Gluten-Free Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

air fried chicken tender sandwich with sauce

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Gluten-Free Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

This gluten-free breading works fabulously for crispy chicken sandwiches. Bring on the gluten-free bun! Make this recipe a few ways: The Classic Chicken Sandwich (pickles, mayo, lettuce) or homemade hot sauce.

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, sandwiches

Servings: chicken sandwiches

Calories: 773kcal

Author: Chef Sara Furcini

Ingredients

Chicken Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins organic, sliced evenly
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
¾ cup Cassava flour not tapioca starch
¼ cup Coconut flour
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon black pepper or garlic powder
1 14- ounce can full-fat coconut milk
avocado oil or olive oil used throughout (see individual steps)

Slaw Ingredients:

1 bunch lacinato curly, or red kale
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1 tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
¼ purple cabbage thinly sliced
1 carrot use peeler to get thin ribbons

Spicy Sauce Ingredients:

2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chipotle powder
5 teaspoons umeboshi plum vinegar no great substitutes exist
⅓ cup water *If sauce is too thick at any point, you can thin it out by adding more water or add honey for sweetness

Serving:

4 hamburger buns toasted
Pickles if desired

Instructions

Marinate the chicken. Rub the thyme leaves over the chicken and allow to marinade for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
Make the gluten-free breading. In a large bowl, combine the cassava flour, coconut flour, salt, and spices. In a small bowl, pour your canned coconut milk and stir to combine. For this recipe, you will be coating your chicken in the coconut milk, then grain free flour mixture, and then cooking in an airfryer, a skillet (pan-frying), or on an oiled baking sheet in the oven.
Dredge chicken. Dip the chicken in the coconut milk followed by the flour mixture.
Cooking the chicken (air-fry or oven bake).
Preheat to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet really generously with avocado or olive oil. Place chicken tenders on top with space in between; if you crowd the tenders, the breading will stay soft. Bake for 7 minutes, gently flip and bake another 7 minutes (14 minutes total).
If your chicken tenders aren't golden/crispy, it's generally ok to cook longer; I find the texture of chicken is still quite succulent at 175°F.
Make the kale slaw. Submerge the kale in water then lift to drain. Use a knife to remove the bottom couple inches of the thick stem, discarding. Slice the greens into 1/4-inch wide ribbons. Place the kale ribbons into a mixing bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil, plum vinegar, and thyme. Add shredded purple cabbage and carrot. Using your hands, massage the slaw until tender. Set aside.
Make the Korean sauce. In a small pot, whisk together the tomato paste, chipotle, 1 tablespoon Korean ground chile, vinegar, and ⅓ cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 seconds to thicken the sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Toast buns, assemble, and serve. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Brush the flat side of the buns with mayo or olive oil. Place them face-side down on the pan to toast (about 30-40 seconds). Assemble the sandwich with pickles followed by chicken strips, and the kale slaw. Top with Korean sauce and serve.

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