Fried Chicken Bites
Originally published June 2016
I realize one would think we live in a food fairytale from gleaning a look at my Instagram feed. I’m still a mother of two, though. While my girls are used to being around a variety of foods, they’re also prone to the pitfalls of favorite “kid” foods. I write that with quotes because these fried chicken bites are not exclusively for children. One taste, and you’ll quickly become addicted yourself.
Now, I firmly believe in not pandering to fussy eaters. One family, one meal is my motto. Food is very emotional, though, and for kids it’s also a power struggle. Best to be gentle, patient, and understand why they like and don’t like certain foods to help them build a healthy relationship with eating.
That’s where these fried chicken bites come into play. Virginia loves chicken tenders. The trick to keeping these fried chicken bites nice and tender is using boneless thighs. Dark meat is more tender and flavorful than white meat, but if you must, it’s fine to use chicken breasts instead. I only developed an appreciation for dark meat as an adult. Just don’t buy boneless breasts. You can even use bone-in breasts, cut away the meat, and freeze the bones to make stock.