Carnivore Fried Chicken:

A Crispy Nebraska Summer Classic

March 18, 2025

Howdy friends — Tony here from Ellsworth Crossing, your farm-to-fork market right here in Waterloo, Nebraska.

There’s a sound I’d recognize anywhere: chicken hitting hot lard and going to crackling. Around our place, that’s the real dinner bell. It means the screen door’s about to swing, the cousins are pulling up chairs, and somebody’s already reaching for a drumstick before it’s cool enough to hold.

"Real food, raised right, fried up golden — that's the Nebraska way, and summer never tasted better."

And now that summer’s here — picnics, ballgames, the Fourth of July just around the corner — there’s no better time to fire up a skillet of honest-to-goodness fried chicken.

Here’s the best part: if you’re eating carnivore, keto, or just trying to keep things clean and wholesome, you don’t have to sit this one out. Not even close.

The trick? Pork rinds.

Yep, you heard me right. Crushed pork rinds make a crunchy, golden coating that beats flour every day of the week — no grains, no fillers, all flavor. Fry it up in good, old-fashioned lard and you get that deep, rich, cast-iron taste that takes you straight back to Grandma’s kitchen. It’s the kind of crispy that holds up on a paper plate at a backyard cookout.

And it all starts with the bird. We use Plum Creek Chicken — free-range, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free, raised right by folks we know personally. No mystery, no shortcuts. Just a mighty fine chicken that fries up the way chicken’s supposed to. Grab a few packs and a dozen of our farm-fresh EC eggs, and let’s get cooking.

Shop hormone-free Plum Creek Chicken and farm-fresh goods at ellsworthcrossing.com — or visit us at 26902 W. Center Rd, Waterloo, NE. Open daily, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Order Chicken Here

Fried Chicken Recipe

15

Min Prep

Fry + Oven Finish

Method

165°F

Done Temp

~4

Serves

What You'll Need

Ingredients:

Plum Creek Chicken — any cut you like to fry (thighs and drumsticks are my favorite)
3 1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 cups pork rind panko (crushed pork rinds)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
3 large EC eggs
1 tsp hot sauce
About 1 cup lard, for frying

How to make it

Preheat your oven to 350°F. (We’ll use it to finish the thicker pieces so they cook through without burning the crust.)
Season the chicken on all sides with about half the sea salt and black pepper. Let it sit while you set up your dredging station.
Set up two coats and a wash. In one pan, stir together 3 cups of the pork rind panko with the remaining salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and the hot sauce. Put the last cup of plain pork rind panko in a third pan.
Coat each piece: dredge in the seasoned panko, dip into the egg wash, then press into the plain panko for a good, craggy crust. Set the coated pieces on a baking sheet while you finish the rest.
Fry it up. Melt the lard in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat — you’re looking for around 325–350°F. Lay the chicken in without crowding the pan and fry until deep golden brown on each side, turning once.
Finish in the oven. Move the pieces to a clean baking sheet (a wire rack keeps the bottoms crisp) and bake until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part. Rest a few minutes before serving.

Mind your heat. Too hot and the crust browns before the inside’s done; too cool and it drinks up the lard. Medium and steady wins.
Don’t crowd the skillet. Give each piece room or the temperature drops and you lose your crunch. Fry in batches.
Rest on a rack, not a plate. Steam is the enemy of crispy. A little airflow keeps that coating shattering-good.
Going strict carnivore? Skip the garlic, onion, and paprika and lean on salt, pepper, and the pork rinds. Still delicious.

Pull up a chair

This is the kind of meal that brings folks together — simple, hearty, and downright delicious, whether you’re all-in on carnivore or just looking for a cleaner way to enjoy a summer favorite. Pile it on a platter, carry it out to the picnic table, and watch it disappear.

And when you need farm-fresh chicken and eggs to make it just right, you know where to find us. Stop by the store in Waterloo or order online — we’ll get you set up with the good stuff.

Here’s to great food and even greater memories.

Warm regards,

Tony Ellsworth

Ellsworth Crossing — Farm to Fork Market

Ellsworth Crossing

Address:
26902 W Center Rd, Waterloo, NE 68069

Hours:
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.