Carrot Chip Crusted Chicken Tenders

Gimme all the alliteration for this dish! For real though, this healthier pan fried chicken is the bomb. Coated in a crunchy carrot chip and panko breadcrumb crust, this chicken is full of flavor and texture. I found the carrot chips at Aldi not long ago, and honestly was not a fan of them. They were a little too sweet and carroty (that’s a word, right?) as just a snack. But then I had an idea… How would they taste as a crust?

A quick spin in the food processor broke down the chips into crumbs. I tossed them in a bowl with flour, panko breadcrumbs, and seasoning salt to offset the sweetness. In another bowl went an egg with a splash of unsweetened original almond milk, salt, and pepper. Yep, this recipe is dairy free too! All that was left was to dip and coat the chicken and fry it up! I used my cast iron skillet pan, which is my favorite for cooking in general.

The chicken tenders cooked quickly and within 20 minutes, we were eating our meal! On the side I made organic red skinned mashed potatoes and some organic roasted broccoli. Both kiddos devoured their meals without hesitation. They never even noticed the extra veggies added onto their chicken! The chicken turned out perfectly seasoned with only the slightest sweetness from the carrot chips. This will definitely be added to our meal rotation.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag carrot chips from Aldi, crushed
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp unsweetened original almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 chicken breasts, sliced into tender strips
• 2 tbsps olive oil

Directions:

Combine crushed chips, breadcrumbs, flour, and seasoned salt in a dish. In a separate dish, combine egg, milk, salt, and pepper. Heat your pan to just over medium heat and add olive oil to pan. Once pan is hot (you can test this by flicking flour into oil. If it sizzles, it’s ready) dredge your chicken tenders in egg mixture then chip mixture and add to pan. Cook on first side without moving(!) for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip to other side and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until inside temp of chicken reaches 165 degrees. Once chicken is done, serve with desired sides and enjoy!