There aren’t many foods I enjoy more than fried chicken, though it’s obviously not so great for you. But what’s life without a little give and take?! For example, batter the chicken, make it gluten/dairy/egg/grain free. Fry the chicken, but opt for lettuce wraps.
Something I think gets lost among those of us without food restrictions – everyone who does have restrictions, still craves the same foods we crave. They just don’t have the option to enjoy it, like the rest of us. So finding ways of giving my wife and daughters a meal that satisfies a craving – that’s my happy place. Theirs too.
Paleo Fried Chicken Lettuce Wraps (gluten free, dairy free, egg free, grain free)
Satisfy the cravings, even with dietary restrictions.
Ingredients:
Chicken marinade
- 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
Breading
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
Other elements
- lettuce cups
- pickles
- sliced sweet onion
- favorite bbq sauce (I use Carolina gold sauce for this)
- coleslaw or just shredded cabbage
- avocado oil for frying
Directions:
Marinate the chicken
- In a bowl, whisk together the coconut cream, lemon juice, and seasonings for the marinade. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Bread and fry the chicken
- Turn your oven to 375 °F. In a large bowl, whisk together the breading ingredients. Put a skillet or frying pan on medium/medium-low heat with 1/2in of avocado oil in the bottom. Bring to frying temp – about 400 °F.
- One at a time, remove the chicken thighs from the coconut milk. Let them drip or gently pat with a paper towel to reduce moisture content a little (but don't make them dry completely). Coat in the breading, and fry for 3-4 minutes each side, until the breading is golden brown (chicken will not be cooked all the way). Fry in smaller batches so the pieces aren't touching otherwise it'll be a soggy mess.
- Place the chicken on a baking sheet with a cooling rack on it so air can circulate all around the chicken. Once the chicken has all been fried, put in the oven and cook until done.
Prep and serve
- Assemble the lettuce wraps by laying down a cup of lettuce, then the slaw/cabbage, pickles, onions, sliced chicken, and sauce.
This looks great! I have Hashimoto, like Julia, but haven’t followed all of the diet restrictions like I should. Recipes like this will definitely help me clean up my eating because I know I need to. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Chris! This recipe is easy, looks delicious, and I am making it this week. Genius????????
These look delectable!
Looks like a delicious recipe!
Looks delicious. Definitely going to give this a try.