Gluten-free Crispy Southern Fried Chicken

Name: Gluten-free Crispy Southern Fried Chicken
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 10-11 Pieces Bone-in-Chicken Pieces (I tend to use thighs and legs,); 3 Cups Buttermilk (See note for making this a dairy-free brine.); 1 Cup Pickle Juice (I use Bubbies Brand.); ½ Tablespoon Paprika; 1 Tablespoon Sage; 2 Teaspoons Celery Salt; 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder; 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder; 1 Tablespoon Salt; ½ Tablespoon Pepper; 2 ½ Cups 1:1 Gluten-free Flour (I use King Author 1:1.); ¾ Cup Cornstarch (You can use potato starch or tapioca starch to keep this grain free chicken.); 1 Cup Potato Chips (Crushed to about ½ pea sized pieces.); ½ Teaspoon Paprika; 1 Teaspoon Sage; ¼ Teaspoon Celery Salt; 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder; 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder; 1 Teaspoon Salt; ½ Teaspoon Pepper; Hight Smoke Point Oil (Enough to fill pot about 3 inches deep.)

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This gluten-free fried chicken recipe makes the best southern-style chicken that is flavorful and juicy on the inside with an extra crispy breading. No one will believe this is gluten-free chicken.

I grew up in the south, and if you know anything about southerners, we love fried foods. Now that I am gluten-free, I've had to figure out how to make all my favorite fried foods into gluten-free fried foods. One of the first recipes I had to tackle was this gluten-free fried chicken recipe.

Gluten-free breaded and fried chicken on a plate surrounded by pickles and potato chips.

Is there gluten in fried chicken?

Traditional fried chicken does contain gluten so if you think you can go get gluten-free chicken at KFC, or another restaurant you won't. There are a few places that do sell gluten-free fried chicken, but it's not common, yet. I've got you covered because making homemade fried chicken gluten-free is actually quite easy to do.

What is the secret to the best fried chicken?

The secret to making this the best gluten-free fried chicken lies in the marinade and the breading.

This gluten-free chicken soaks in a marinade with a combination of buttermilk, pickle juice, and spices. Trust me, it might sound odd, but the combination makes the juiciest chicken.
When making the crispiest gluten-free fried chicken, you need to add crushed potato chips to the breading. DO NOT skip this ingredient.

I've made this gluten-free chicken recipe for many people, and no one ever believes it is gluten-free fried chicken.

Ingredients for a crispy gluten-free chicken breading in a bowl not mixed yet pointing out the secret ingredient.

Ingredients to make gluten-free crispy chicken.

Bone-in Chicken Pieces
Buttermilk - See below for how to make this a dairy-free fried chicken.
Pickle Juice
1:1 Gluten-free Flour - I use King Author 1:1 for this recipe.
Corn Starch - You can also substitute with potato starch.
Potato Chips - Use plain, salted potato chips. I like to use Kettle brand or plain Ruffles as both are gluten-free potato chips.
Paprika
Sage
Celery Salt
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Oil fr frying

Can you make fried chicken without eggs?

This gluten-free breaded chicken recipe does not use any eggs. While eggs are typically used for making a breading stick to chicken, the buttermilk marinade acts in its place. That makes this an egg-free fried chicken.

Can you make gluten-free chicken with an egg coating? You can, but you want to make sure you let the chicken really dry before frying. The extra moisture in the egg can make the breading harder to get crisp with the gluten-free flour.

Can you make this a dairy-free fried chicken recipe?

This gluten-free fried chicken uses a twist on a traditional buttermilk marinade. However, if you want to make this a dairy-free chicken marinade, just swap the buttermilk for your dairy-free milk of choice and vinegar.

This recipe calls for 3 cups of buttermilk so use 3 cups of your dairy-free milk and 3 tablespoons of vinegar.
You will want to let this mixture sit for at least 5 minutes to let it start to curdle a little bit before adding the rest of the chicken marinade ingredients.

I have found that coconut milk and apple cider vinegar make a good base to make this a dairy-free fried chicken.

How do you make gluten-free fried chicken?

Marinade the chicken in the buttermilk brine.
Make the chicken breading.
Dredge the marinated chicken in the gluten-free breading.
Let the breading rest and dry on the chicken after dredging the chicken.
Fry the chicken.

Steps for making gluten-free breaded chicken.

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How do you keep breading from falling off fried chicken?

Press the breading into the chicken - Do not shake off any excess breading. If you need to dunk the breaded chicken back into the marinade and then back into the breading to stick more, you can.
Let the breading dry on the chicken - Allowing the breading to dry on the chicken before frying it allows the breading to adhere to the chicken better and keeps the breading from falling off when you fry it.
Do not overcrowd the pan when frying - Only frying a few pieces at a time helps to keep the chicken from bumping into each other, which can knock breading off. It also helps to keep the oil temperature more regulated, so the oil temperature does not drop, making the breading fall off the chicken.
Be careful moving the chicken - Use togs and only touch one part of the chicken when moving it around. The more you touch the chicken, the easier the breading can fall off.
Let the chicken rest on a cooling rack - Do NOT place the fried chicken pieces directly onto a flat surface to cool. The chicken will steam where it comes in contact, and the breading can get soft.

Gluten-free fried chicken FAQ

What is the best flour for making gluten-free fried chicken?

I've found the best flour to use for gluten-free frying is a 1:1 blend that contains rice. Fried chicken with a rice flour blend and added cornstarch makes for extra crispy gluten-free chicken.

What is the best oil for making fried chicken?

Typically peanut oil is used for frying but you can also use avocado oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or another high-heat oil. Do not use olive oil or another low smoke point oil.

What temperature does the oil need to be to make fried chicken?

The best oil temperature for fried chicken should be about 350 degrees. Be sure to watch the temperature of your oil as you add chicken and adjust the temperature as needed.

Do you need a deep fryer to make fried chicken?

No, you do not need a deep fryer to make fried chicken. You can use a heavy-bottom pan like a dutch oven or even a cast-iron skillet to make fried chicken.

What temperature is fried chicken when it's done?

Fried chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165 degrees. Cooking fried chicken should take about 15 minutes per batch of chicken in hot oil.

Up close view of how crispy a pile of gluten-free fried chicken is.

Can you make fried chicken for a crowd?

Absolutely, you can make this gluten-free fried chicken for a crowd. I do it all the time. One batch of this breading will coat about 12-15 pieces of chicken depending on the size. I will often double the breading and I can usually get about 30 pieces of fried chicken.

When you are making fried chicken for a crowd I like to keep pieces warm in the oven as they come out of the hot oil. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place a rack over a baking sheet. As the chicken comes out of the oil transfer it to the rack in the oven. The heat will help keep the crust crispy until you are ready to eat.

Can you make fried chicken ahead of time?

Fried chicken is best served the day it is fried. However, there are a few ways you can prep this ahead of time.

This chicken soaks in the buttermilk marinade for at least two hours. If you want to, you can make the chicken marinade the day ahead and let the chicken soak overnight. The flavors will be more developed in the chicken with it soaking overnight.
The gluten-free breading needs to dry on the chicken before frying. If I want to make this ahead of time I will bread the chicken and place it on a cooling rack on a tray and place it in the fridge uncovered to dry. Then I will let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while I get the oil hot before frying.

This can help you have the fried chicken ready on your time schedule. It's totally worth the wait.

How do you store fried chicken?

This gluten-free fried chicken is best served the day it is fried. If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for 2-3 days. The skin will lose some of the crispiness as it cools.

What is the best way to reheat fried chicken?

You can reheat fried chicken in the microwave, but you won't get the crispy skin that you had on it coming out of the oil.
A better way to reheat fried chicken is to place it on a rack over a baking tray and bake the fried chicken at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.
The best way to reheat fried chicken is in the air-fryer. I don't recommend making fried chicken in the air fryer initially but reheating this fried chicken in the air fryer gets the crispiest crust that is the closest to coming right out of the hot oil.

What to serve with this gluten-free fried chicken?

Gluten-free Mac and Cheese

Gluten-free Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Gluten-free Potato Salad

You can even make your favorite vegetable and make some gluten-free cheese sauce to go on top.