Gluten free Breaded Chicken

This gluten free breaded chicken is pan-fried and a staple in many Italian dinner recipes. It’s juicy, crispy, and delicious – everyone loves it! Serve over salad or smother it in sauce and cheese; no matter what you decide, everyone will love it and never guess this pan-fried chicken is gluten-free.

Pan-fried gluten-free breaded chicken cutlets are a staple in gluten-free Italian cooking, and I use them in this classic gluten free chicken parmesan recipe and when I want to make gluten-free chicken tenders for my kids.

I always make extras to use in salads during the week, with some homemade gluten-free Italian dressing drizzled on top. Or I’ll toss some pieces in with rice or gluten-free pasta for a quick weeknight dinner. 

Reasons this recipe works.

• Easy to make. These gluten chicken cutlets take some effort and are messier to make than other chicken recipes but are still easy to prepare. All you have to do is pound, dip, and fry!
• Crispy and delicious. If you thought crispy fried chicken cutlets were going to be a thing of the past, you will love this recipe. I’ve made this gluten-free breaded chicken recipe numerous times; nobody knows it’s gluten-free.
• Versatile. You can use this gf cutlet recipe in every recipe that calls for pan-fried Italian chicken breaded cutlets.
• Make-ahead. You can either prepare the cutlets, so they’re ready to fry or cook to use in various recipes.

Ingredients

• Gluten-free flour is the first layer to the crispy coating, and it gives the eggs something to adhere to. It also makes for a thicker coating. I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour and Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour. Those are my favorites, but any gluten-free flour should work fine.
• Eggs and milk help the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken and create a thicker coating.
• Gluten-free bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning creates the Italian seasoning breadcrumbs. You can purchase seasoned breadcrumbs, but I think it tastes so much better to make your own. Schar gluten-free breadcrumbs are my favorite. Also, I prefer regular breadcrumbs as opposed to panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs tend to fall off the chicken as it cooks or burns. 
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts. For the best results, I highly recommend using high-quality organic chicken breasts.
• Olive oil to pan fry the breaded chicken.

Supplies

• Mixing bowls
• Large skillet

How to Make Gluten-free Breaded Chicken

• Cutlets are thinner pieces of chicken breasts pounded out or sliced into two pieces. Place the chicken breasts between pieces of plastic wrap, and using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts until about ½ inch thick. If the chicken breasts are very thick, you can also use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts in half to make cutlets. 
• Next, put together your dredging station. lYou’ll need three shallow bowls or dishes. Place the gluten-free flour in one dish. In a second shallow bowl, mix the eggs and milk, and in the last bowl, whisk together the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasonings to make the Italian breadcrumb mixture.
• Before moving the chicken through the dredging station, salt, and pepper the chicken cutlets; this gives the chicken breast flavor before being covered with the flour. When I don’t salt and pepper first, the chicken doesn’t have as much flavor.
• Then dip one chicken cutlet into the flour, shaking off any excess flour. Then dip it into the egg mixture, letting any extra egg drip off the chicken back into the bowl. Last, dip it into the breadcrumbs mixture. Set the breaded chicken cutlets on a plate and continue with the rest of the chicken cutlets. 
• Discard any unused flour, breadcrumbs, and egg mixture. 
• Over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan until hot and shimmering. This means the oil is hot but not smoking hot.
• Fry the breaded chicken cutlets in the hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan; this will cause the breadcrumbs to get soggy or stick. Giving the chicken enough room to fry helps the coating get crispy golden brown. If you can only fit 1-2 cutlets at a time in the pan, that’s fine.
• Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until the coating is golden brown, juices run clear, and the chicken is no longer pink on the inside. The amount of time will ultimately depend on the thickness and size of the chicken breasts.
• The internal temperature of the pan-fried chicken cutlets should be 165 to be considered done and safe to eat. It’s helpful to have a meat thermometer to assure the correct temperature.
• Let the chicken rest for 2-3 minutes before eating or using in a recipe.

Serving suggestions

You can use gluten-free breaded chicken in various Italian recipes, but the one I use most often is in gluten-free chicken parmesan. Honestly, it will rival anything you can order in a restaurant.

Other options are:

• Cut into chicken strips and eat on top of a caesar salad or Italian pasta salad.
• Alongside roasted potatoes, risottos, or other rice dishes.
• With a side of roasted veggies.
• In a chicken parmesan sub.

Storage tips

For the week

• Assemble the breaded chicken cutlets, and instead of cooking them, place them in an airtight container a refrigerate for two days. On cooking, day continue with the recipe.
• Cook the gluten-free breaded chicken entirely and store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for four days.

To freeze

• Cook the chicken thoroughly, store in an airtight container or a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Let the chicken cutlets thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then continue with whatever recipe you’re using them in. Or reheat the frozen chicken cutlets in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot. Then continue with the recipe.

Cooking tips

• As you shallow fry the cutlets, you might need to add a little more oil in between frying. If you need to do this, make sure the oil is hot before adding in the next round of cutlets. I like to prepare all the breaded cutlets before heating the oil; this makes it easier for me to concentrate on the chicken as it’s cooking.
• I use olive oil to pan-fry the chicken because I love the flavor of olive oil. However, you can also use a neutral oil like vegetable oil if you want a more subtle flavor.
• Spice up the chicken by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, or smoked paprika to the Italian bread crumb mixture.
• Swap out the Italian seasoning for taco seasoning or ranch seasoning for a different flavor. Or You can leave out the Italian seasoning in the bread crumbs to use these gf chicken cutlets in other cuisines. 
• Lighten the chicken up by baking it in the oven instead of frying. Pan-frying gluten-free breaded chicken seals in the juicy while creating a super crispy coating. However, if you want to lower the fat and calories, bake the chicken instead. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil, lay the breaded chicken on a sheet pan, and bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 – 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
• You can use this recipe to make gluten-free breaded chicken thighs.

Other Gluten-free dinner recipes

• Gluten Free Fettuccine Alfredo
• Gluten-free baked ziti
• The Best Sunday Sauce
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Gluten Free Chicken Francese

Did you make this recipe?

Have you tried this Gluten-free Breaded Chicken recipe yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #glutenfreeitalianeats. I can’t wait to see it.