These Chicken Strips Are A Staple in Our House
They can be gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, grain-free, keto-friendly, kid-friendly, and husband-friendly. My husband could live on chicken strips. I don’t have to feel uncomfortable serving these to my family because I know exactly what is in them.
These chicken strips are another item that I like to batch cook. I will make enough for 3 months. It’s a great busy night type of meal that everyone will like. You can add them to salads, have them with dip, or even make chicken parm as I have done. You can add just about any seasoning to the dredge and this just furthers the possibilities with this dish. When I batch cook these, I make some with the regular dredge and some with Italian seasoning in the flour. You could totally use multiple seasonings in one batch and make several types of chicken strips. The possibilities are endless.
I never really follow the same process every time. It’s more of a technique that I want to bring to your attention/teach you about.
The key is in the chicken.
It has to be raw, never previously frozen. There are only so many times you can defrost and refreeze food products before they lose flavor, nutrients and get freezer burn. They need to be raw to bread them.
Dredging the Chicken
I like to cut my chicken breasts into strips, but you can choose to leave them whole and flatten them out. The basic dredge is this:
- Flour
- Egg (or a substitute)
- Panko, breadcrumbs, or chicharrones. You choose!
This is where you can add whatever seasonings you want to the flour. Have fun with it! You could add things like onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, whatever you feel like.
It's Freezing in Here!
You will freeze your raw, breaded chicken. When I freeze them, I flash freeze them on a cookie sheet for a few hours, or overnight. This process ensures they won’t stick together. I lay down parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet to make them easier to remove. After they are completely frozen, I put them in bags (these are my favorite) in the freezer.
My Two Go-To Favorites
That’s easy. I make one batch with Italian seasoning added to the flour. We love chicken parm in this house, but you could add these to any Italian pasta dish. So good! When I make the chicken parm, I just put them in a glass baking dish and top with marinara and parmesan cheese. Once cooked, I will serve them over pasta. Easy!
My other go-to way of using these is definitely on salads. Earlier, I mentioned we keep a sort of salad basket in our fridge (I talk about that here). With all the salad toppings and lettuce already prepped and ready to go (see how I prep my lettuce here), it is incredibly easy and quick to put a salad together.
Sometimes I will add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the egg mix. We often eat chicken strips with my homemade honey mustard dressing or cherry barbecue sauce.
OK, Now Let's Talk Allergies
Food allergies are the real reason I make these and I believe they are healthier than the ones you get from the store.
Gluten-Free
If you need gluten-free panko, which can be hard to find, here is what I like to use. This brand is also soy-free, which is something I need. You can use any gluten-free flour. I often like to use almond flour.
Egg-Free
Make sure the coating you use doesn’t have eggs in it. Panko often does. You can use arrowroot and cold water to make a slurry as an egg replacement. Melted butter works well too if you are only allergic to eggs.
Keto/Low Carb
You can substitute chicharrones for breadcrumbs or panko. Just blitz them in a food processor to make crumbs. This is what I used to do that.
We make homemade croutons, which can also be put through the food processor. Here is how I make those. I love to add them to one of my favorite spinach salads (Check out the recipe here).
I hope that this simple technique helps you to understand that making your own meals at home doesn’t have to be complicated and time-consuming.
Allergy-Friendly Chicken Strips
Equipment
- Tongs
- 3 Medium Bowls
- Cookie sheet
- 9x13 casserole dish optional, though if you are eating right away, you will need this.
- Freezer storage bags optional, though if you plan to freeze these to use later, you will need these.
- Parchment paper or Silicone Baking Mat
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Breasts (I get the 3 pack of organic chicken breasts from Costco and there are 2-3 in each pack.)
- 1 c. Flour
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 2 c. Panko Breadcrumbs (I use gluten-free panko)
- ½ tsp. Each optional seasoning of your choice Ex. Italian Seasoning, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic, etc.
- ¼ tsp. Salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp. Black pepper, or to taste
- Olive Oil Spray optional
Instructions
- If eating immediately, preheat oven to 375℉.
- Cut the chicken into strips.
- Add flour to a medium bowl and completely cover the chicken strips in flour.
- Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture.
- In a third bowl, mix the panko bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings of your choice.
- Cover the strips completely in the panko mixture.You may have to use your hand to press down and make sure the panko sticks to the chicken.
IF EATING IMMDIATELY:
- Optional: Lightly spray with olive oil for a nice golden brown look.
- Place chicken strips in a casserole dish bake for 20 minutes.Internal temp of the chicken should reach 165°.
IF MAKING AHEAD TO FREEZE:
- Place chicken strips in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet.
- Flash freeze raw chicken strips for a few hours, or overnight.
- Once chicken strips are frozen, move them to freezer safe bags for storage.
Notes
Nutrition
More Allergy-Friendly Recipes Your Family Will Love
This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you purchase through my links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, please read my Disclaimer
Leave a Comment