Gluten-Free Fried Chicken

Our gluten-free fried chicken recipe was developed to recreate the golden brown crisp of a classic comfort food. Like in other fried chicken recipes, the chicken is brined in buttermilk for a tangy, tender flavor and then dredged in seasoned flour for a crunchy, crispy coating.

When you go gluten-free, you might expect to miss bread and cookies, but battered, breaded and fried foods are also generally off-limits. When they’re not coated in flour, they can be fried in gluten-contaminated oil. Luckily, you can make delicious fried chicken at home without worrying about any of that. Don’t be daunted by deep-frying at home—the process is easy (and even fun!).

Gluten-Free Flour and Frying

You can use your favorite gluten-free flour mix for frying, with one caveat: You don’t want a whole grain-heavy mix. Whole grains are denser than white flour and starches, and they won’t get as crispy when fried. In addition, darker-colored flours, such as buckwheat or teff, have too strong a flavor for frying; they’ll also make it harder to see when the chicken has browned. Luckily, most all-purpose gluten-free flour mixes feature lighter flours made from grains like white rice, and starches from tapioca or potato.

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Fried Chicken

• Buttermilk marinade: Marinating the chicken in buttermilk and cider vinegar infuses it with a rich, tangy flavor. The acid also tenderizes the meat. If you don’t have buttermilk, don’t fret: You can make buttermilk with regular milk and an acid like vinegar or lemon juice.
• Broiler or fryer chicken: Cutting up a whole chicken is more economical than buying individual pieces. The difference between a broiler and a fryer chicken is weight: a broiler weighs about 2-1/2 pounds, and a fryer weighs up to around 3-1/2 pounds. A roaster is usually more than 4 pounds.
• Eggs: Coating the chicken in eggs gives them a sticky surface that the flour will adhere to. The rich protein also browns beautifully.
• Gluten-free baking flour: You can use a store-bought gluten-free flour mix with xanthan gum included or make a homemade gluten-free mix and add a teaspoon of xanthan gum.
• Seasonings: Adding seasonings to the breading ensures plenty of flavor in every bite. The savory, herbal seasoning calls for salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme and onion powder.
• Oil for deep-fat frying: Use an oil with a high smoke point, which means the oil can tolerate high temperatures without burning. Canola, peanut, soybean and safflower are good types of oil for frying

Directions

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

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In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk and vinegar. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate the marinating chicken, covered, for eight hours or overnight.

Editor’s Tip: When you cut up a whole chicken for frying, cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. Slicing the breasts thinner helps them cook faster, allowing for a high batter-to-meat ratio. This way, you’ll have 10 pieces of chicken to fry.

Step 2: Prepare the dredging station

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Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off the chicken back into the bowl. Place the chicken on a rimmed plate and set it aside. Whisk the eggs into the buttermilk mixture. In a shallow dish, combine gluten-free flour, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and pepper.

Step 3: Coat the chicken

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Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, one piece at a time, firmly patting to help the coating adhere. Repeat, dipping each piece of chicken again in the buttermilk mixture and then dredging in the flour mixture.

Editor’s Tip: The extra coating step may feel strange, but double-dredging is the secret to super-crispy fried chicken!

Step 4: Let the chicken rest

Arrange the battered chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let it stand for 30 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Resting the chicken gives the batter time to set, helping it stick when it hits the oil.

Step 5: Fry the chicken

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In a Dutch oven, electric skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the chicken, several pieces at a time, until it’s golden brown and the juices run clear, six to seven minutes per side. Drain the pieces on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t crowd the pan. Trying to cook too many chicken pieces at once will cause the oil temperature to drop, making for soggy breading. Allow the oil temperature to return to 375° before adding more chicken. If necessary, use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. The safe internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165° for white meat and 175° or higher for dark meat.

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Gluten-Free Fried Chicken Variations

• Change the spices: Play with the seasonings. Add heat with a dash of cayenne pepper or curry powder, try Cajun spices, shake in seasoned salt or use another dried herb instead of thyme.
• Only fry your favorite pieces: Instead of a whole bird, buy packages of your favorite chicken cuts. Bone-in pieces are more manageable to eat with fingers on a picnic. Plus, bone-in, skin-on pieces make extra juicy fried chicken.
• Dial up the crunch: Replace 1/2 cup of the flour mix with cornmeal for extra crunchy batter.

How to Store Gluten-Free Fried Chicken

Store gluten-free fried chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to four days. The coating will soften in the fridge, but you can reheat it to get it crispy again.

Can you freeze gluten-free fried chicken?

You can freeze gluten-free fried chicken, although the coating will soften. To freeze cooked chicken, let it cool completely, then arrange pieces on a lined baking sheet. Put the sheet in the freezer until the chicken pieces are frozen solid, then transfer them to a zip-top bag or airtight container. Thaw the chicken overnight before reheating it.

How do you reheat gluten-free fried chicken?

The key to reheating fried chicken is getting the outside crisped back up. Spray the chicken with cooking spray. Arrange the pieces on a baking sheet and bake them in a 350° oven or toaster oven until the internal temperature is 150°, about 15 minutes. Then dial up the oven to 400° or switch to the broiler, and cook them for a few more minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°.

You can also reheat fried chicken in a 350° air fryer. Spray the dredged chicken pieces with cooking oil and set them in a fryer basket. Air-fry the pieces, turning them every few minutes until all the sides are crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165°.

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken Tips

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What’s the best way to cut up a chicken

It may be daunting to cut up a whole chicken, but the process isn’t too tricky—and you’ll usually save a bit of money compared with buying individual pieces. All you’ll need is a sharp knife and scissors. First, remove the wings: Find the joints with your fingers and cut right through the joint. Next, you’ll remove the legs and thighs, then the spine and finally separate the breasts. Save the carcass and any pieces, such as the neck, spine or wing tips, to make homemade chicken broth.

What can you serve with gluten-free fried chicken?

For those who avoid gluten, fried chicken is a much-missed comfort food, so lean into it! Serve it with other gluten-free side dishes, like mashed potatoes, coleslaw and creamed corn. It’s a great dish to pack for a picnic, perhaps with a side of German potato salad and sliced cucumbers.