Tiny Kitchen Cooking- Fried Chicken & Gravy

I don’t know about you but I LOVE fried chicken. It can’t be explained, I just feel so full and content after I’ve eaten something crispy and delicious. However, we all know that fried foods are not great for us because of the specific oils most things are fried in these days and the high carbs. So we have been on the hunt for low carb healthier fried food options and thankfully we created one for our beloved fried chicken. This week in our Tiny Kitchen Cooking we made low carb fried chicken & gravy. For our sides we made fresh carrots and canned green beans. I (Lauren) grew up in West Virginia, and a methodist, so home cooking/pot luck style foods are what I know. Last week I shared with you, in Tiny Kitchen Cooking Spatchcock Chicken, about how my husband does a majority of the cooking in our house. While that’s true I do make meals from time to time and fried chicken is one that I enjoy making.

From last weeks Tiny Kitchen Cooking blog we had a number of questions from you all about our oven size and the cookware we use. We currently are still living in our house at the moment and not on a boat yet. So the size of our oven is larger than what we’ll have on a boat. We currently have a traditional sized oven, one that you could easily find at a Lowes or home depot. Our cookware is also what we have been using for years. We have not gone through the process of downsizing our kitchenware yet. There are a number of items we will be taking from our kitchen onto the boat with us, like our 15” cast iron from the spatchcock chicken dish. We will try to only share recipes we make using cookware that we will be taking with us on the boat. That way you can get a true idea of what can be used in a Tiny Kitchen Cooking area. I hope that answers your questions! Now, lets dive into Fried Chicken and Gravy!

Tiny Kitchen Vegetable Prepping

Just like with most dishes we make we start with vegetable prep first. First I peeled the carrots, chopped the ends off, washed them thoroughly, and cut them diagonally before placing them in our collapsible vegetable steamer basket. I LOVE our vegetable steamer, it takes up little to no room, it’s easy to clean, and fits in almost all of our pots. This is one of the handiest kitchen contraptions we have for making healthier foods. It also takes little to no time at all to steam fresh veggies. Once all the carrots were chopped and into the steamer basket I put the basket in a pot with water to the bottom of the basket. Turned the burner on high and covered with a lid. Easy peasy carrots, I literally left them until right before the chicken was finished cooking. We’ll get back to the carrots soon.

Next, I popped open two cans of green beans; weblike having left over greens for lunch the next day. We get the happy harvest brand from our Aldi. For green beans in our house we like them made with a little beef bouillon. Once the cans are open I strain the juice into the pot and toss in two, sometimes three, beef bouillon cubes. When the cubes have dissolved I add the green beans to the juices and let it cook on a medium-high heat until they are done.

Fried Chicken Prep

Alright, onto the good stuff now. Before I prepped the chicken I get out our 15’ cast iron and added avocado oil to the pan on a medium heat. This way it starts to warm as I prep the chicken. If you don’t have avocado oil you could also use Peanut oil. We stay away from canola/vegetable oil as they are full of chemicals and bi products not great for you. That’s our personal preference, you feel free to use what you use. Now that the oil is warming it’s time to prep the chicken. At this point I have a tiny helper show up for our tiny kitchen cooking episode and I simply cant refuse this kind of help. Of course, the majority of his help was product testing the parmesan cheese for me.

To start with the chicken prep we measured out 2/3 cups of shredded parmesan cheese and put it in the silver mixing bowl pictured. Next we measured 2/3 cups of almond flour and added it to the parmesan. In the dry mixtures bowel we added 1 tbs of paprika, 1/2 tbs Himalayan salt, 1 tsp cayenne, and1 tsp pepper. Mix all of your dry ingredients together until well blended. Next you’ll put your wet ingredients in. In a separate bowl add one egg and 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream; mix well. While my tiny helper mixed up our ingredients I prepped the chicken. I drained the juices from the bag, put the chicken on our cutting board, and trimmed off the excess pieces of fat.

Breading & Gravy Time

Now you’re ready to bread your chicken. First wash your chicken in the heavy whipping cream/egg wash. Next add your chicken to the breading mixture and thoroughly cover the chicken. I typically use tongs to toss the chicken in the breading so that my fingers aren’t covered in the mixture. Once your chicken is well covered move to a separate plate so that you can bread the rest of your chicken. Now, add your breaded chicken to your oil and let the magic happen.

By now our carrots were finished so I turned off the burner and set them aside until we were ready for their final prep. The green beans had also finished so I turned them off and also set them aside while the chicken finished cooking. You’ll flip the chicken over when you’ve reached a golden brown crust on the side closest to the skillet. Once you’ve flipped your chicken it’s time to prep your gravy. You’ll add 2 tbsp of butter to a skillet and let it melt. Once it’s melted add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to your skillet. Last step is to add Himalayan salt and pepper to the whipping cream for taste. You’ll mix the gravy on a high heat for five-six minutes before it starts to get the consistency of gravy.

Once your gravy is about finished your chicken should also be just about finished. You’ll want the internal temperature of your chicken to be 180, 165 if you ask my husband, but I personally prefer it a little more done so there’s no chance of getting sick. Again, personal preference here I suppose. Right before you are finished everything you can add a tbsp of butter to your carrots over a medium heat and Himalayan salt and pepper to taste.

Finished Product

Just like that your dinner is done. All in all it takes about half an hour to make this dinner from start to finish. I’ll say it took me an hour when I first started making it because my tiny helper kept asking me for more cheese along the way. This is a family favorite for us as it’s filling but healthy. Not pictured during the process are the pre-prepped strawberries and peas for the kiddos plate. He is currently on a no green bean and carrot strike so this is our alternatives. In our family healthy sides are a non negotiable.

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What would you like to see made in the Tiny Kitchen Cooking Area?

Our Favorite Tiny Kitchen Items For This Dish

How To Put It All Together Yourself

Ingredients:
6-7 whole carrots (or your favorite veggies)
2 cans of green beans (or your favorite veggies)
2 beef bouillon cubes (optional)
1 pack chicken thighs
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup almond flour
2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 egg
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Avocado/Peanut oil for frying

Instructions:
1.Peel carrots, cut off ends, wash, and cut diagonally before placing in a steamer basket. Set steamer basket into a cooking pot with water to the bottom of the steamer basket. Cover with a lid and set burner to high/medium-high.
2.Open cans of green beans, strain juice into a small cooking pot, add two beef bouillon cubes (optional), wait for cubes to dissolve and add green beans to pot. Let cook on medium-high heat.
3.Grab your skillet for the chicken, place avocado oil in pan, turn burner to medium-low heat while you prep the chicken.
4.Mix 2/3 cup almond flour, 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp paprika, 1/2 tbsp Himalayan salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp pepper in one bowl.
5.In a separate bowl mix 1 egg and 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream for your egg wash.
6.Unpackage your chicken, place on cutting board and trim off any excess fats.
7.Place trimmed chicken in the egg wash, once coated move to the dry mixture, once thoroughly coated in the dry mixture move to a plate before placing in oil.
8.Put breaded chicken into the skillet until the side closest to the pan is a golden brown, then flip.
9.Finish off your carrots by straining steamed water out of pot, putting carrots in the pot and adding a little butter/salt/pepper for taste (optional). Remove the green beans from active burner.
10.Grab small skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter, once butter is melted add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to the skillet with Himalayan salt and pepper for taste. Whisk until gravy is the consistency you prefer.
11.Remove chicken from skillet and temp, should be 180 (or 165 if you ask my husband- use your preference). If chicken is done move to a plate to set while you finish gravy.
12.Plate and enjoy your work!

Nutrition (for one full dinner = 532 calories & 13.5 net carbs)
**the nutrition facts below are our rough estimate, we are not chefs, and the nutrition should not be used as medical nutrition guidance**

Cooked Carrots:
1 cup
Calories : 82
Fat: 3.74g
Protein: 1.12g
Total net carbs: 8g

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