Popcorn Chicken

After reading that Popcorn Chicken gets its own day in my meal plan, a few people asked for the recipe.  I do not like to disappoint!  I like this recipe for several reasons. 

• It is a great freezer meal.  I can freeze a few pounds of Popcorn Chicken on a couple cookie sheets.  Once it is frozen I store it in a sealed container for fast meals when I need them. 
• My oldest loves to help coat the chicken because it is one of his favorite meals.  It is fun to work together with him.
• I can adapt it to be dairy-free if I need to. (It could easily be made gluten free with coconut or almond flour too.)
• It is tasty and healthy, and everyone eats it without complaining!

Popcorn Chicken

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• Butter (or coconut oil)

Mix together the flour, salt, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder and paprika.  Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.  (Kitchen shears work best for this job.)  Coat the chicken in the flour mixture.  (Here is where I freeze the pieces to store for later meals.) 

Cooking option 1:  Coat 9x13 pan with butter.  (The more butter the better!)  Place chicken pieces in the pan, trying to spread the chicken out so that they are hardly touching. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes stirring at the half way point.

Cooking option 2:  Heat butter in a skillet and pan fry the chicken until golden brown.  (This is my family's preferred method.)  WARNING:  This option had me cooking on date night!  True story, the first time I cooked the chicken this way was for the kids right before date night.  My husband was so impressed that he said "Let's drop the kids off at the sitters and come back here for Popcorn Chicken salads.  This tastes way better than anything we would buy!"  Maybe he was just being cheap, but I took the complement and made him chicken that night!

This post is linked up at:

Pennywise Platter Thursdays @ http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/

Full Plate Thursdays @ http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Health 2Day Wednesdays @ http://quickeasycheaphealthy.com/

Fight Back Friday @ http://www.foodrenegade.com/