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    Home » Latest on The Kitcheneer

    Published: Jan 2, 2019 · Updated: Jan 5, 2019

    Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    In case you haven’t noticed but I have been on a Southern kick.

     

    Hope that’s ok! Have you been enjoying some of these southern flavors??? Let me know and I might stop. Maybe…

    And recently I have been inspired by Nashville. Not because I have been there. I REALLY want to go someday but actually I was inspired by our absolutely FAVORITE YouTube channel Hellthy Junkfood. These guys are HILARIOUS. And they are usually all about making GIANT versions of junk food like GIANT grilled cheese. Ok, I am drooling.

    Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad- summer southern comfort food at it's finest with a hot dressing that is gluten free, dairy free, and perfect for weekend BBQs|thekitcheneer.com

     

    But there was an episode where JP and Julia made Nashville style fried chicken and I was glued to the screen taking in all the flavors they were using. But at the same time wondering if I could make this Whole30 compliant?

    Well, one thing turned into another and now Whole30 Nashville Chicken is on the internet.

    Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad- summer southern comfort food at it's finest with a hot dressing that is gluten free, dairy free, and perfect for weekend BBQs|thekitcheneer.com

    I swapped whole milk for coconut milk in the marinade and almond meal for flour.

    Easy peasy.

    I also used WAY less oil to “fry”. I basically got the pan SUPER hot and added 2-3 tbs of avocado oil and let the chicken get a nice crispy sear. Then I finished it in the oven.

    Best part? Once the chicken is done marinating from the night before, it’s done in 30 minutes!

    And I also made real coconut buttermilk so it’s pretty close to the original southern style chicken.

    Now I know coconut buttermilk sounds funky. But all buttermilk is, is milk that has been treated with vinegar and allowed to curdle.

    I applied the same science here. I added some apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of coconut milk and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Instant coco-butter-milk.

    Then to top it all off is THE BBQ sauce.

    I used the oil drippings from the pan and added a teensy bit more oil and more spices plus some dates to sweeten things up a tad. It’s tangy and slightly sweet. Basically you will want to make an extra batch just to keep in a mason jar in the fridge.

    I tossed the chicken in the sauce to coat. Annnndddd I am officially hungry again.

    And if the chicken wasn’t enough on its own. (Which it is BTW)

    Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad- summer southern comfort food at it's finest with a hot dressing that is gluten free, dairy free, and perfect for weekend BBQs|thekitcheneer.com

    I decided to take it a step further and put on top of a big ass salad. And no, I am not apologizing for the language.

    This big ass salad has all my southern BBQ favorites thrown in.

    Spring greens topped with pickles, sunflower seeds, cucumber, fresh herbs, and crispy sweet potato straws.

    Drizzled with this Hot Mama Sauce. Because you NEED more heat. Made with natural ingredients like yellow peppers, olive oil, tahini, and habanero…. Muwahahaha

    It’s all the greens, plus your complex carb (sweet potato),

    Its BBQ summer approved, Whole30 approved, and husband approved.

    So, now that you have your Friday night dinner plans…when can I come over?

    Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad- summer southern comfort food at it's finest with a hot dressing that is gluten free, dairy free, and perfect for weekend BBQs|thekitcheneer.com

    What are we watching? I’m planning on watching Deadpool…again. 😀

    Print
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    Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad- summer southern comfort food at it's finest with a hot dressing that is gluten free, dairy free, and perfect for weekend BBQs|thekitcheneer.com

    Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 1 review

    • Author: Amanda
    Print Recipe
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    Ingredients

    Scale

    FOR THE MARINADE

    1 cup of coconut milk

    ½ cup of pickle juice

    2 tbs apple cider vinegar

    1 tsp garlic powder

    ¼ cup hot sauce

    FOR THE CHICKEN

    4 tbs olive oil

    1lb chicken tenders

    1 cup tapioca flour

    2 eggs

    ½ tsp salt

    ½ tsp red pepper flakes

    FOR THE DRESSING

    1 bottle of ZUPA NOMA Organic Yellow Pepper and Habenero Soup

    2 tbs white wine vinegar

    ½ cup avocado oil

    3 tbs hot sauce

    ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

    1 tsp ground mustard

    NOTE: if you can’t find ZUPA NOMA I LOVE using a mixture of Tessemae’s ranch with buffalo sauce! Or your favorite dressing will work here as well*

    FOR THE SALAD

    4 cups of mixed greens

    2 pickles, thinly sliced

    2 tbs sunflower seeds

    Roasted Sweet Potato Crisps (Roast at 425 for 20 minutes)


    Instructions

    MARINATE THE CHICKEN

    Whisk all marinade ingredients with a fork;let it sit for 10 minutes, then add chicken tenderloin in a glass container or gallon bag for 30 minutes to overnight in the fridge.

    MAKE THE DRESSING

    In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients and set aside

    MAKE CHICKEN

    Preheat oven to 370F

    Heat oil on medium high heat in a dutch oven or high rimmed skillet

    Add chicken to brown for about 2-3 minutes per side then transfer to preheated oven for 20 minutes

    ASSEMBLE SALADS

    In a large bowl, toss greens, pickles, cucumbers, sunflower seeds adn top with chicken. Drizzle with hot mama dressing then eat!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @thekitcheneer on Instagram and hashtag it #thekitcheneer

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laura says

      November 13, 2019 at 6:51 pm

      This looks unbelievable! Pinning this for January Whole30!

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        November 17, 2019 at 11:08 am

        Thank you Laura!!! It's literally my husband's favorite. And I HIGHLY recommend dipping the chicken into Tessemae's Habernero Ranch! Unfortunately, they no longer sell the ZUPA NOMA aka Medlies soup I used for this! But any spicy dressing will work here! 😀

        Reply
    2. Vanessa says

      June 04, 2019 at 8:04 pm

      Could you use a different type of flour?

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        June 04, 2019 at 8:11 pm

        Of course! Use any flour you have on hand. But if you are on Whole30 only coconut flour and almond flour is allowed.

        Reply
    3. Christie says

      March 04, 2019 at 6:25 pm

      Made this sort of my husband loved it!!!

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        June 04, 2019 at 8:11 pm

        YAY!!! That’s awesome Christie!

        Reply
    4. Cas says

      January 25, 2019 at 9:23 am

      Do you dip the chicken in egg then flour, move on to frying?

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        January 27, 2019 at 2:06 pm

        Hi Cas!
        Yes, dredge the chicken in the egg, then flour prior to frying. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Steph says

      January 05, 2019 at 8:29 pm

      What is a good substitute for the bottle of Zips Noma? I don’t think I can find that near me.

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        January 05, 2019 at 8:36 pm

        Hi Steph!
        Use whatever compliant dressing you have! I LOVE combining buffalo sauce with Tessemae’s ranch for a spicy dressing! But really any dressing will be great here! 😊

        Reply

    Trackbacks

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      June 2, 2022 at 12:40 pm

      […] to stumble upon a seasonal summer salad recipe that I eat every summer with obsession. Last year? Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad The year before that? Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Peach Cobb Salad . This summer, it's gonna be […]

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      May 24, 2022 at 6:54 am

      […] Whole30 Nashville Chicken Salad […]

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      May 23, 2022 at 4:29 am

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    Hi! I'm Amanda. Nice to Meet You! TI am a full time systems engineer by day and recipe developer/food photographer by night (and weekends). My husband Jake and I live in Virginia. Favorite things are books, traveling, and coffee ☕️.

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