Spicy Gluten-free Fried Chicken

Love fried chicken but want some extra spice? Then you'll love this extra spicy, gluten-free fried chicken.

Are you ready for some crispy spicy fried chicken? Then you need this spicy, gluten-free fried chicken recipe. It's easy to make, delicious, and always a hit, no matter how you serve it. It's gluten-free heaven in every bite!

Jump to:

• Ingredients.
• Ingredient notes and substitutions.
• Extra crispy fried chicken.
• Steps.
• Tips and tricks.
• Gluten-free fried chicken FAQ.
• Storing.
• Make ahead.
• Reheating.
• Serving suggestions.
• More gluten-free chicken dinner recipes.
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients.

• Chicken
• Buttermilk
• Hot Sauce
• 1:1 Gluten-free Flour
• Corn Starch
• Spices

Ingredient notes and substitutions.

• Chicken.- Because we are frying this spicy chicken, I find it works best with darker pieces of chicken like thighs, legs, and wings. You can use boneless or bone-in chicken to make this spicy fried chicken. If you plan to use chicken breasts, I suggest using bone-in breasts with the skin still on. Note that chicken breasts also cook faster than darker meat.
• Hot sauce. - Use a hot sauce that you like the flavor and heat level of. Just make sure you are using a gluten-free hot sauce.
• 1:1 Gluten-free flour. - Make sure you are using a gluten-free flour that is rice based for the best results.
• Corn starch. - The corn starch in the breading helps the gluten-free fried chicken get extra crispy.
• Buttermilk. - Buttermilk is used to help marinate the chicken to make it tender after frying. I highly suggest using buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make some with milk, lemon juice, or white vinegar. Add one tablespoon of either the lemon juice or vinegar to a one-cup measuring cup, and then fill the rest of the cup with milk. Make as many cups as you need.
• Dairy-free fried chicken. - If you want to make this spicy fried chicken both gluten and dairy-free, you can make a dairy-free buttermilk substitute by using the buttermilk recipe above and using dairy-free milk like coconut milk instead of regular milk.

Extra crispy fried chicken.

If you want to make this spicy, gluten-free fried chicken extra crispy, head over to my southern-style gluten-free fried chicken recipe to learn my secret ingredient to making the ultimate extra crispy chicken every time.

Steps.

1. Make the spicy buttermilk marinade.
2. Marinate the chicken pieces.
3. Make the gluten-free chicken breading.
4. Dredge the chicken in the gluten-free breading.
5. Rest the breaded chicken.
6. Fry the pieces of spicy, gluten-free fried chicken till golden.
7. Optional - Brush the pieces of fried chicken with more hot sauce after frying for an extra bit of heat.

Tips and tricks.

• Adjust the amount of spice. - Hot sauces like Frank's will be more subtle in the heat, whereas sauces like a habanero pepper sauce will have more heat. Note that the heat will be reduced slightly from the buttermilk. You can also reduce or increase the amount of cayenne and pepper in the flour mixture to adjust the heat.
• Test the heat before adding the chicken to the marinade. - Doing a taste test of the marinade before adding the chicken can help you determine if the spice levels are where you want them.
• Let the chicken marinate. - Let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes. Ideally, let it go for 8 hours or overnight in the fridge for the most flavor.
• Let the chicken rest after coating it in gluten-free flour.- One of the best secrets to this gluten-free fried chicken is to let the flour mixture rest on the chicken pieces after they've been coated in the flour. Letting it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before frying helps the crispy breading stick to the chicken better.
• 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. When the oil temperature is more stable, the breading is less likely to 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 will 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.

• You do not need a deep fryer to make this spicy, gluten-free fried chicken. You can use any large skillet or heavy-bottom pan that is deep enough to hold the oil without spilling over when you add the chicken. I use my large cast-iron dutch oven to fry chicken.
• When frying chicken, be sure to use a light cooking oil like avocado oil, vegetable oil, canola, or another high-heat oil.
• Make sure to keep your oil temperature between 325-350 degrees. This will help the chicken cook more evenly without overcooking the breading and leaving you with raw chicken on the inside.
• Fried chicken is done with an internal temperature that reaches at least 165 degrees. This usually takes about 7-8 minutes of cooking per side of chicken in the hot oil.

Storing.

This spicy, fried chicken is best served the day it is fried. If you have leftovers, you can store them in a container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Note that the skin will lose its crispiness as it cools.

Make ahead.

• Because this spicy fried chicken needs to sit in the marinade for a while, it's easy to make up the marinade a day or so beforehand. The chicken has the most flavor when it's been marinating overnight, so let it go as long as you can.

Reheating.

Like with any fried chicken, this gluten-free fried chicken breading gets softer as it cools. But it's easy to bring it back to life when you reheat the chicken.

• The absolute best way to reheat fried chicken is in the air fryer. Just place it in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until it is warm and the breading is crispy again.
• If you don't have an air fryer, you can reheat fried chicken in the oven. Place the chicken on a baking rack over a baking tray and bake in a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes.
• You can reheat fried chicken in the microwave as needed. Just know that the microwave will not bring back the crispiness of the fried chicken.

Serving suggestions.

This spicy, gluten-free fried chicken is delicious no matter how you decide to serve it. My husband loves it when I make some of my gluten-free mac and cheese or my gluten-free cheesy mashed potatoes. This spicy chicken even makes a delicious gluten-free chicken sandwich, with you serving it in a gluten-free hamburger bun with a side of french fries.

If you want extra flavor and heat, try drizzling some hot honey sauce over the chicken. Trust me; you need to try it at least once.

More gluten-free chicken dinner recipes.

📖 Recipe