder, paprika
- ½ tsp. each salt, black pepper
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- 2½ lb. chicken tenderloins
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- 2 eggs
- 2 T. sriracha
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- Salted butter and Worcestershire sauce for frying
- Blend the breading ingredients together (I used our Vitamix blender with a tamper, but a food processor would probably work as well or better) until it is powdery and there are no chunks of pork rinds left. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs and sriracha together well.
- Heat a skillet (I used an electric skillet) and add 2 T. salted butter and 1 T. Worcestershire sauce.
- Dip the chicken into the egg wash, then the breading. Fry on both sides until done. I do this in two batches and replenish the butter and Worcestershire sauce for the second batch. Keep the first batch of chicken in the oven on Warm while you fry the second batch.
- For an easy dipping sauce, mix Ranch dressing with a little sriracha.
-As written, this recipe isn't really that spicy. The sriracha Ranch dipping sauce is a great way to get some heat in while not setting the whole family's mouths on fire. If you're not a spice person, eat the chicken with plain Ranch instead of sriracha Ranch.
-I've tried this recipe with bone-in chicken but my family wasn't a fan. We much prefer thin pieces of chicken, and frying gives a much better result than baking.
-Leftover chicken is great warmed up in a frying pan, then topped with Swiss cheese, lettuce, Ranch, and sriracha in a low-carb wrap!
-One of my readers said that she baked this chicken...good to know!
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I have a question is it a table spoon of butter or a teaspoon? Also how do you get it crispy because mine didnt.
T is tablespoon. Tsp is teaspoon. 🙂 As far as getting it crispy, I’m not really sure what to tell you other than maybe try frying a little longer? And don’t cover the skillet while you’re frying the chicken.
I learned in Home Economics that a capital T or Tsp is Tablespoon and a lowercase t or tsp is teaspoon. Capital letters denote Tablespoon; lowercase teaspoon.
I guess there are many different ways to skin a cat. 😉 I’ve always heard/seen that tablespoon can be denoted with a capital T or the abbreviation “Tbsp” or “tbsp.” Teaspoon can be denoted with a lowercase t or “Tsp” or “tsp.” But I’ve actually started writing my newer recipes with the words written out completely (tablespoon or teaspoon) to avoid all confusion!
I made this for supper tonight and my hubby loved it (and he is stingy with THM recipe compliments). My breading came out a bit burnt-looking (only tasted a little burnt), due to the Worcestershire sauce. I had it on a medium heat, and turned it lower after the first set. Just wondering how low I need to cook this, or should I flatten my tenders to help them cook faster?
BTW, I really enjoyed this cut up on a salad with cow sauce dressing. Yummy!!
I’m so glad it was a hit! The cooking time will vary depending on thickness, and it’s a good idea to use chicken pieces that aren’t too thick. You just need to fry on both sides until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the juices run clear. Tenders are usually fine without flattening but you’re welcome to do that if you keep having trouble with them burning before getting done; maybe just try a lower heat with a longer cook time next time and see if that helps.
Made this for dinner tonight. Browned tenders in butter for about 3 minutes per side and then popped in the oven to finish cooking for about 15 minutes. Plenty of flavor! Great recipe!
I’m waiting on the oat fiber I purchased from THM during the special they had this week…I’m thinking it’ll be a while until I receive them. Any other substitute I could use for the oat fiber? Thanks!
I know some people substitute psyllium husks which are easier to find locally, but I haven’t tried that personally. Oat fiber is often a hard one to substitute for in baked goods because of its unique texture, but in a breading recipe like this you could probably use almond flour or even THM Baking Blend instead.
Love the flavor! My breading is soggy though. I followed the directions…what am I doing wrong? Any ideas? I used an iron skillet.
Hmm…I’m not sure! I used a nonstick electric skillet. Maybe try something more like that and see if it makes a difference?
These look really good! I am a bit grossed out by by pork rinds, but I just might have to get over it and try this! My daughter works at Chick-fil-a and I have to drive her to work at least a few times a week. So hard to resist! I admit, I still eat the Cobb salad with the fried chicken on it…and Chick-fil-a sauce.?…and an occasional waffle fry.
I admit, when I go to CFA, I often get a small cup of ice cream. 😛 I LOVE their ice cream!
Can you substitute something else like Panko or Cornflakes for the pork rinds?
You’re welcome to experiment with either of those things, but neither would fit with the low-glycemic eating plan I follow (Trim Healthy Mama). The pork rinds give a lot of flavor to this breading, so if you don’t want to use them, you’re probably better off finding a breading recipe that isn’t based on them so heavily. 🙂
Hi there,
What could I use instead of pork rinds? We keep kosher and live in a country where I would not be able to find it anyway.
Hi Judith! The pork rinds give a lot of flavor to this breading, so if you don’t want to use them, you’re probably better off finding a breading recipe that isn’t based on them so heavily. 🙂
I made this for our family’s supper this evening, and everyone enjoyed it. That says a lot when there are eight palates to please. Thank you Briana!
Wow, that was fast! First review! I’m so glad y’all liked it!
The pork rinds work really well and if you’re looking for a more “natural” brand, I love Bacon’s Heir Pork Clouds. They have several flavored ones too. They are a bit pricey, so it depends on budget and standards I guess. They even have “Pork Panko”!
Interesting! Thanks for the tip!
Sooo…… I can’t have sriracha. 🙁 Would it possibly be a good sub to use ranch in the egg wash instead?
It’s not going to have the same flavor, but I’m sure that would taste good too. 🙂