Lunch: Low Carb Sweet & Sour Chicken

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Chicken Breast

Health benefits of Low Carb Sweet & Sour Chicken

Skinless chicken breast, often heralded for its lean nutritional profile, is undeniably a powerhouse when it comes to protein content. With an impressive 21 grams of protein packed into every 100 grams of the breast, it emerges as a preferred choice for those conscious about their protein intake. Delving deeper into the nutritional matrix of chicken, one can't overlook the copious amounts of vitamin B6 it houses. This particular vitamin plays an indispensable role in our body, especially when discussing Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) management.

For individuals grappling with PCOS, the internal hormonal turbulence can be overwhelming, often leading to a spike in testosterone and androgen levels. This is where vitamin B6 comes into the spotlight. Acting as a balancer, vitamin B6 diligently works behind the scenes to keep these hormones in check, ensuring they don't surge beyond desirable levels. It is this equilibrium that becomes paramount for those earnestly looking to curtail the excessive flow of testosterone and androgen. In the broader spectrum of PCOS management, incorporating foods rich in vitamin B6, like chicken breast, can be a strategic move, providing both nutritional sustenance and hormonal balance.

Ingredients

CHICKEN:
5-6 Small Boneless Chicken Breasts
2 Large Eggs, Beaten
1 Cup Crushed Pork Rinds
1/2 Cup Almond Flour
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE:
1/2 Cup Erythritol
1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar
4 Tbsp. Reduced Sugar Ketchup
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Instructions

THE STOVETOP [METHOD 1]
1. Cube chicken into ~1″ chunks.
2. In a food processor, combine pork rinds, parmesan cheese, and almond flour. Grind until a meal-like substance is formed. Then, drip the chicken in the egg and coat in the pork rind mixture and set on a plate.
3. Heat the oils in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken in (in small batches) and cook.
4. In the meantime, combine all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and whisk while it boils down.
5. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and continue cooking the rest of your batches.
6. In a bowl, pour the sauce over the chicken and mix together to coat.
7. Enjoy!

THE OVEN [METHOD 2]
1. Preheat your oven to 325F.
2. Get your chicken breasts ready. If they are thick, pound them thin. You’re looking for about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thickness. I started with 6 and had to separate one of the breasts into 2 pieces. Slice the chicken breasts into cubes. Try to be as uniform as possible, but it doesn’t matter too much.
3. Fill up a Ziploc bag about half way with pork rinds. Add your salt and pepper. I add about 1 tsp. of each.
4. Crush them with a rolling pin well (you want a crumbly texture with only a few larger pieces, your pork rinds should be more crushed than mine). Add your almond flour and parmesan cheese and shake well. Make sure you’re using a fine almond flour. Bob’s Red Mill’s won’t give the texture needed for this, as it’s grainy. I use Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour, which is fantastic for baking treats as well – giving a realistic flavor and texture closer to all purpose flour.
5. Put your pork rinds into 1 bowl, and your 2 eggs into another bowl. Beat your eggs until they’re thoroughly scrambled.
6. In a large pan, heat 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil and 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil on high heat.
7. Dip your chicken breast into the egg and then into the pork rinds and almond flour mixture. Add them to the pan to fry. Don’t worry if your chicken isn’t completely coated. The sauce will help with that and give a nice balance. You don’t want to fully cook them here, you only want to partially fry them so they have a crispy outside.
8. When they’re finished frying, add them to a baking pan. I had to fry 3 different batches of chicken, so don’t worry if you can’t fit it all into 1 pan. We’ll be cooking these in the oven.
9. Let’s get to work on the sauce. Add 4 Tbsp. reduced sugar ketchup, 1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar, 1/2 Cup Erythritol, 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce, and 1 tsp. Garlic powder.
10. Mix the sauce well until it becomes thick.
11. Pour the sauce over the chicken, distributing it the best you can.
12. Mix the chicken into the sauce so that every piece is covered.
13. We want to put this in the oven for 60 minutes total, but flip each piece of chicken every 15 minutes. After 15 minutes your chicken should look like this.
14. 30 minutes in, we need to flip the chicken again, the sauce should start to be reducing and the chicken starting to let out its natural juice. You’ll see a divide in the sauce with the chicken juice on the top. Mix it in well.
15. 45 minutes in, you should start to see the sauce start to harden up a bit, coating each piece of chicken well. Flip the chicken one last time and return it to the oven for 15 more minutes.
16. Once the 60 minutes is finished, the sauce should be reduced down into a thicker and more dippable consistency.
17. Serve up and enjoy! I personally don’t mix the chicken at the end of the 60 minutes. Just spoon it straight onto a plate with broccoli or cauliflower fried rice, adding some more sauce on top.