Crunchy Fried Chicken Recipe with Gluten-Free Breading

Enjoy Gluten-Free Southern Fried Chicken with This Crunchy Fried Chicken Recipe

Welcome to Frybruary! I’m kicking things off with my crunchy fried chicken recipe. That’s right, we can still make delicious Southern fried chicken gluten-free.

The hard part is learning how to fry if you’ve never fried before. Check out my Frying 101 video for more details on the basics of frying before attempting to make this crunchy fried chicken recipe.

I have years of experience frying. Even still, I struggled to find the temperature sweet spot in my video because we got a new stove in late December, and this was my first time frying on this stove. The key to perfect results is practice.

So without further ado, let’s jump into the recipe!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
4 each chicken thighs, drumsticks, wings
Marinade-
2-3 tbsp. hot sauce
3-4 cloves fresh garlic
Salt
Pepper
Buttermilk to cover
Dredge-
1 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 c. gluten-free white cornmeal
½ tsp.+ celery salt
½ tsp.+ cayenne pepper
1 tsp.+ garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
½ pot canola or other light oil with high smoke point
¼ c. bacon grease (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare chicken by removing any pin feathers missed during processing and trimming off any excess skin that could float in the oil during frying.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine chicken, hot sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper, the cover with buttermilk. Use hands to ensure chicken is thoroughly coated in marinade. Store in refrigerator at least 4 hours, although overnight would be better.
3. Combine flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, celery salt, cayenne, salt, and pepper and whisk together. If seasoned flour dredge looks pale, add more seasonings.
4. Place large strainer in large bowl and dump chicken and marinade in to separate the chicken from the liquid. Arrange marinated chicken, dry dredge, and a pan for the coated chicken on the counter to reduce risk of salmonella contamination.
5. Preheat oil and bacon grease so that a hand hovered over the oil will feel radiant heat. Note that clean oil will not bubble when hot, so use caution when dropping food items into hot oil. Clean oil may be hotter than expected.
6. Using the wet hand-dry hand method, toss buttermilk-coated chicken in the seasoned dredge. Shake off excess flour and place on the landing pad. Work in order: thighs, legs, wings, breasts.
7. By the time the last piece of chicken is dredged, the first pieces should be ready to fry. Carefully drop the chicken into the oil, using tongs to hold the first few pieces (the ones that will sit on the bottom of the pot) under the surface of the oil before completely submerging them.
8. Fry in batches, adjusting temperature as necessary until the bubbles begin to slow. Once bubbles have slowed down, remove chicken from the oil and onto a rack or paper towels to drain (rack recommended).
9. Allow chicken to cool several minutes before serving. Then enjoy with an assortment of sides and a tall glass of sweet tea.

And that’s how I get perfect deep fried gluten free fried chicken every time! No, I don’t have a time or temperature. I don’t need it. My fried chicken is perfect every single time because I listen for it to tell me when it’s ready. In case this is your first foray into frying, I do have some handy tips.

1. I do recommend you stick with buttermilk for the marinade. The acidity helps your marinade seasonings penetrate the chicken and flavor it from the inside. It also imparts a tangy flavor to the meat.
2. If you can’t use cornmeal, substitute brown rice flour. It will still add some crunch and extra flavor.
3. Also, make sure your chicken has had time to sit out and raise in temperature from the fridge. If chicken is dropped into the oil while still cold, it’s more likely to burn on the outside and be raw on the inside.
4. Don’t move chicken around in the pot unless it’s to make one turn or unstick a piece from the bottom later in the cook time. Too much movement before the coating starts getting crispy will knock the soft coating off before it crusts over.
5. Dark meat takes longer to cook than white meat, even though breasts are larger. Dark meat is also much more forgiving than white meat if overcooked. If you want to practice without wasting too much money, start with just thighs. When you’ve mastered the technique, add other pieces.

If you’re new to frying, it will take a little practice to master the art form. Your first few batches could either be too dark, or light and not at all crispy. Keep trying until you figure out the sweet spot for your stove or fryer to get crispy fried chicken skin with juicy meat.

I hope you enjoy making fried chicken at home! It’s definitely a labor of love, but who doesn’t love trying a new crunchy fried chicken recipe?

Let me know if you make any changes to your version of this recipe in a comment below (or fill out the form on the contact page for some one-on-one discussion). Check out where I updated this recipe and changed the method in my Southern shallow-fried chicken recipe, and pair either version with these delicious gluten-free waffles!

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