Gluten-Free Quinoa Crusted Fried Chicken Recipe

This Gluten-Free Quinoa Crusted Fried Chicken recipe is so delicious you would never guess it’s a light and healthy version of fried chicken.  Gluten-free fried chicken?  Who would’ve thought it could be so good?

When was the last time you had some finger-lickin’ good fried chicken?  I would bet it wasn’t quinoa crusted fried chicken.  Well, it can be now!  Trust me, if you skip fried chicken because you want to skip the greasy batter, skip no more!

This gluten-free quinoa fried chicken is in fact finger-lickin’ good!  The cooked quinoa becomes so crispy when it’s lightly fried in olive oil — it’s the perfect crust.

Last night I served this to my family, and believe it or not (actually, believe it!), the boneless, skinless chicken with the crunchy, super delicious quinoa crust, was a huge hit!

I love quinoa with chicken, especially my recipe for Smoky Lemon Paprika Quinoa, so I thought I’d combine the two.

To be honest, I wasn’t even going for a fried chicken vibe, which was simply because I didn’t know the quinoa could have this effect.  However, one bite in and I literally thought to myself, “OMG, it’s fried chicken!”  Gluten-free fried chicken, that is!

I’m thinking this gluten-free fried chicken would be perfect to serve with my Asparagus Parmesan Salad (pictured below) for a small gathering of friends this weekend.

Whether your guests are gluten-free or not, this would be a scrumptious meal.My 13-year-old son absolutely devours the quinoa crusted chicken, which makes me so happy.  He has Celiac Disease and I’m therefore always creating new gluten-free recipes for him to try.  He’s a tough crowd, so when he licked his fingers after having this gluten-free fried chicken, I knew it’s successful.

Enjoy every last, delicious bite of this quinoa crusted fried chicken.

5 from 1 vote

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Gluten-Free Quinoa Crusted “Fried” Chicken Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

This Gluten-Free Quinoa Crusted Fried Chicken recipe is so delicious you would never guess it's a light and healthy version of fried chicken.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken for family dinner, gluten-free fried chicken recipes

Servings: 6

Calories: 304 kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Ingredients

• 4 (approximately 8-ounce) chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour (or all-purpose gluten-free flour)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, seasoned quinoa (ideally Lemon-Paprika Quinoa - click here for recipe)
• olive oil for the pan
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Add the flour, egg and quinoa to three separate, medium-sized, flat-bottomed bowls. Set aside.
2. Trim any excess fat off the chicken breasts and place them, smooth side up on a large sheet of plastic wrap, on a flat surface. Place another large sheet of plastic wrap on top. Then use a meat mallet, or the bottom of a small sauté pan to flatten out the thicker portion of each one, so the whole thing is the same thickness. (This insures even cooking.)
3. Place the chicken on a large plate and season both sides with salt and pepper.
4. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat.
5. While the pan is heating, dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then the eggs, and then place it on the quinoa and gently press down to coat the bottom. Flip it and gently press down on again, to do the other side. (Be sure the chicken very thinly, but well coated with the flour, or the egg won't stick -- and likewise, the quinoa won't stick if it's not well coated with the egg.)
6. Once the pan is very hot add the quinoa coated chicken -- you should hear a sizzling sound when chicken hits the pan -- if you don't, it's not hot enough. (The only way to form a nice "crust" is with a very hot pan.)
7. Sauté until the bottom is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Very gently, use a metal, flat-bottomed spatula to flip the chicken. Sauté until it's cooked through and the other side is nicely browned, about 3 more minutes. (Cooking times will vary.)

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