It’s no big secret that I am a southern girl who was born and raised in Texas. In the South we fry EVERYTHING! Seriously… have you heard of our famous state fair deep friend Oreos or deep-fried margaritas. Yes, that is a thing. Anyway, I digress. What I was really wanting was some good, southern fried chicken. Other Paleo fried chicken recipes with nut flours just weren’t cutting. They ended up soggy or had a strange texture. I wanted a good, crunchy, slightly salty, juicy, fried chicken. I was at the store buying our weekly 15 bags (they are tiny) of plantain chips and I had an epiphany. Plantain chip crusted fried chicken! We buy the Inka Chips brand that come in a green bag from Natural Grocers. I do not recommend the dehydrated plantain or banana chips. I have never had a good experience with them!

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I already had the boneless , skinless chicken thighs at the house so I rushed home, ground up the plantain chips (as my kids watched in horror as I crushed their favorite snack in the food processor), add some spices, coated and pan-fried the chicken. What happened next was a surprise to the whole family.  The paleo fried chicken was so good!! Like down home, southern fried chicken!  This is a MUST try!!

Now, I used four different types of oil on these to see which one crisped up the best and allowed the chicken to cook thoroughly without burning and I must say that animal fats take the cake for this recipe. I had a ton of bacon grease and it most definitely worked the best. I also tried avocado oil, grape seed oil and coconut oil. If I absolutely could not use animals fats I would go with coconut oil. It has a higher smoke point and can be used to fry with.

Ingredients: 
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can use breast)
2 cups ground plantain chips
4 eggs
1/2 TSP paprika
1/2 TSP garlic POWDER
1/2 TSP Herbs de Provence (found in spice aisle at most grocery stores)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil (animal fat preferred)

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Instructions: 
Pour oil into skillet (about 1/8 inch deep) and heat on low-medium heat.
Using a food processor grind the plantain chips until they resemble flour. Set aside.
Mix spices into the plantain flour. Set aside.
Crack eggs into a separate bowl, whisk and set aside.
Dip thighs into egg and then into the plantain mixture.
Pan fry on medium to low heat until coating is darker golden brown and chicken is cooked thoroughly.
Lay out on a napkin or on a cooling rack with a paper towel under it to catch extra grease.
Serve right away with salad, in a wrap or as part of a spaghetti dinner. Can also simply be eaten with a side of vegetables!

The post Paleo Fried Chicken appeared first on That Savage Life.

Avocado Chicken Salad

In our house we have two favorites: chicken thighs and avocado. I was really looking for a way to make a Paleo friendly chicken salad to put into lettuce wraps, but all the recipes had mayonnaise in them. I still wanted the creamy texture of chicken salad so I decided to mash-up avocado with chicken and it was a total hit! I could eat this stuff right out of the bowl! This Avocado Chicken Salad is an ultimate summer salad and is so refreshing and delicious! Here is the recipe for the Avocado Chicken Salad we made:

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Ingredients:
1 whole avocado (Remove pit and dice)
2 chicken thighs (De-boned and chopped)
A squeeze of Lime juice
Garlic (powder or crushed)
1/4 cup Cilantro chopped
1/4 cup Red Onion chopped
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve immediately. We serve this with either iceberg or romaine or butter lettuce leaves or use bell peppers, cucumbers or carrots to dip in it.

Paleo Avocado Chicken Salad Lunchbox

My husband took this in his Paleo lunchbox and really enjoyed it! I packed it with lettuce, bell peppers, grapes and Dang brand coconut chips. He says this will be his most requested lunch!

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Are you looking for more Paleo Lunchbox ideas? CLICK HERE!

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If you have been a reader here for a while you know we love SIMPLE and easy recipes that the whole family will love. These bacon wrapped chicken tenders are always in high demand with the kids. Ok, with the kids AND the parents. The bacon keeps the chicken tenders moist and delicious! These took just minutes to prepare and were devoured shortly after cooking!

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Ingredients: 
Chicken tenders
Bacon

(Yes, that is IT!)

Instructions: 
– Season chicken with what ever seasoning you like for chicken. This time we just did salt and pepper. I like to season first so that the seasoning stays between the chicken and the bacon and makes it much more flavorful!
– Wrap each individual tender with bacon and place in a skillet seam side down.
– You don’t need any oil because the bacon will make it’s own!
– The trick to making the bacon stick without toothpicks is to lay it seem side down and do not touch it or move it until the bacon on the bottom is crispy and “sealed” together!
– Once you see that it is done, flip and cook other side until lightly crispy.

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We paired this entree with a side salad and onion garlic green beans. All of which the kids loved! It is really a family friendly meal that is easy to prepare! I have seen people prepare Paleo mayonnaise or Paleo ketchup, but it tasted great without being dipped in anything.

Have you made this meal? Leave me a comment and let me know if you love it!

The post Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders appeared first on That Savage Life.

One of my favorite Pre-Paleo restaurants is Chipotle Mexican Grill. I would get a Chipotle Chicken bowl full of black beans, corn, sour cream, chicken, guacamole and my all time favorite food: cilantro lime rice! For 8 months I haven’t stepped foot in a Chipotle and the craving for a Chipotle chicken bowl hit hard this week! I was looking through my Paleo recipe books and NomNom Paleo had a stir-fry rice recipe and I had the thought that it would be simple enough to make a cilantro and lime “white rice” recipe out of cauliflower! I made it and the whole meal took MAYBE 10-15 minutes to prepare and put in a bowl. Let me tell you… the Chipotle Chicken Bowl will blow your mind! It is THAT good! I can’t wait to make other “rice” recipes and try my hand at Paleotizing some of our pre-Paleo favorite foods!

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Paleo Hack: Chipotle Chicken Bowl

Ingredients:
1 head of Cauliflower washed and cored
1/2 cup chopped cliantro
1/4 cup lime juice
Salt
Chicken breast (I used Applegate farms pre-cooked chicken breast because I stink at cooking chicken breast!) Guacamole (I used organic Wholly Guacamole)
Ghee, Butter or Coconut Oil
1 Cored, seeded and diced jalopeno (optional)

Instructions:

1) Wash and core the head of cauliflower and cut into chunks big enough to throw in a blender or food processor. Now, I do not have a food processor for this step so I used my Ninja Kitchen System Blender and pulsed the cauliflower. I am told that you can also use a cheese grater and grate your Cauliflower. Basically you just want the cauliflower diced into “rice” sized pieces.

3) Warm the chicken (or cook it if you cook chicken).
4) Add the remaining juice and cilantro to the rice and toss to coat.
5) Place “rice”, chicken and guacamole in the bowl and serve!

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This soup was actually made by accident. We were due to move the RV and I had a fridge full of fresh produce and a whole chicken that would go bad if I didn’t do something with it! This soup was so good I re-heated and ate it for 5 days straight!

Hearty chicken and veggie soup ingredients:

Whole Chicken

Apple Cider Vinegar (We prefer Bragg’s)

Any fresh vegetables you want! I used celery, onion, garlic, kale, carrot, zucchini, cabbage and tomato!

Salt and other seasonings

Instructions:

Boil whole chicken until done, Remove from water (SAVE WATER)

De-bone. Set meat aside. Break the bones and put them back in the pot of water with about 4 TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar.

Boil the bones, chicken water, and ACV until the bones are white and falling apart.

Remove bones, strain broth and put broth back in pan.

Add vegetables to the (now nutrient dense) broth.

Boil until the carrots are tender.

Add the chicken meat back in.

Season as you wish.

Enjoy.

*This recipe is The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally
approved!

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Ingredients:

Chicken Leg, BBQ’d

Frozen French cut green beans

2 strips of bacon

red pepper flakes

Instructions:

BBQ your chicken any way you like it. I used Salt and Pepper on these ones.

Green Beans: Chop raw bacon into tiny pieces and toss in skillet. Let cook until almost done. Add green beans and cover. Let cook for about 10 minutes. Add about 2 tablespoons of water and stir. This will release all of the cooked on goodness from the bottom of the pan! Add red pepper flakes and cook for another few minutes until the liquid on the bottom is gone! Serve!

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This chicken tetrazzini recipe came from a long time friend of mine. I made it and my husband and kids ate it and had second (and third) helpings so I thought I would share it with you!

Ingredients:

12 ounces spaghetti
1 1/2 teaspoons cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each condensed cream of chicken soup)
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon of seasoned salt
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded American cheese
4 cups diced cooked chicken (I buy the rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons pimento

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Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding salt and oil to water. Drain.
3. In large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter (if you use the onions and garlic) add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.  Add soup, broth, seasoned salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Cook and stir until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Add spaghetti and chicken. Mix well. Transfer to 2-quart baking dish. Cover with foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
5. Remove foil. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Continue baking 2 minutes or until cheese melts.  Sprinkle with parsley and bell pepper if desired.

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Buffalo chicken wonton cups

Ingredients:

• Wonton wrappers
• Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (Found in your grocers deli)
• Buffalo sauce
• Reduced fat cream cheese
• Crushed garlic
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Chives (optional)
• Celery (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place wonton wrappers in muffin tin and cook at 350 degrees until golden brown. Remove and repeat for desired amount.
2. In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese, garlic, and blue cheese.  Set aside.
3. Remove chicken from bones and shred in a bowl, add buffalo sauce and toss.
4. Put it all together… Spread the cream cheese mixture (about a tablespoon) in the bottom of each wonton cup. Place a heaping spoonful of the chicken mixture on top and garnish with chives. Can be severed with celery. Enjoy!

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