Gluten-Free Popcorn “Fried” Chicken

What better way to celebrate Father's Day than with an American classic? Fried chicken and beer {gluten-free in this case}. It's a fabulous combination, loved the world round, plus it's quick and easy to prepare. A perfect Dad meal.

But we're not ones to go out and buy a big ol' bucket of popcorn chicken from the Colonel, to celebrate with Dad. Oh no, it's time to whip up a batch of our very own {and super healthy}, gluten-free fried chicken.

I wish I had a funny, heart-warming story to tell about how fried chicken and my dad go hand-in-hand, but to be honest we aren't a family that ate fried food. We never ate fast food {except for long road trips when my little brother was a super picky eater}, because my parents knew what it would do to our bodies. They made a decision to raise us on healthy food, teaching us the importance of using natural ingredients, guiding us to be conscientious and smart about our food choices.

At the time my brother and I resented this way of life. We wanted what other kids had in their lunch boxes – white bread with jiff and smuckers, not seedy whole grain bread with teddy peanut butter and organic raspberry jam. But today? I can't thank them enough. They have shaped me into the vegetable loving, health food craving, cooking obsessed, Queen of Quinoa that I am today. My parents are my rock.

To celebrate Father's Day, I've given you a little peak into my dad's world, my family and what makes him smile.

My dad is an outdoors man through and through. He loves spending time in nature, surrounded by trees, animals and birds. He's an Ornithologist {he studies birds – specifically the Bicknell's Thrush} and always has binoculars around his neck. He has taught me to appreciate the environment, to be thankful for the beauty around us and that we all need to do our part to protect Mother Nature.

So now you must be wondering, how does this story, or me telling you about my dad, tie into fried chicken? I mean come on, he studies birds and here I am talking about cooking one {don't worry we're not vegetarian at home}.

Really, this recipe reminds me of him because it would be the perfect picnic dinner. One of the things I love about going home in the summer is eating outside with my parents on our deck, with a fire blazing in our outdoor fire pit. This meal is easy to make, doesn't require many ingredients, is healthy and not even fried at all. In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret: it's baked!

Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken

This air fryer popcorn chicken is crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. It's gluten-free, dairy-free, and takes less than 20 minutes to make.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 309kcal

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free corn flakes
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup dairy-free milk

Instructions

• Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
• Place the cornflakes in a zip-top plastic bag. Mash into a coarse, sandy texture. Transfer to a large plate.
• On a separate plate, combine the coconut flour, paprika, chili powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
• Beat the egg and milk in a medium bowl with ½ teaspoon salt.
• Working one at a time, dip each chicken piece first into the coconut flour, turning to coat on all sides, then into the egg mixture, and finally into the cornflakes, pressing to adhere the cereal to the chicken.
• Spray the breaded chicken with nonstick spray. Arrange as many as will fit in the basket of the air fryer, leaving space between each piece.
• Air fry for 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer. 

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 824mg | Potassium: 522mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 645IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg

Happy Father's Day to the greatest dad on earth. I love you with all of my heart! 

And to all you other dads out there – happy Father's Day to you!