Gluten Free & Grain Free Popcorn Chicken
Crunchy and Tasty, this Gluten Free & Grain Free Popcorn Chicken is healthy delish and perfect for lunch or dinner. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce as an appetizer or on a salad for a healthy meal.
My family is a bunch of meat mouths. We love meat in all its forms. For me, I love a nice golden, crunchy piece of fried chicken. So when changing to a gluten free diet, finding a healthy fried chicken alternative was a must. After lots of trying and tweaking I was able to come up with a recipe that was not only delicious but healthy. That is how this Gluten Free Grain Free Popcorn Chicken recipe came about.
When I first began my gluten free journey, I also had to go on a low carb diet (such as the Paleo), which is why this recipe is not only gluten free but also grain free. But don’t worry, the end result is truly a delicious bite.
How to make our Gluten Free Grain Free Popcorn
The great thing about this recipe is that it only requires a handful of ingredients, but packs a whole lot of flavour. You will need Chicken and spices to season your meat. For the batter which gives this recipe its delicious crunch you will need:
- Coconut Flour
- Tapioca Starch
- Eggs
- Water
Coconut flour and tapioca are grain free as well as low carb, when combined with the eggs and water, they create a batter that when fried gives the chicken a great crunch and flavour.
Popcorn Chicken to Chicken Tenders
One of the ways that I like to change up this recipe is to use chicken tenders instead of chicken cubes. The batter works great with either cut of chicken, but the cooking time will vary a bit. The tenders will take a few minutes longer.
How to serve this Gluten Free Grain Free Popcorn Chicken?
I love to serve our popcorn chicken over a salad or with some creamed sweet potatoes & a salad for a balanced lunch. But it is a great idea as an appetizer or snack with a dipping sauce to serve.
Sometimes, I serve this with my quinoa tabouleh or quinoa salad
Just a few things to note.
What gives this chicken its crunch is the coating. You want a thickish coating not too thin. However, coconut flour absorbs water, so if you find that your batter is getting too dry add a little water to loosen a little.
Here’s a picture of what the batter looks like before frying.
If you’re looking for a healthy gluten free grain free chicken recipe to add to your recipe box, this is it! We hope you enjoy the recipe and as always if you make it, don’t forget to comment or tag us on social.
Happy Cooking, Love always
Gluten Free Popcorn Chicken (Grain Free & Dairy Free)
Crunchy and Tasty, this Gluten Free Popcorn Chicken is also grain free and healthy! Perfect for lunch or dinner serve with your favourite dipping sauce or on a salad.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast cut up into cubes
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup water
- Coconut Oil for frying
- Sauce for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add chicken, spices and salt. Mix to to combine and let sit for 20 - 30 minutes to marinate.
- After the chicken has marinated, make the batter by combining coconut flour, tapioca starch, eggs and 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Mix to combine well, then add to the chicken.
- Using a spoon, mix the chicken with the batter until well coated. If the batter is too thick, add more water a tablespoon at a time until it is coating the chicken, but not to clumpy. Coconut flour, absorbs water so you may need to add more as you go along. But not to worry this doesn’t affect the finished results. You want a thickish coating over the chicken not too thin.
- In a deep fryer or pot, heat coconut oil. Once ready, carefully drop the coated chicken chunks, trying not to over crowd the pan. Deep fry until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from oil, and let drain on a rack or paper towels. Continue with the remaining chicken until all is finished.
- Serve with your favourite sauce with a side salad for a healthy lunch or dinner.
Notes
- This recipe uses Tapioca Starch, but if you don't have tapioca, arrowroot works well also and it will still remain grain free.
- Want to try chicken tenders instead? This recipe works great for tenders as well as chicken cubes, just increase the cooking time depending on how big your pieces are.
