Fried Chicken Tenders

1.  In a blender or food processor, grind pork rinds.  The pieces should be uniform and small, so that the breading is consistent.

2.  Get three medium-large bowls.  This is going to be your breading station.  Fill the first bowl with coconut flour.  Fill the second bowl with beaten eggs.  Make sure that the eggs are mixed well or you will encounter some issues when you are breading the chicken.  Fill the third bowl with the ground pork rinds.

3.  Dip chicken in flour.  Cover completely.  No bare spots.

4.  Dip in egg.  Cover completely in egg.

5.  Return to flour, covering completely in flour

6.  Return to egg, covering completely in egg.

7.  Finally, place it in the pork rind grind.  Make sure that every inch is covered in pork rinds.

8.  A deep fryer would be awesome for this recipe.  It is also a great way not to waste your safflower oil because non-GMO safflower oil can be a bit pricey.  If you have a deep fryer you can fill it with the oil and try to keep it clean by filtering out some of the pieces of breading that fall off with a slotted spoon, then the deep fryer (with a lid) can be a storage unit for your oil and all you have to do is plug it in when you want to fry food.  You can find an inexpensive deep fryer for $25. 

If you don't have a deep fryer, then fill a deep pan with about 2 cups of safflower oil for frying.  You want enough oil for you chicken to "swim" in it.  If there's not enough oil, your chicken will make direct contact with the pan without the oil as the buffer and it will burn.  Turn on medium-high heat.  A meat thermometer would work great right now.  They are inexpensive and will help you know the temperature of your oil (which is very important for frying).  You want your oil to be at 350 degrees.  If you don't have a meat thermometer, leave the oil on medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes to let it heat up.

9.  Gently drop the chicken into the hot oil.  Make sure that as you drop the chicken, you are dropping it away from you to prevent hot oil from splashing back at you.  Once you drop the chicken into the hot oil, do not touch it at all for 2-3 mins.  This will allow time for the breading to fry, which will help it keep its shape and prevent it from falling apart.

10.  Make sure that the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.  Again, a meat thermometer would be great!  They are only $5-10.  If you check the temp of your chicken and remove it from heat at 165 degrees, it will be tender and juicy.  If you don't have a meat thermometer, it is always better to over cook the chicken to make sure.  However, overcooked chicken is chewy and loses its tender juiciness.