You do not have to be an expert to pull off this easy gluten-free fried chicken recipe! It’s simple to make baked fried chicken without bread crumbs, a mess, or even experience. To make crispiest chicken with juicy, moist, tender meat (thanks to a buttermilk marinade), simply shake in a seasoned GF breading and bake until golden, crispy. Easy peasy!
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Gluten-Free Oven Fried Chicken – No Breadcrumbs!
I’ve been tackling some recipes I had written off for years because I didn’t think a gluten-free version would do the original justice. The dream for making a crispy gluten-free fried chicken recipe starting making it’s way up to strong possibilities after pulling off some life-changing wins, like pub-style gluten-free fish and chips along with gluten-free french fried onions. (Toot, toot.)
When creating a oven-fried recipe I knew I wanted it to be easy enough to pull off for a weeknight dinner, but bring the taste and texture of a classic, southern-style breading with a moist, juicy interior. So, what’s a girl to do for inspo? Turn to mom, of course.
My mom always made the best homemade fried chicken. In fact, I loved it so much I asked her to make an obscene amount of it for my high school open house. (Thanks, Mom. 🫶) Where did she get her famous recipe? Off a Bisquick box. 🤷♀️
To turn that recipe into even tastier gluten-free version, I used an ingredient hack borrowed from other GF fried recipes of mine – white rice flour. Using this in gluten-free breading for chicken helps adhere the batter to the meat so it doesn’t slide off and creates a lighter, airy texture.
Next, I wanted the simplify the prep work because who doesn’t need a little more easy in their life? Marinating the chicken pieces in buttermilk provides some tasty insurance for not drying out the chicken as it bakes. Believe me – it’s totally worth it. Buttermilk’s acidity does some magic tenderizing proteins, boosts juicy moisture, and adds a tangy flave. It’s a win-win-win.
Like mom’s recipe, I stuck with the shake and bake oven approach. Once the chicken is done marinating, shake a few pieces at a time in the coating and pop onto a preheated, hot baking sheet. Then, just let your oven do the work crisping up the goodness. Meanwhile, whip a batch of creamy copycat KFC gluten-free coleslaw and get ready to devour an epic meal.
Ingredient Tidbits
- Chicken – My grocery store didn’t carry whole chicken cut into pieces, so here’s my work around. I bought a pack of skin-on thighs and drumsticks with a separate pack of skin-on, bone-in split chicken breasts. The breast pieces are a lot bigger so I used a sharp knife to cut those in half so all the chicken bakes in an equal time.
- Buttermilk – The buttermilk marinade is a combo of the milk, kosher salt, and hot sauce. Don’t be thrown off by the hot sauce, your chicken won’t be spicy. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes if you are in a time crunch, but really 4 hours-overnight is where the real moisture magic comes in.
- White rice flour – I tested the recipe using all GF flour and the breading was a little too dense. Replacing some of the dry coating with rice flour gives a lighter, airier texture and helps the coating stick in place. Replacing it with cornstarch is a solid runner-up option.
- Gluten-free all purpose flour – When it comes to baking recipes I’m more definitive about which GF flour to use, but for fried chicken, use whatever you have on hand.
- Seasoning – I turned to some copycat-KFC style recipes to add a little coating taste pizazz. If you like Nashville-style hot chicken add 1 tsp cayenne pepper as well.
- Baking powder – This is a trick borrowed from extra crispy gluten-free chicken wings. It increases the pH level on skin, breaking down proteins, and making a crispier texture. Be sure to use aluminum-free baking powder so you aren’t unintentionally adding a weird after taste.
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(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Easy, doable chicken prep
For easy clean-up I use two ziplock bags – one for the buttermilk marinade and one for the dry coating. Let the chicken marinate 4 hours, up to overnight. In the other bag, shake together the dry ingredients.
Shake and bake time
Grab two baking sheets – one you’ll put the coated chicken on, the other is where the oven frying will happen. You can dump the marinated chicken in a colander and let the excess drain away. Take a couple pieces at a time and shake the chicken in the breading mixture to coat completely. Transfer to your prep sheet until all the pieces have been coated.
Oven fried, crispy perfection
Place the butter on the other sheet and pop it in a 425ºF oven for 5 minutes for the butter to melt and get the baking tray nice and hot. Place the prepped chicken pieces on, skin side down. Bake for 30 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the pieces and then bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until golden, crispy.
Easy Pro Tips To Remember
Now you have all the secrets to make the best (and easy) fried chicken recipe. Here are some tidbits you won’t want to miss and bonus tips.
- It will take a bit to dredge the chicken in the breading, which means as they sit the moisture could soak into the breading. After shaking all the chicken, don’t throw away that extra coating! I like to give a brief reshake in the mixture before baking for an extra crispy, doubled up coating.
- A nice, hot preheated pan gives a good extra sizzle on the skin. Be sure to put the skin side down when transferring the prepped pieces to the pan.
- Why the extra butter on the baking sheet? Well, a couple reasons. The original recipe used Bisquick for the breading, which contains shortening. The added fat in the butter combines with the skin’s drippings to fry the chicken in the oven. It needs the extra fat for a crispy coating.
But How Do I Know When It’s Done Baking?
Baking fried chicken is a delicate dance because no one wants to risk eating raw chicken, but overcooking will dry it out. This fried chicken recipe has some built-in insurance because the buttermilk prevents it from drying out.
Using an instant read thermometer (this one’s my fave!) is a surefire way to check if it’s done. Insert the probe into the biggest piece of chicken, in the thickest part. It will register 165℉ when it’s done.
If you don’t have a thermometer, use a sharp knife to slice into the biggest chicken piece in the meatiest part. The juices should run clear and not be pink. It’s also best to let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before digging in so the juices can seal inside the crispy skin.
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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Gluten-Free Oven Fried Chicken (Shake & Bake)
Ingredients
Buttermilk Marinade
- 2 cups buttermilk, see recipe notes for dairy-free
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4-5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, breasts, drumsticks, thighs (see recipe notes)
Gluten-Free Fried Chicken
- ¾ cup gluten-free all purpose flour
- ½ cup white rice flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- First the chicken pieces will marinate in the buttermilk mixture. Whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt in a bowl. Place the chicken in a ziplock bag or large shallow bowl. Pour in the marinade, move chicken around to coat, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but really 4 hours – overnight is best!2 cups buttermilk, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 4-5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
- When you are ready to coat and oven fry the chicken, preheat the oven to 425℉.
- In another ziplock bag shake to combine the gluten-free flour, white rice flour, baking powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper.¾ cup gluten-free all purpose flour, ½ cup white rice flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Take out two baking sheets. On one is where you will place coated chicken pieces. The other is where you will bake the chicken. Set aside the sheet you will bake on right now.
- Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, letting the excess drip off back into the bag or pour everything into a colander, letting the buttermilk drain away. Transfer a couple pieces at a time to the dry coating bag and shake to coat the chicken pieces all over. Transfer the coated chicken to the prep baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken until they are all coated. (See recipe note tips for leftover coating.)
- On the sheet you will bake the chicken on, place the butter on. Put it in preheated oven for about 5 minutes so the butter completely melts and the pan becomes nice and hot. Spread the butter around evenly.2 tablespoons butter
- Remove the hot pan from the oven and carefully arrange the chicken pieces on the pan, skin side down. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Use a spatula to flip over all the chicken pieces and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until golden brown and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165℉. Let rest for 5 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
Dairy-Free
For dairy-free buttermilk, place 2 tbsp vinegar in a 2-cup liquid measurer. Pour in a non-dairy milk, such as almond, oat, or soy, up to the 2 cup mark. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Replace the butter with a non-dairy substitute, such as Earth Balance.Chicken Pieces
If you don’t want to cut apart a whole chicken, I bought a pack of skin-on thighs and drumsticks with a separate pack of skin-on split chicken breasts. The breast pieces are a lot bigger so I used a sharp knife to cut those in half so all the chicken bakes in an equal time.Leftover Coating
It will take a bit to dredge the chicken in the breading, which means as they sit, the moisture soaks into the breading. After shaking all the chicken, don’t throw away that extra coating! I like to give a brief reshake in the mixture before baking for an extra crispy, doubled-up coating.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
If you don’t have rice flour what can you substitute? Could you use corn starch?
Yes, that would work!
Best,
Melissa
This is my second review of this recipe. The first time I made it, I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and realized I needed to make some adaptations as a result. This time around, I used 1.5 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken tenders. I made half as much buttermilk mixture and all of the flour mixture. Instead of the “shake and bake” method, I dredged the chicken tenders twice (buttermilk-flour-buttermilk-flour). I lined a baking sheet with foil and melted 4 tablespoons of butter on it instead of 2. I baked the tenders for 30 minutes, turning them over halfway through. The thicker coating and extra butter make up for the missing chicken skin, and the buttermilk and flour blend give the chicken fantastic flavor. If you, too, are using boneless, skinless chicken, give it a try!
Thank you so much, Linda! This is going on my dinner planning next week for sure.
Best,
Melissa
The coating fell off when I turned the chicken over. Any suggestions?
Hi Stephanie,
Sorry to hear that happened. You can let the chicken sit for about 15-30 minutes before baking to make sure the coating is nice and adhered. The other option would be not to flip the chicken. Hope this helps!
Best,
Melissa
Did I pay attention to the fact that this recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken? No, I did not. So I made it with the boneless, skinless chicken breasts I keep on hand. And since I was cooking for just two people, I used one pound of chicken, which made for some interesting arithmetic as I cut this recipe in fourths (3/16 cup of GF flour, anyone?)
Having gotten a late start on dinner, I cut the chicken into tenders and marinated it for just 30 minutes. I lined my baking sheet with foil, added 1 tablespoon of butter, and baked my chicken tenders for 20 minutes on each side. My dad pronounced it “pretty good,” which is high praise from him, lol.
The recipe was easy to follow, and I appreciated that it made sensible amounts of marinade and breading, with almost none left over. Next time, I’ll use more butter to make up for the lack of chicken skin, and I’ll plan better so I can marinate the chicken longer. I’m delighted to have a good from-scratch fried chicken recipe to put into rotation — thanks, Melissa!
Ha! Love this and I’m sure you aren’t the only one. I’m certain this detailed comment will help others. Thanks so much, Linda!
Best,
Melissa
Delicious!! Excellent and no one knew it was gluten-free.
Yes! Thanks for sharing, MJA! I appreciate it.
Best,
Melissa
Hello I use these ingredients for my chicken ( we love cutlets). We pound the chicken or pork the night before so it is ready in the refrigerator the next day.
Canola oil (I have a Soy Allergy)
Regular GF flour placed into a zip lock bag.
add to the flour onion powder (To your liking), Garlic powder (To your liking) cinnamon powder (To your liking) and Pumpkin spice (To your liking).
Eggs placed into a zip lock bag (Blend the eggs in the bag by squeezing the bag)
Chex rice cereal placed into a zip lock bag (Or Chex cinnamon rice cereal) (Break down the cereal by hand to a course like breading.
Italian seasoning and or parsley (To your liking).
Add onion powder (To your liking),
Garlic powder (to your liking) cinnamon powder (To your liking)
Pumpkin spice (To your liking).
Kefalograviera (Sheep’s milk cheese a product of Greece) (We are lactose) (The cheese almost tastes like Romano cheese) (Grated as fine as you can get it)
Place the chicken in the flour shake the bag to coat well.
Place the chicken in the egg shake the bag to coat well.
Place the chicken in the cereal shake the bag to coat well.
Place the chicken on a plate(s) and have the oil hot and ready to use.
I find a deep pan is best. When the chicken is browned then remove and place on a plate with paper towels. Once the oil is absorbed place the chicken in a large ceramic oven safe baking pan. Let the chicken cook for 30 minutes after the last of the chicken is placed in the oven. (Longer if you think it needs to be) Temp the chicken for over 165 degrees. Oven should be at 350 degrees and at temperature before placing the chicken in the oven.
I buy the cereal when it is on sale. I break it down and then store it a very large air tight container. Discard the bags in the trash after each use. You may need to add more eggs when processing the coating of the chicken.
Wow, thanks for all the helpful tips, David! I can’t wait to give it a try and I’m sure other community members will love this as well!
Best,
Melissa
Oh my! This was the best oven fried chicken ever! I used boneless skinless chicken breasts because that was all I had and adjusted the bake time down. Turned out to be the most moist, tender, flavorful chicken. Had it as a warm entree after I made it and then used the leftover chicken in a salad the next night and just as good cold the next day!! Will make again, and am planning to try it with a white fish!
Oh, I love this idea, Denise! Please let me know how that goes! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Best,
Melissa
This recipe is delicious thanks.
Love to hear this, Sal! Thanks for commenting.
Best,
Melissa
It says dairy free version will be in the notes, but it does not appear to be there. What might achieve the same results as buttermilk without the dairy?
My apologies, Erin! Thanks for pointing that out. It’s there now!
Best,
Melissa