I am mildly obsessed with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.  Ok, mildly is putting it nicely.  I low-key am in love with it.  I put it in almost everything because I just can’t get enough of it.  I make my own when I have the time, but luckily Trader Joe’s sells their own version, so it’s always in my kitchen. 

A few weekends ago, I watched my parents dogs overnight while they had a little getaway.  I didn’t have any plans for dinner until I saw a few chicken breasts in the freezer and 4 fresh bottles of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning.  I have no idea why I never thought about it before, but chicken poppers sprang to mind and I got to work.

I knew the seasoning would provide the crunch of fried chicken without actually frying the chicken I just needed a way to keep the chicken juicy while I baked it.  Then I remembered buttermilk.  Soaking chicken in buttermilk helps keep the chicken tender because the lactic acid breaks down the meat a bit.  I used a coconut version of buttermilk and these turned out fantastic. 

I also love how quick these were to make.  The most arduous part was soaking the chicken in the fridge for a few hours.  After that, it was all easy peasy lemon squeezy.  While I absolutely loved this meal, I made it again for Adam last weekend just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke.

It wasn’t.  He loved them.  And I want to make them every week.  So you should probably make these ASAP 🙂

Everything But The Bagel Chicken Poppers- serves 2-4 

Coconut Buttermilk- 

For the whole recipe: Calories: 420 Total Fat: 42g Carbs: 6.17g Fiber: 0 Protein: 3.01g

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Add the lemon juice to the coconut milk and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before using.  It will look like the milk is curdling, that’s good.  Don’t freak out.  Make this before you make the poppers.

Chicken Poppers- 

For 1 serving- Calories: 272 Total Fat: 2.78g Carbs: 0 Fiber: 0 Protein: 51.72g

• 1 batch coconut buttermilk
• 2 lbs skinless chicken breast, about 2 large chicken breasts
• 1 bottle of Everything But The Bagel Seasoning or make your own batch
• olive oil spray

1. Dice the chicken into bite-size pieces and place into a large glass bowl or dish in an even layer.  Pour the buttermilk over the chicken and make sure all the pieces are covered.
2. Place the chicken in the fridge and soak for at least 4 hours, overnight if possible.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.  Place a cookie cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and spray with olive oil or another non-stick spray.
4. Get the chicken from the fridge and pour the seasoning onto a plate or shallow dish.  Now, this next part is messy.  Take one piece of chicken and use your fingers to wipe off as much buttermilk as possible.  Roll the chicken in the seasoning and then place on the oiled rack. **
5. Continue this until you have covered all the chicken.  Add more seasoning to the plate/dish as needed.  Once all the chicken is on the rack, lightly spray with the chicken.
6. Bake the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through.
7. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (might I recommend BBQ sauce or Smoky Garlic Mayo or Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing?) and enjoy!

** I have also made these poppers by wiping off the buttermilk and placing directly on the rack and THEN sprinkling the seasoning over the chicken.  If you want a less in your face flavor of Everything But the Bagel and don’t want to use a ton of the seasoning, try this option.  If you want crunchier and love Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, use the method above. **