I am obsessed with saving my pickle brines to use them as meat marinades. I usually throw the chicken straight into the jar of brine, but it looks like a scary science experiment, so for the sake of not terrifying everyone, I used a ziploc for this recipe.
Bubbies dill pickle brine is full of salt, acid, and tons of spices – liquid gold just waiting to be used up! Always save your pickle brine to use as a meat brine later. It works wonderfully for grilled chicken or pork, or crispy chicken like I’m doing here.
These tenders are Whole30 compliant — made with almond (and arrowroot, if it’s easy) flour for a nice crisp exterior. These definitely teeter on the edge of my favorite Whole30 rule… “don’t have sex with your pants on”. AKA — don’t Whole30-ify the really naughty food that is one of your triggers for unhealthy eating. I never eat fried food, don’t even remember the last time I had chicken tenders. But, if chicken tenders are a typical unhealthy choice for you, consider avoiding these, aka “having sex with your pants on”.
This recipe makes about 15 tenders, double or triple it to feed your crowd!
Whole30 Pickle Brined Crispy Chicken
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- Ziploc
- Airfryer OR large rimmed baking sheet + oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken tenders or 1 large / 2 small chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch x 4 inch pieces
- 1 cup dill pickle brine if Whole30, be sure to use a compliant brand with no sugar, I love Bubbies.
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup almond flour
- Optional: 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder it will help the breading bind to the chicken and get crispier
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Cut 1 pound chicken tenders in half so that they are about 3 inches long. Place in a ziploc with about 1 cup dill pickle brine). Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours, but not longer or the chicken will get mushy.
- Preheat the air fryer or oven to 425°F.
- Now we need to get those chicken tenders DRY AS A BONE! Don’t just delicately pat them dry, aggressively squeeze them with clean dish towels or paper towels to get that excess moisture out! Otherwise it’ll leech out and you’ll end up with soggy tenders!
- Grab two shallow bowls. In one of them, beat two eggs. In the other one, combine 1 cup almond flour, 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.
- Dredge the chicken tenders through the egg to coat them completely in egg, then lift them up and let any excess egg drip off. Now dredge them through the almond flour mixture until completely coated.
- If using the air fryer: spray air fryer basket generously with oil, then place chicken in air fryer basket without crowding, spray aggressively with cooking spray, and cook in batches for about 8 to 10 minutes. No need to flip.
- If using the oven: place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and browned all over.
- Eat IMMEDIATELY or keep warm in a 200°F oven until ready to eat. They lose their crispness quickly!
- 1 pound chicken tenders or 1 large / 2 small chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch x 4 inch pieces
- 1 cup dill pickle brine if Whole30, be sure to use a compliant brand with no sugar, I love Bubbies.
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup almond flour
- Optional: 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder it will help the breading bind to the chicken and get crispier
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder