Fried chicken salad sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? There’s no pretending this salad is healthy. Let’s be real. It’s not healthy at all. But it is healthier than chicken tenders and fries.

I’m not sure why, but I always, always, get the urge to fry food when Tom tells me he wants to lose weight. Maybe it is because when I know I can’t have it, I really want it.

I’ve been craving comfort food like crazy lately. No, I’m not pregnant. I blame the news. I can’t turn it on without seeing something depressing. I’ll be watching the news and bam, I’m craving fried chicken.

This fried chicken salad meets my cravings for comfort food while also allowing Tom to have a healthier calorie splurge. Plus, crispy fried chicken actually pairs really well with spring salad greens and homemade honey mustard vinaigrette.

I’m a little crazy when it comes to frying foods. You can’t fry all foods the same. Some require double egg washes, other require flour and water. Some food is best in flour while other foods are best in cornmeal. Call me crazy, but there really is a science to frying food. It’s not as easy as battering it and throwing it in a deep fryer.

When I fry chicken I always use a very specific method. I like to dredge in flour, then a flour and water combo, and finally a seasoned flour mixture.

Then I always fry the food in super hot oil, not once, but twice. Frying it twice gives you the best and most crispiest chicken. The secret is to never let the cooked chicken sit on paper towels or it will get soggy. Learn more about my tried and true method here.

Frying chicken is time consuming, but it’s always fun to me. I like to open a beer and sing Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band. I love those lyrics! This is my favorite quote from the song:

And its funny how it’s the little things in life that mean the most
Not where you live, what you drive or the price tag on your clothes
There’s no dollar sign on a piece of mind; this I’ve come to know
So if you agree have a drink with me
Raise your glasses for a toast
To a little bit of chicken fried

It really is the little things in life that mean the most. Don’t you agree?

[bctt tweet=”Raise your glasses for a toast to a little bit of chicken fried. #recipe” username=”eatdrinkandsave”]

Here I am frying up our chicken. I don’t look picture worthy at all! It was 5 o’clock on a Friday. All I wanted was chicken and beer. #RealLife

Even Tom asked if I really wanted a picture since I looked so silly. I just can’t bring myself to wear nice clothes when I know I’m going to get grease all over them! Don’t even get me started on aprons. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve still ruined a shirt while wearing an apron.

Anyway, fried chicken, beer, and music go so well together. Adding a salad to the mix makes it even better. If you are looking for a lightened up way to enjoy some comfort food, you’ll love this fried chicken salad.

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Fried chicken salad with honey mustard vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
• vegetable oil- enough to cover at least 2 inches of your Dutch oven
• 1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
• 1/2 C. milk
• 2 Tbsp. Tony’s Seasoning (or other Cajun seasoning)
• 5 oz. (or more) of spring mix salad
• 1 tomato diced
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1/4 C. dijon mustard
• 1/4 C. honey
• 1/4 C. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 C. olive oil
• a dash of salt

Instructions

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat until a drop of water makes it sizzle.
2. Divide your flour into 3 medium bowls. The first bowl will just be flour, add your milk to the second bowl and add the Tony’s to the third bowl. Mix the milk and flour in the second bowl.
3. Cover the chicken in flour from the first bowl and then one at a time dredge the pieces in the milk/ flour mixture followed by the flour and seasoning mixture.
4. Add to Dutch oven without over crowding the pan. I find that 3 pieces at a time works best. Once the chicken is a nice golden brown color, remove it from the Dutch oven and place on a cooling rack over paper towels.
5. Fry them one more time (don't dredge again) for no more than one more minute.
6. Assemble salad.
7. Make dressing: Whisk mustard, honey, vinegar, oil and salt together to make the vinaigrette.

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