Chicken tenders…for kids young and old! They just never get old! These cutlets are wonderful served over creamy pasta, cauliflower rice and gravy, or make them into tenders and dip them in some good ol’ RANCH! You can’t go wrong. Totally kid-approved!
These are made with a combination of gluten free flours and spices that make the crust, crispy and flavorful! Don’t let fried chicken intimidate you. These are a great way to try it out! They’re super simple to bread and fry – you’ll impress yourself! 😉
In a medium sized bowl (big enough to toss chicken pieces in), beat the egg and water. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl or plate, add 1/4 cup of arrowroot powder.
In a large bowl, mix together remaining ingredients (except for the chicken breasts).
On a cutting board, slice each chicken breast into 2-3 thin slices. (about 1/4-1/2 inch thick) You do this by placing the chicken breast, flat on the board, and laying your hand on top. Hold your knife sideway (parallel to your hand and the board), and cut into the breast. Eyeball it and cut 1/4 inch above the cutting board, leaving a thin chicken slice. I typically can do this 1-2 more times with each breast. It just depends on the thickness.
You can also make tenders, by simply cutting the breast into long chunks. Cooking times may vary with the thickness of the chicken pieces.
In a large, deep cast iron skillet (you could use a good, nonstick or heavy bottom pan/pot), heat oil over medium high heat. (it should take about 4-5 minutes to heat up)
Dip each piece of chicken in arrowroot powder, being sure to evenly coat all sides. Use a fork or your fingers! You might get a little messy! (It's worth it though!)
Follow by dipping each piece of chicken into egg mixture.
Finally, coat all sides of each piece with the seasoned flour mixture, being sure to pat the mixture onto the chicken.
Gently shake off excess flour and place each chicken cutlet into hot oil. Make sure it sizzles when you place it in there. That helps to get a nice crust on the chicken! (Do not over crowd the pan. I usually fit about 3 pieces at a time.)
Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown and flip. You should easily be able to flip the chicken when it's done on the first side. If it sticks, do not flip, and cook for another minute or so.
Cook the chicken pieces for 3-4 min on the other side. The thinner you slice the chicken, the quicker it will cook! Usually, when both sides are evenly browned, it's done.
Repeat steps 7-12 until all of the chicken is cooked.
I like to keep the chicken cutlets/tender warm by placing them on a baking rack on top of a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven. It keeps them nice and crispy until you're done cooking them all!
Serve over pasta or rice, or with some Ranch or BBQ sauce! 🙂
I’m always amazed at how evenly and quickly my Instant Pot cooks meals. It is one gadget that I seriously can’t say enough good things about! It’s been a year with my IP, I should just get used to it…
If you don’t have an IP, you could still cook this on your stove top. Just bake your spaghetti squash separately (it’ll probably take at least 30-40 min, depending on the size) or microwave it , for a quicker cook…then add it to your chicken taco sauce. Still easy, it will just take a bit more time and you’ll have to keep an eye on that pot. That’s probably my favorite part of the Instant Pot, I can set it and not pay any attention to it until the timer goes off and it’s basically ready! I can’t complain about that aspect a bit!
This “pasta” is made with spaghetti squash – so it’s totally guilt-free! If you’re a taco lover, this is a nice change from your typical tortillas, meat, and veggies. I use my jalapeño crema on top of this too! Love the bright, spiciness it adds!
Switch things up on your next Taco Tuesday …or Taco Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and whip up this guilt-free “pasta”!
To your Instant Pot, add your onions, chicken, seasonings, coconut milk*, tomato sauce, and lime juice.
*(if you don't have coconut milk, use 1 1/2 cups of whatever milk you want!)
Wash and cut spaghetti squash in half - I do it the short ways, around the middle section - so you're left with two "cups."
Line the pot with a double layer of tinfoil. You can use your trivet, if it fits. For the spaghetti squash I used, the handles of the trivet wouldn't allow the lid to close. If you can fit it all in there with the trivet, by all means, use it. It'd work the same.
Place your halved squash on top of the tinfoil layer. Close the lid, seal the valve, press the "Manual" button*, then press the "+" button until the screen reads 8. The pot will switch to "On" while it preheats.
*Make sure it's on High Pressure (if it is on Low Pressure, just press the "pressure" button to get it to High)
Your pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure. If you want to speed this up, you could sauté the onions and chicken for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. For me, this cuts the preheat time in half or more, also you could reduce the cooking time as well. However, then you have to stir and watch the pot more than before. So, do whatever YOU feel like doing. Experiment! When it comes to such a quick cooking time, if something isn't done enough to your liking, it's easy to add a couple extra minutes!
When the timer goes off, do a QR (quick release), and open the lid. Remove your squash and divider.
Make a slurry with the arrowroot powder and almond milk or water and add that to your sauce and stir. Your sauce should thicken in seconds. Personally, we like our pasta saucyyyy. If you want a thicken sauce, you can always make more slurry and add it. Once it's thickened, turn the pot off by pressing "Keep Warm/Cancel."
Remove the inside of your squash, shred, and squeeze excess water out of it. If you don't do this, you will have a VERY saucy pasta - not necessarily bad - but definitely on the "wet" side.
Add your squash to your pot and stir.
Serve it up!
This is probably one of my favorite casseroles to make. Then again, anything buffalo chicken sounds great to me anytime! The original casserole is filled with TONS of cheese and milk. That was great and all, but it was so heavy. Delicious, but heavy. I knew I had to change the original up!
The eggs add a fluffiness to the casserole and also help to bind everything together, but if you’re sensitive to eggs, they are not entirely necessary. See the recipe note for a substitute. Honestly, besides the different texture from the spaghetti squash, it tastes like the original. It’s still rich, creamy, and cheesy – if you decide to sprinkle some on top!
So, next time you’re craving buffalo chicken wings, but don’t want all of the grease and carbs, give this hearty dish a try! It’ll surprise you!
Your spaghetti squash can easily be cooked in your microwave in about 15 minutes. Simply cut it in half, lengthwise, and put it face down on a microwave-safe dish. It may need more or less time, depending on the size you have. When it's ready, you'll be able to easily shred it with a fork. My preferred cooking method: 8 minutes High Pressure in my Instant Pot!
After cooking your squash, I drain out as much liquid from it as possible. You can use cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
As for your shredded chicken, cook that on your stovetop, in your Instant pot, or use leftover rotisserie chicken. If you're cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, and you've never tried shredding chicken with a handheld or stand mixer, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND TRY IT!
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, yogurt, buffalo sauce (more depending on how much heat you like), eggs, and seasonings.
To the liquid, add squash and chicken and combine.
Pour casserole mixture into a 13X9 baking dish and top with shredded cheese, if desired.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Allow casserole to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Top with extra buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and green onions!
Recipe Notes
*If you are not using eggs, you can substitute 3 tbsp of arrowroot powder to thicken up the sauce. Whisk the powder in with the milk and seasonings.
