2largeboneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half vertically and each piece pounded thin, if making sandwiches (or cut into small 1-inch sized pieces for nuggets)
Spice Mixture
2teaspoonpaprika
2tablespoonblack pepper
½teaspooncayenne pepper
1teaspoonMSG (optional)(see link in blog post for more info on this)
Dissolve the kosher salt and granulated sugar in one quart of cold water. Place chicken in a ziptop bag and pour cold water over. Seal bag and place in refrigerator overnight to brine.
For the Dredging
Combine ingredients for spice blend and set aside.
Whisk together milk/egg wash in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Whisk together flour, nonfat dry milk powder, baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture in a large shallow bowl to combine. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the milk/egg wash into the seasoned coating and rub with your fingertips or a fork until the flour is like wet sand.
Frying and Assembling
In a large Dutch oven, heat the peanut oil to 330° F.
Remove the chicken breasts from the brine and pat them dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with the remaining spice mixture. Transfer the chicken to the milk/egg wash and coat fully. Allow excess wash to drip off and then transfer to the flour mixture, Press down firmly to adhere as much of the flour mixture to the chicken as possible. Shake off the excess flour and place the chicken back on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the nuggets or cutlets until all have been coated.
Carefully lower the chicken into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides (about 4 minutes for whole pieces and 2 minutes for nuggets). Remove from the oil and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
If making sandwiches, cut gluten free hamburger buns in half horizontally and spread each side with butter. Toast in pan or on griddle until lightly browned. Place chicken cutlets on toasted buns and add pickle slices and mayonnaise, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
Recipe can be doubled.To air fry, preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F. Place nuggets or chicken filet in one layer in basket and spray liberally with nonstick spray. Air fry for 4 minutes, flip over, spray the other side, and air fry for another 4 minutes. Chicken can be breaded, placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and frozen until solid. Store in an airtight container or ziptop bag and fry as per instructions, adding 1-2 minutes to frying time.