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    Home » Main Courses » Chicken & Turkey Main Courses » Quinoa Fried Chicken

    Quinoa Fried Chicken

    Mar 21, 2013 · by Valentina · 9 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Quinoa Fried Chicken recipe is so delicious that you would never guess it's a light, healthy, gluten-free fried chicken.

    Several slices of quinoa fried chicken with lots of lemon zest on a red-rimmed, narrow plate.

    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.

    If you skip fried chicken because you want to skip the greasy batter, skip no more!

    My goal with this recipe was to create a healthy, gluten-free, light version of fried chicken.

    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.

    When I serve this to family and friends, the boneless, skinless chicken with the crunchy, super delicious quinoa crust, is always a huge hit!

    Quinoa Fried Chicken sliced on a platter with lemon

    Serving Suggestions

    This gluten-free fried chicken would be perfect with any number of salads. I especially love it with my Asparagus Parmesan Salad (pictured below).

    wooden bowl with Parmesan Asparagus salad

    Whether your guests are gluten-free or not, this would be a scrumptious meal.

    I hope you enjoy every last, delicious bite of this quinoa crusted fried chicken!

    a few slices of quinoa fried chicken with lemon wedge

    Quinoa Fried Chicken Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    Quinoa Fried Chicken Recipe is gluten-free and so delicious that you would never guess it's a light and healthy version of fried chicken. 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Quinoa 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 304 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 (approximately 8-ounce) chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
    • ¼ cup brown rice flour (or all-purpose gluten-free flour)
    • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
    • 1½ cups cooked, seasoned quinoa (ideally Lemon-Paprika Quinoa - click here for recipe)
    • olive oil for the pan
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Make quinoa. Do this before you begin! Follow the directions on the package, or preferably, make this Smoky Lemon Paprika Quinoa recipe.
    • Make "crust." Add the flour, egg and quinoa to three separate, medium-sized, flat-bottomed bowls. Set aside.
    • Prep chicken. 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 ensures even cooking.)
    • Coat chicken and heat pan. Place the chicken on a large plate and season both sides with salt and pepper.
      Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat.
      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 again, to do the other side.
    • Cook. 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.
      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.)

    NOTES

    Calorie count is only an estimate.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 304kcal
    Keywords chicken for family dinner, gluten-free fried chicken recipes
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Colette @ JFF!

      March 22, 2013 at 4:36 pm

      Valentina, that looks so delicious!

      Reply
    2. Alyssa | Queen of Quinoa

      March 22, 2013 at 6:10 pm

      Looks delicious!!! I'm definitely going to try this ASAP. Thanks for linking up to TGIQ this week 🙂 Hope you have a great weekend! xx

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 22, 2013 at 7:58 pm

        Thank YOU, Alyssa! 🙂

        Reply
    3. bob

      March 22, 2013 at 10:00 pm

      great stuff + the photgraphy is top notch. nice light

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 22, 2013 at 11:32 pm

        Thank you, Bob! I take that as a huge compliment coming from you. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Deb

      March 23, 2013 at 2:07 am

      What a perfect recipe for a busy weeknight! I am always searching for new dinner recipes that my family would enjoy.

      Reply
    5. coby dahlstrom

      September 04, 2013 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      so glad you had your "share the love" contest so I saw the photo of this great recipe and that you posted the link! can't wait to try it....

      Reply
    6. coby dahlstrom

      September 06, 2013 at 8:05 pm

      I tried a version of this with my family last night! didn't follow the directions completely, but am so grateful for the inspiration! thanks Valen :o)

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 07, 2013 at 5:05 am

        Oh yay -- hope everyone enjoyed! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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