“Healthier” Fried Chicken: Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free

**This fried chicken is amazing. It honestly tastes like the real thing. My husband had no idea it was made with healthier alternatives and said it was way better than KFC…. which is a lot for him to say…LOL! It honestly is really easy to make if you have a little extra time. The chicken practically falls off the bone/fork and is so luscious. The chicken is even more amazing after putting it in the oven to crisp it up a bit! I like to mix it up with chicken thighs and drumsticks for added flavor. You won’t be disappointed by this dish!

Serving Size: 6 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs, 8 drumsticks
• 1 cup tapioca flour 
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup safflower oil (more if needed)
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2  garlic powder
• 1 1/4 tsp paprika
• salt & pepper

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse off your chicken and pat dry completely. You won’t want to leave much moisture.
   
2. Whisk the 2 eggs with a few dashes of salt and pepper. Set aside. In a second bowl add in the seasonings and flour. Set aside.
   
   
3. Heat up the oil in a cast iron pan for a few minutes before frying. You’ll know the oil is ready when it sizzles once a drop of water is added to it.
   
   
4. While the oil is heating up, start to coat your chicken in the egg mixture first, and then coat it in the flour mixture.
   
   
5. Place the coated chicken in the oil and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until it has browned to your liking. Make sure to only fry a few pieces at a time so that you don’t overcrowd the pan to assure it all cooks evenly. Place it on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet to dry out while you finish frying the rest. 
   
6. Once you have fried all of the chicken, place the entire cookie sheet (with the cooling rack) in the oven for about 10-20 minutes or until the chicken is crispy just how you like it! Let rest for a few minutes after removing from the oven and garnish with salt, pepper and any other fresh herbs to top it off. Serve immediately after cooling. 

***Note: You may have to change the amount of some of the ingredients depending on the size of your chicken. Have more ready in case you need to whip up another batch to finish the meal! Also, if you feel the oil is not up to par when making a bigger batch, toss the used oil and start with a fresh batch to finish it off.