Potato Chip Crusted Chicken

Potato chip crusted chicken aka Paleo “fried” chicken (gluten-free, dairy-free)

Are you looking to an alternative to typical fried chicken? This oven baked chicken crisps up in the oven just like fried chicken without the milk and breading!

Ingredients:

-          4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (usually about 1.5 lbs), pounded

-          3 cups crushed potato chips

-          2 eggs, beaten

-          Salt and pepper

-          1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and place a metal cooking rack on top of the foil.

Take the boneless skinless chicken thighs and place them between two pieces of saran wrap. Use a meat pounder to lightly tenderize the chicken thighs so they are easier to coat with the “breading.” Once tenderized, salt and pepper the chicken on both sides.

Using your favorite potato chips (I use avocado oil potato chips), place them in a large re-sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin (or your hands if you don’t have a rolling pin on hand, or in a food processor), until you have created what resembles a coarse crumbs to “bread” you chicken with. Place the crushed chips in a shallow dish to use to “bread” the chicken.

Beat the eggs with salt and pepper in a shallow dish and add the parsley.

Take the chicken, one piece at a time, and dip into the egg wash. Make sure both sides are fully covered in the egg and then move the chicken into the potato chip crumbs. Coat both sides of the chicken with the potato chip crumbs and place the chicken on the rack on your foil-lined sheet pan. Continue this step with each piece of chicken until all of the chicken has been fully coated.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (cooking time may vary depending on how thin you pound the chicken – a meat thermometer can help you know when it’s done—chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165° F), flipping the chicken half way through, until the chicken is fully cooked through and the outside is crispy. For a crispier crust, broil the chicken on the top rack of the oven for 2-3 minutes at the end of cooking.

Slice the chicken and enjoy! You can serve the chicken with ketchup, BBQ sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce, for a delicious healthier version of fried chicken that is paleo and keto-friendly, gluten-free and dairy-free!