This gluten-free honey butter fried chicken recipe is sweet, sticky, and loaded with tons of flavor, and it is so easy to make!
Honey butter chicken recipes have been flooding social media like TikTok recently, and for a good reason. The combination of juicy pieces of fried chicken tossed in a honey butter garlic sauce that only takes a few minutes makes this the perfect recipe for any night of the week. This gluten-free honey butter chicken will quickly become a family favorite, just like my gluten-free chicken fried steak recipe.
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Ingredients
- Chicken - I prefer to use boneless, skinless pieces of chicken like chicken breasts or even chicken thighs. If you want, you can use bone-in pieces of chicken, but note the cooking time will vary.
- Gluten-free flour - For this honey butter chicken breading, I like to use a 1:1 flour like King Author's 1:1 blend.
- Cornstarch - The cornstarch adds more crispness to the final chicken breading; you can substitute this for arrowroot starch, but note it won't be as crispy.
- Baking Powder - Adding just a bit of lightness and extra crunch to the gluten-free breading.
- Cold Water - Adding cold water brings the gluten-free chicken batter together to coat the pieces of chicken.
- Butter - I haven't used dairy-free butter in this recipe yet, but I have had luck with using ghee instead of regular butter.
- Honey - I personally use raw honey, but you can use any type of plain honey or hot honey for a spicy version.
- Sugar - Adding just a little bit of sugar helps the sauce coat and stick to the chicken.
- Gluten-free Soy Sauce - I like to use coconut aminos, but if you can't find a gluten-free soy sauce, you can substitute some apple cider vinegar. The acid cuts the sweetness and adds richness to the sauce.
- Spices - We are keeping spices simple to let the sauce do all the talking with some onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and just a pinch of cayenne to help cut the sweetness.
- Oil for frying. - I prefer to fry in tallow, but any type of frying oil that you want to use you can.
Steps
Step 1. Make the gluten-free chicken batter.
Step 2. Coat the chicken.
Step 3. Fry and drain the chicken.
Step 4. Make the honey butter garlic sauce.
Step 5. Toss the chicken pieces in the sauce.
Gluten-free Honey Butter Fried Chicken is ready to be enjoyed!
Tips and Tricks
- Mix the batter well. - Gluten-free flour can stick and not want to mix at times. This is why it's important to make sure you are mixing your gluten-free chicken batter until you don't see any dry spots of flour. You might need to add a bit more cold water if your batter is still a little dry. It should look like a thick cake batter when it's ready.
- Fry over medium heat. - Gluten-free batter takes a little longer to crisp than traditional batter. I find frying over medium heat gives it time to fully crisp without drying out the chicken.
- Give your chicken some room. - Giving your chicken room around it when frying helps to make the batter crispier. Overcrowding the pan will lead to the batter staying softer.
- Mix the sauce and chicken right before serving. - Gluten-free chicken breading will start to soften over time as it sits in the sauce. To make sure your chicken is crispy, toss the chicken into the honey butter sauce right before serving.
- Don't burn the sauce. - Keep the temperature on the lower side when making the honey butter sauce. You will notice the honey will start to thin when it is first heated, but it will thicken again as it simmers. If you notice your sauce starts to darken quickly, reduce or remove it from the heat to keep it from burning.
Extra Crispy Gluten-free Chicken
The secret to getting this gluten-free battered chicken extra crispy is to double-fry it. But there are a few tricks to do it right so your gluten-free chicken breading stays crispy for longer.
- Fry the battered chicken on medium heat until the breading is lightly golden on all sides.
- Let the chicken cool.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Place the cooled chicken back into the hot oil just until it is warm and golden brown,
- Let the chicken drain on a rack, not paper towels, to drain off excess grease.
I don't always double fry this honey butter chicken, but I will do it, especially when I am making it ahead of time to freeze for later since it stores better with better results when reheating.
Serving Suggestions
My husband and kids love this gluten-free honey butter chicken served with some simple mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli or some of my garlic green beans. You can also serve it with some jasmine rice. You really can't go wrong.
Make Ahead and Freezing
If you plan to make this honey butter chicken ahead of time, I highly suggest double-frying it. Once the chicken is fried, you can either place it in a container in the fridge for the next day or freeze it.
To freeze the chicken pieces, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Place the tray into the freezer until the chicken is frozen, 1-2 hours. Once the chicken is frozen, you can place it in a freezer-safe container to store it for up to two months.
The sauce can be made and stored in a container in the fridge or frozen if desired.
Reheating the chicken.
- From the fridge - Bake the chicken in a 375-degree oven for about 7-10 minutes, or until the chicken is warmed through.
- From the freezer - Bake the chicken in a 375-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is warmed through.
Warm the sauce in the microwave in a small pot over low heat until it is warm before tossing it over the chicken.
More Gluten-free Chicken Dinners
Need more gluten-free dinner ideas? These gluten-free chicken dinner recipes are anything but boring!
- Gluten-free Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Easy Authentic Chicken Cacciatore
- Braised Chicken with Vegetables and Gravy (gluten-free)
- Gluten-free Pretzel Shake and Bake Chicken
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts You can also use thighs, cut into cubes.
- 1 Cup Gluten-free Flour Use a 1:1 blend.
- ½ Cup Cornstarch You can also use arrowroot starch.
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 ¼ Cups Cold Water
- 6 Tablespoons Butter You can also use ghee.
- 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Gluten-free Soy Sauce You can also use apple cider vinegar.
- ½ Cup Honey
- 1-2 Cloves Garlic Minced, you can also use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- 1 ¼ Teaspoons Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne
- Oil for Frying
Instructions
Make the gluten-free chicken batter.
- In a large bowl, mix the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, water, and spices together to make a thick batter.1 Cup Gluten-free Flour, ½ Cup Cornstarch, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 ¼ Cups Cold Water, 1 ¼ Teaspoons Salt, ½ Teaspoon Pepper, ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Coat the chicken.
- Add the cut chicken pieces into the chicken batter and toss to coat.4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Fry the chicken.
- Warm your frying oil in a skillet over medium heat. You want enough oil to coat the pan with about two inches of oil.Oil for Frying
- Fry the pieces of coated chicken in the oil for about 5 minutes per side until the chicken breading is golden in color and the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Let the chicken drain over a rack or on a plate with some paper towels to remove the excess grease.
Make the honey butter sauce.
- In a small pot, melt the butter over low heat.6 Tablespoons Butter
- Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, or until it is fragrant.1-2 Cloves Garlic
- Add the remaining sauce ingredients and let it simmer over low heat until it starts to thicken.3 Tablespoons Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Gluten-free Soy Sauce, ½ Cup Honey, ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne
Toss the chicken and sauce.
- Once the chicken and sauce are done, gently toss them together and serve warm.
Notes
- Mix the batter well. - Gluten-free flour can stick and not want to mix at times. This is why it's important to make sure you are mixing your gluten-free chicken batter until you don't see any dry spots of flour. You might need to add a bit more cold water if your batter is still a little dry. It should look like a thick cake batter when it's ready.
- Fry over medium heat. - Gluten-free batter takes a little longer to crisp than traditional batter. I find frying over medium heat gives it time to fully crisp without drying out the chicken.
- Give your chicken some room. - Giving your chicken room around it when frying helps to make the batter crispier. Overcrowding the pan will lead to the batter staying softer.
- Mix the sauce and chicken right before serving. - Gluten-free chicken breading will start to soften over time as it sits in the sauce. To make sure your chicken is crispy, toss the chicken into the honey butter sauce right before serving.
- Don't burn the sauce. - Keep the temperature on the lower side when making the honey butter sauce. You will notice the honey will start to thin when it is first heated, but it will thicken again as it simmers. If you notice your sauce starts to darken quickly, reduce or remove it from the heat to keep it from burning.
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