Perfectly Crispy Gluten Free Fried Chicken

Jasmine Comer Posted: 07/12/21 Updated: 12/13/21

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This gluten free fried chicken recipe uses simple ingredients for perfectly juicy chicken with an unbelievably crispy, seasoned breading. It’s every bit as good as traditional fried chicken but completely gluten free. Easy to make dairy free, too!

Gluten free fried chicken thighs and legs on a white plate

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The chicken stays incredibly moist while the gluten free breading gets unbelievably crispy. This is literally everything you could ever want in classic fried chicken – just made gluten free!
The breading on this fried chicken is deliciously seasoned with a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. There’s a little hot sauce in the buttermilk marinade, too, but don’t worry. This isn’t a spicy recipe… unless you want it to be.
No deep fryer needed! This recipe uses a dutch oven or a deep cast-iron skillet and the chicken comes out perfectly fried.
Pair this gluten free fried chicken with a batch of gluten free cornbread with honey, air fryer okra (with gluten free flour), mashed potatoes, and green beans for an incredible gluten free comfort meal.

Key Ingredients

Chicken – We’re using drumsticks and bone-in thighs this time around, but the breading in this recipe will also work for chicken breasts and even chicken tenders.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour – This is the base of the breading. It gives the chicken a beautiful coating that fries up golden-brown and doesn’t flake off.

Cornstarch – Simple but effective. Cornstarch will make your gluten free fried chicken extra crispy and delicious. Don’t leave it out!

Chef’s Tips

The oil needs to be completely hot before you add the battered chicken to the pan. If it’s not, the breading will just soak up the oil, instead of turning crispy. Use a candy/deep frying thermometer so you’ll know when it reaches 350° Fahrenheit. You can also sprinkle a little flour on the oil – if it sizzles then it’s ready!
Adding the chicken to the oil will make the temperature of the oil drop a little, so keep an eye on the thermometer and raise the heat on the stove as needed to keep the oil at 350° Fahrenheit. Don’t go higher than 375°F or you’ll run the risk of the chicken (or the oil) burning before it cooks through.
Draining the gluten free fried chicken on a wire rack will give you crispier breading than if you just lay it directly on the paper towels, since they won’t be sitting in the excess oil. Make sure to lay a thick layer of paper towels under the rack, though, since they’ll drip oil.
For even more flavor, salt and pepper the chicken before dipping it in buttermilk. You can also marinate the chicken in the buttermilk mixture for a few hours before dredging it and frying it.
For really, really crispy chicken, you can try double dipping! Dip the chicken in buttermilk, dredge it in the flour mixture, dip and dredge again, then fry it in hot oil. Just make sure the chicken is cooked through before taking it out of the oil.

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Meet Jasmine Comer

Jasmine Comer is a food photographer and recipe developer from North Carolina. She grew up in the kitchen watching her mom cook all types of delicious meals. In 2016 she established Lively Meals, a food blog where she creates healthy recipes. This led to creating recipes for other blogs as well. In her free time she enjoys exploring new places and spending time in nature. Ultimately she’s grateful to be doing work she loves—cooking good food and sharing it with people.