Paleo Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips & Chick-fil-A Sauce

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In the words of Christian comedian Tim Hawkins, "Chick-fil-A... I could eat that seven times a day, Where the people laugh and children play, Oh, I'm in love with Chick-fil-A"... Funny, but true, if you've ever been fortunate enough to visit the south and eat at one, you know what I'm talking about. Being from Michigan, I never heard of Chick-fil-A; in fact, I lived here for about 10 years before I actually ever ate at one other than their chick-n-biscuit that our school would sell for prom fundraisers. I just thought, it's just chicken, what's the big deal? I can get chicken anywhere... Oh Lord! Forgive me for my sin, I WAS WRONG!!! Chick-fil-A took chicken to a whole new level!!! I LOVE their chicken! The breading and the pickle brine they use, just makes for one amazing piece of chicken! And their sauce? I swear they must put crack in that stuff. We could have ordered it in a 50 lb drum and bathed in it! Yeah, it's that good... If you've never had Chick-fil-A, you're missing out. The first time you eat there, the world is a little brighter, birds sing a little louder, flowers smell a little more fragrant, and all is right with the world... Until you go paleo, and then you realize, oh crap! THIS ISN'T PALEO!!! Then you die a little inside. So I could have locked myself in an underground bunker and allowed my former life to wither away, in the hole of depression brought on by a world without Chick-fil-A; but instead, I hit the kitchen to re-create this amazing meal so my family can breathe a little easier, and our bodies thank us in the end for not feeding it the garbage that's hidden in their version. So put down the car keys, step away from your front door, and get your skillet out. We're going to make our own. Chick-fil-A sauce and all!


Prep time: 4 hours marinating time + 5 mins    Cook time: 20 mins
Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:
2-2.5 lbs Chicken tenders
1/2 Cup Dill pickle juice
4 Tbls Almond milk, coconut milk, or any kind of milk you want to use.
1 Tbls Lemon juice
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Coconut flour
1/4 Cup Arrowroot starch
2 Tbls Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
Coconut oil for frying
  - For the Sauce
1/2 Cup of Mayonnaise
1 Tbls Spicy Brown Mustard
1 tsp Lemon juice
2 Tbls Raw, liquid honey
4 Tbls Hickory Smoke Paleo BBQ Sauce

Directions:
1. In a large freezer bag or storage container, add thawed chicken tenders and pickle juice, and marinate for at least 4 hours.
2. When done marinating, drain out most of the dill pickle juice. It doesn't have to be all out, but you don't want it swimming.
3. Whisk 2 eggs with the milk of your choice, and 1 Tbls lemon juice. Add mixture to the bag, and let sit an additional 10 minutes.
4. Drain mixture back out, and make sure you can get out as much as possible. You don't want it completely dry, but you don't want too much moisture.
5. In a small bowl, add the rest of your ingredients, except or the oil. Whisk until mixture is well incorporated throughout.
6. Add flour mixture to bag and seal. Meanwhile, start heating your coconut oil in skillet over medium heat.
7. Turn bag until all tenders are "breaded". I usually just turn the bag over and over until it's evenly coated. Keep going until the flour isn't sticking to the bag. It will start coming away from the sides and stick to the chicken, then it's ready.
8. Open your bag and start placing tenders in the skillet until you can't fit anymore. Leave about a half inch between tenders.
9. Allow each tender to cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If your tenders are particularly thick, you make need to up the time by a minute for each side if they're not getting cooked all the way through.
10. Remove from skillet and place on a plate with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
11. Repeat process until all tenders are done.
12. Mix all ingredients for sauce together in a small bowl or jar. Serve with chicken tenders and enjoy.