Granny’s Fried Chicken Strips (Alpha-Gal Friendly and Dairy Free)
When I decided to make everything I eat from home, with like 2 exceptions, it was a huge hit on convenience. As a home health clinician, swinging through a drive thru to grab a kids chicken tender was sometimes my saving grace. Not saying it’s healthy…just saying I had to do what I had to do! Sometimes I just crave a good chicken tender, and I finally was able to make it work-with the help of my Granny! We changed the original recipe to fit my dairy free/alpha gal free needs and viola! The whole family fights over these!
Granny’s Fried Chicken Strips (Alpha-Gal Friendly)
4-6
servings30
minutes20
minutesFried Chicken Strips are usually not dairy free or Alpha-Gal safe at restaurants. Before Granny taught me how, I really couldn’t replicate what I wanted- a crispy, well seasoned juicy chicken strip like I used to eat! Now, I know the secret- Make sure you cover your chicken fryer with a lid for even cooking! Granny’s way = The only way.
Ingredients
4 Large chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 3-4 ‘strips’ long ways. Try to keep even sizing for even cooking. Do not cut breast into ‘coins’ as this is cutting with the grain and you will get a tough, chewy chicken strip.
- Homemade “Buttermilk”
2 Cups Oat-milk (At time of writing this recipe, ‘Original Oatly Oatmilk’ was listed green/safe on the FIG app for alpha-gal.)
Juice of 1 lemon
- Breading
2 Cups (maybe more) of All purpose flour (At time of writing this recipe, ‘Jovial Organic Einkorn All-Purpose Flour’ was listed green/safe on the FIG app for alpha-gal.)
Salt
Pepper
Any seasoning you like, could garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, etc. At my house, I’ll even add some dried ground peppers for a kick!
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
- Get your ‘buttermilk’ ready.
-In a large bowl, pour your oat-milk and squeeze in your lemon juice. Stir well to let the acid and milk combine. - Cut your strips and place into your ‘buttermilk.’ I like to marinade for at least 20 minutes in the fridge. Usually, I get everything else ready at this time.
- In a large chicken fryer, pour at least enough vegetable oil to shallow fry the chicken strips, maybe 0.75-1 inch high. I hate wasting cooking oil and you can always add more. I heat the oil on medium heat until a pinch of flour will ‘fry’- about 350 degree oil. No hotter than 375 degrees!
- In another large bowl, combine your flour and your spices. Don’t go too heavy on the salt because we always add a shake at the end.
- When oil is ready, I use tongs to grab 3 or 4 chicken strips at a time and toss in flour. Make sure evenly coated and carefully place in hot oil. Working quickly, fill the pan but take care NOT to overcrowd the pan. You would rather work in batches than have soggy breading that’s falling off.
- Cover the chicken fryer with lid and let fry for about 5 min-until you can see the bottom getting a golden color. Then carefully flip chicken and re-cover with lid. Cook until chicken is golden and reads a temp of 165′. Take care not to over cook, I really think a meat thermometer is a good investment here. (The one I use is linked below.)
- If I have a second batch to cook, I will go ahead and coat and place on a paper plate to be ready to go.
- When taking chicken out of the oil, I like to put a cooling rack over a baking sheet so that the oil can drip off the chicken and it will crisp up. This is optional of course, but not at my house. I also always sprinkle a little salt on top!
Notes
Allergy Disclaimer
As someone living with Alpha-Gal Syndrome, I personally eat and test these recipes to keep them safe and tasty. Still, product formulations can change at any time without notice. Everyone’s sensitivity levels are different, so it’s important that you always check ingredient labels yourself and consult your healthcare provider if you have any concerns. This recipe is shared to help you, but please use your best judgement and personal discretion when trying it.
What I use to Make Granny’s Chicken Tenders:
Affiliate Disclaimer:
The links below are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links – at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I trust and use myself. Thanks for supporting Everyday AlphaGal!
The only Knife I’ve used in over 7 years! – Worth every penny if you plan to be in the kitchen.
I love this unbleached, ancient grain all purpose flour! – I know flour can be a hot topic online, especially when navigating alpha-gal. This specific flour is marked green/safe on the Fig app at the time of writing, and I’ve personally used it with success. That said – always do your own research, and when in doubt, don’t risk it. Everyone’s body reacts differently with AGS.
My fried chicken resting place combo-so it doesn’t lose it’s crispy!
Meat thermometer to make sure your food is delicious & safe
Check out my HOMEMADE KETCHUP recipe to go with these strips!
Disclaimer: I do my best to provide accurate alpha-gal safe recipes, but ingredient formulations and individual sensitivities can vary. Always double check product labels and consult your healthcare provider if you’re unsure. For more detailed allergen and safety info, please visit my ‘Alpha-Gal Disclaimer & Ingredient Safety’ page.
