Easy Crispy Gluten Free Chicken Tenders Recipe

You go to a restaurant or to your local chicken or fish fry and drool over those crispy and fluffy chicken tender… but you can’t eat them because you have to eat gluten free. What if you could make crispy gluten free chicken tenders right in your own kitchen?

I use to be that person who wished she could order a basket of chicken tenders at a restaurant. Then I went on this health journey and learned about the different oils we use and didn’t crave them quite so bad. 

But deep down, I still wished I could try one.

One day I decided, how hard could it be to make my own right at home using a good healthy oil?

That’s when I decided to give it a try and man am I sure glad I did!

These are the best crispy gluten free chicken tenders that the whole family will love! We even use the left over chicken to slice up and make a cobb salad with the next day for lunch. 

First let’s talk about the simple ingredients.

What flour should I use?

In order to make these gluten free, I use a mixture base of cornstarch and corn meal. You can use an all purpose flour if you do not need them to be gluten free or even a gluten free all purpose flour. However, I find to get the crispy finish you are looking for, you will want to use the cornstarch and cornmeal mix. 

If you choose to use an all purpose flour, you will want to replace a quarter of the flour with cornstarch.

The corn starch makes the flour coating crispier and absorb moisture. No more worrying about getting soggy chicken tenders. Now you can get the crispy finish you have always been looking for. 

​Never skip the cornstarch when making homemade chicken tenders.

What oil should I use?

Just like in all recipes, your meal is only as healthy as the ingredients in it. Frying food is no different.

One of the reasons fried foods get such a bad rap is the oil that they are being fried in. And I have to say I agree, fried food is really bad for you! Unless you are frying at home and using good oils.

In our house I have removed canola oils and vegetable oils. They just aren’t good for you.

As a replacement I use avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. I use one of these oils for all my baking, cooking, and frying needs! 

​When I fry foods I tend to use avocado or coconut oil the most. Avocado oil has a higher burn temperature so it is a really good option for frying foods. If I had to choose one, that would be my favorite.

The one downside is it’s an expensive oil, and you need to use a lot when frying. In our house we only fry things 1 to 2 times a month. This is just to save money on the oil.

The other morning I fried my homemade gluten free donuts in coconut oil and they were delicious! If you use refined coconut oil, it doesn’t leave a coconut flavor at all.

How hot should the oil be?

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The heat of your oil makes a great difference in how your tenders will turn out and if they will be soggy or not. 

When frying food it is very important to not put the food into the oil until it is plenty hot enough. If you put it in before it is hot enough, the food will end up absorbing the oil instead of frying the food. 

You want your oil to be at 375 degrees but no hotter than 400 degrees. The best way to check your oil’s temperature, is to use a digital thermometer. I always test the temperature to make sure it is hot enough before adding in the chicken. 

Ingredients: 

• 8-10 chicken tenders or 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips of chicken for tenders
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 3 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2-3 eggs
• avocado oil, enough to fry your gluten free chicken strips in

How to make crispy gluten free chicken tenders:

1. Pour your avocado oil in a heavy bottom pot, cast iron pot, or dutch oven. Turn stove onto medium high heat and let oil heat up to 375 degrees.
2. Add cornmeal, cornstarch, and spices to a medium size shallow dish. Baking dishes are the best to use for coating chicken.
3. Add you eggs into a separate shallow bowl or dish and whisk until scrambled up.
4. If you are using chicken breasts, cut them into smaller chicken tenders.
5. Once your oil is hot enough you are ready to dip each chicken tender. 
6. Working in batches, take a chicken tender and coat it on either side with the dry mixture. Then dunk each side into the egg mixture and place in a single layer into the hot oil. 
7. Cook chicken on both sides until they are golden brown and crispy. The internal temperature should be 170 degrees or higher. Cooking time will vary depending on how thick the chicken is.
8. Remove chicken from the hot oil and place a wire rack or plate with a few paper towels on it to absorb any extra oils. 
9. Eat with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

Can I change the spices for different flavors?

The best part about this recipe is it is so adaptable to your taste buds. 

​Take the spices above and change them around, adding more or less, to you and your families desire. The recipe above is what we love, but there are times I may be out of something so I’ll use black pepper instead of lemon pepper or garlic salt in place of seasoned salt. 

The possibilities are endless!

Always remember the smaller pieces will cook a lot faster so depending on the thickness of your chicken tenders will depend on how long it all takes to do. 

Now go enjoy these easy gluten free chicken tenders that taste just like a restaurant!

Additional Easy Chicken Recipes.

Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

Lemon Herb Chicken and Potatoes

Chicken Taquitos