The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (2024)

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This easy gluten free fried chicken recipeis seriously the best. You will be hooked with one bite of this crispy, juicy, gluten-free fried chicken with tapioca starch! Follow all of my tips and tricks to get the best gluten free fried chicken ever!

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (1)

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When the owner, Ari, of Proposition Chicken in San Francisco, told me he was going to share his exclusive gluten free fried chicken recipe with us, I thought about how incredible this was. How often do you feel safe eating fried chicken at a restaurant? It is one of those things I truly miss.

Why This Recipe Is Great:

  1. This recipe is made with tapioca starch and no flour, so it is naturally gluten free.
  2. It gives you every step to make restaurant-quality fried chicken.
  3. This recipe will bring back those memories of real crispy fried chicken. The kind your grandma made!
  4. You can also use this recipe to make gluten free chicken tenders and nuggets too!!

Comfort foods like these rarely happen in the gluten-free realm; if they do, they are not very good. (Looking at this photo of gluten free fried chicken is really making me hungry!)

Ingredient Notes:

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (2)
  • Chicken – You can use bone-in or boneless chicken cut for this recipe.
  • Tapioca starch – This is the hero of the recipe. It is grain-free and adds the crispiest of coatings!
  • Buttermilk – This adds flavor and juiciness. If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1 cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice.
  • Red wine vinegar – Most vinegar is gluten free, but always read the labels!
  • Cayenne – This adds a hint of spice; it is optional.
  • Oil – One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an oil to use is the oil’s smoking point. The smoking point is that moment when the oil is no longer glossy and shimmery looking, and it starts to smoke. I recommend using avocado oil or canola oil. If you use Canola, be sure to check Is Canola Gluten Free.

Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (3)

Step 1: Add all the buttermilk, red wine vinegar, and cayenne pepper to a large mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients with a whisk until the mixture is frothy. This should take about 2 minutes.

Add the raw chicken to the liquid ingredients, cover the bowl, and coat it with the buttermilk mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Step 2: Soak the chicken in the buttermilk overnight or for 12 hours in the refrigerator. This makes the meat more tender and juicy when you fry it.

Remove the chicken and dip it into the tapioca starch seasoning blend. Toss the chicken to coat it.

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (4)

Step 3: In a Dutch oven or large 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the oil to 350-375º F. Use a digital thermometer to measure the temperature. Gently drop the chicken into the hot oil. Be careful of the hot oil spattering out of the pan!

HINT: I recommend using canola or avocado oil because they are good at high heat. Do NOT use olive oil or other low smoke point oils or the flavor will turn out rancid.

Step 4: Use long metal tongs to flip the chicken over so both sides cook evenly. Cooking time will vary by the cut of chicken you use and whether it is bone-in or boneless. Be sure the internal temperature of the meat is 165º F.

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (5)

If you want to try one of my old Texan favorites…you need to try this easy Gluten Free Chicken Fried Steak recipe!! If you make chicken nuggets with this recipe, you can use them for my Gluten Free Orange Chicken!

Easy Frying Tip:

Our outdoor Weber grill has a side burner attached. I use this to make my fried chicken. I hate when hot oil splatters all over my kitchen; that smell permeates EVERYWHERE! Avoid all of this if you can, and cook this outside.

Recipe FAQ:

Is there gluten in fried chicken?

Unfortunately, traditional fried chicken does contain gluten. Not only do they coat the chicken in flour, but the fryers in many restaurants become contaminated because they also fry other gluten foods in the fryer.

What types of gluten free flour can you use to make this recipe?

The best gluten free flours to use for frying chicken and other savory dishes like eggplant parmesan are Tapioca Starch (the star of this easy chicken recipe), Cassava Flour, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Blend (in the red label bag), and Gluten Free Bisquick.

How long do I fry it in oil?

The length of time to cook fried chicken depends on whether you cook it in a frying pan, air fryer, or deep frying. When cooked, you want to ensure the chicken’s internal temperature is 165º F.

A deep fryer like this recipe calls for takes about 18 minutes. Cooking this recipe in a skillet with an inch of oil will take about 25 minutes. You will need to turn the chicken often so all sides get crispy.

Can you make this recipe in an air fryer?

I have not tried this recipe in an air fryer yet, but one of my readers has tried it. She said the fried chicken would take around 25 minutes to cook in an air fryer. This Air Fried Chicken Drumsticks Recipe is made a little differently but tastes amazing!

Do you need to use buttermilk in this recipe?

Buttermilk definitely adds to the flavor profile of this recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk, why not make some with milk and lemon juice?

For this recipe, use regular milk and add one tablespoon of lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes then you are ready to go :-). If you want delicious baked fried chicken, try this Gluten Free Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken recipe!

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (6)

Sides To Serve With Fried Chicken:

  • Deli-Style Gluten Free Macaroni Salad
  • Loaded Baked Potato Salad
  • Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes with this easy Gluten Free Gravy
  • The Best Kale and Apple Salad

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (7)

Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe

Sandi Gaertner

This is thebest gluten free fried chicken recipe ever. One bite of this crispy, juicy gluten free fried chicken and you will be hooked!

4.74 from 174 votes

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (9)

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (10)

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Gluten Free Dinner Recipes, Meal Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 566 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 8-10 pieces Bone-in chicken of your choice
  • 1 cup buttermilk (*see note)
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • dash of salt and pepper to taste

Prep

Cook

  • 2 cups hot oil for frying (*see note)

Instructions

Marinade

  • Put all ingredients (except chicken) into a bowl and whisk until fluffy.

  • Put the raw chicken into a large dish and pour the marinade over the butchered chicken.

    The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (11)

  • Move chicken around to make sure all of the raw chicken is all covered in the marinade.

  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Prep

  • Drain marinaded chicken in a large strainer.

  • Place chicken in the tapioca flour and toss it around to cover the whole piece of chicken.

  • Let the chicken rest 2-3 minutes on a baking pan.

  • Gently heat oil in a pre-seasoned cast iron skillet. If you have a deep fryer, that is great! I would use that instead. The oil should be 350-375 F degrees before adding the chicken pieces.

  • Fry the chicken for 10 minutes on one side. Flip the chicken to cook the other side another 10 minutes. (Do this if you are not fully submerging your chicken in the hot oil. After you cook each side of the chicken, check the internal temperature of 165 F degrees. The total cook time would be around 20 minutes, but it depends on the cut of chicken you are using. If you are deep frying the chicken it will take less time for your chicken to cook.

    The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (12)

  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Notes

  1. Many ask if you can use cornstarch instead of tapioca, this should be okay.
  2. If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own by mixing 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
  3. If you like your chicken extra crispy, double-dip it! After doing one dip in the tapioca starch, put back into the buttermilk, then redip into the tapioca starch.
  4. Use an oil that is made to tolerate high heat. Canola, avocado, and coconut oil are all great high heat oils for frying. (Note if you use coconut oil it will impart a flavor where canola and avocado oil are tasteless.)
  5. You want your hot oil temperature to reach between 350-375 F degrees before adding the chicken.
  6. This fried chicken will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. To reheat, put onto a baking sheet, cover with foil (to prevent burning the crispy coating), and bake in the oven at 325 F degrees for 20 minutes. Check to see if it is heated all the way through.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 566kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 32mgPotassium: 41mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 76IUCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (13)
The Best Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe Ever! | Fearless Dining (2024)

FAQs

What gluten free flour is best for frying? ›

For successful gluten-free frying, it is important to select the appropriate flour alternative. Different flours can alter the taste and texture of the final product: Rice Flour: A versatile choice, rice flour provides a light and crispy texture.

How to make fried chicken stay crispy? ›

Proper cooling sets the crust and ensures that the chicken will have done all its carryover cooking. I like to cool any leftover chicken completely and then store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the fridge. The paper towel absorbs condensation and keeps that chicken crisp for midnight snacking.

What kind of flour do you use for fried chicken? ›

All-Purpose Flour: This is the most common choice. It provides a balanced texture and flavor for the fried chicken coating. You can season it with various spices and herbs to enhance the flavor. Self-Rising Flour: This type of flour contains leavening agents like baking powder and salt, which.

What is the best oil for frying gluten-free? ›

Here are three of the top gluten-free oils for frying seafood and other foods and how to decode gluten on food labels.
  1. Avocado Oil. ...
  2. Coconut Oil. ...
  3. Olive Oil.
Jul 3, 2019

What gluten free flour thickens best? ›

White rice flour: fine wheat substitute

Made from finely milled white rice, rice flour is a great substitute for wheat flour. It works very well as a thickening agent because it prevents liquid separation – it is particularly good for soups, gravies and sauces but can also work for cakes, cookies and crackers.

Why do you soak chicken before frying? ›

The process of soaking the chicken in a saltwater solution before cooking keeps the meat moist and infuses it with flavor. The salt in the brine solution draws out moisture from the chicken, which is then reabsorbed along with the salt, sugar and flavors from the added spices.

How do you keep breading from falling off fried chicken? ›

Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack (or a platter) and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This cooling time will help the layers of breading ingredients solidify and adhere better after the chicken cooks. Once you start cooking the chicken, be patient and don't flip it over too early.

Why can't I get my fried chicken crispy? ›

If your oil temp is too high, your fried chicken will be scorched on the outside with meat that is undercooked. If the oil is too cool, your chicken will be greasy and will lack the golden-brown crispy exterior you want.

Which is better for fried chicken flour or cornstarch? ›

Cornstarch Is the Secret to the Crispiest Fried Chicken

So how exactly does it work? When paired with all-purpose flour, cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, which makes the flour coating crispier, and absorb moisture (from the frying and the chicken), which also means a crispier coating.

What is the crispiest flour for frying? ›

Rice flour and cornstarch work particularly well because they fry up crispier than wheat flour. They also absorb less moisture and fat during the frying process, making the products less greasy. This is why rice flour is often used when making tempura because it produces a very thin and crispy, dry crust.

Do I dip my chicken in egg then flour? ›

The trick to getting the batter to stick to the chicken pieces properly is to dip the chicken into the seasoned flour, before dipping into the egg mixture. The flour helps the egg mixture adhere to the chicken. Then dip the chicken back into the flour mixture.

Which alternative flour is best for frying? ›

Good substitutes for frying include cornstarch, potato starch, and rice flour. Alternatives in baking include rice flour, chestnut flour, and all-purpose flour. Keto-friendly substitutes include almond flour, chia seed flour, psyllium husk powder, hazelnut flour, coconut flour and flaxseed meal.

What gluten-free flour is best for dredging? ›

Millet flour.

It also works great with any dish that calls for dredging like this chicken fricassee.

What is the healthiest flour for deep frying? ›

If you plan to batter or coat the food, use a coating that prevents the food from absorbing the oil, especially when deep frying or pan frying. All-purpose flour causes more absorption of the oil, so try to use gluten-free flours such as cornmeal or rice flour to prevent the absorption of oils.

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