Gluten Free Beer Battered Chicken Fingers

Have you ever had beer-battered chicken? It’s light and fluffy and really doesn’t taste like beer. I’ve made it with a couple different kinds of gluten free beer (Dogfish is the gluten free beer I like best; Bard’s is also good, and seems to be widely available), but I love love love Angry Orchard hard apple cider and have made it with that, too (so okay then it’s really hard cider-battered chicken), and it’s delicious. Nonalcoholic sparkling apple cider is also a great alternative. I find deep frying so much more enjoyable in my teeny tiny little Cuisinart deep fryer (no affiliate link, no sponsorship, just an honest rec), especially since I throw both the frying basket and the top in the dishwasher (remove the charcoal filter first!). My house doesn’t smell deep-fried, and the mess is totally contained. C’mon. Think of the Gluten Free Biscuit Donuts you could make!

I like to make beer battered chicken in a tempura-style batter, since it makes a very light and fluffy crust, which is especially nice on chicken strips since they don’t have their own skin. Marinate it first in buttermilk or plain yogurt, and then dredge it in cornstarch (can’t have corn? try arrowroot starch and let us know how it goes!) and allow the strips to sit for a bit and form a thick paste. That really helps the beer batter stick to the chicken (like, a lot) and makes for a thicker crust. Looking for a more traditional KFC-style gluten free fried chicken? I’ve got that, too. But right now I’m loving these tender all white-meat gluten free beer battered chicken fingers.

As soon as you bite into one of these strips, hot out of the fryer, you won’t believe how they melt in your mouth. They really don’t neeeeeeed it, but a sweet and sour dipping sauce is a nice lily-gilding measure you probably won’t regret. Make these for a crowd, and they can even be kept at room temperature for a few hours and still taste amazing. In fact, if there’s any left, try them cold the next day. That’s when you do want to break out the dipping sauce. Leftover perfection!

Prep time: 20 minutes       Cook time: 20 minutes       Yield: About 16 chicken fingers

Ingredients

For the chicken
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into “fingers” (about 16 pieces total)

2 cups (16 fluid ounces) buttermilk (you can use plain yogurt in place of buttermilk as long as it’s not Greek-style)

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (81 g) cornstarch, plus more for dredging

1 cup + 2 tablespoons (180 g) superfine white rice flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar

1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (optional)

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups (10 fluid ounces) gluten free beer or gluten free hard apple cider (can use sparkling apple cider for a nonalcoholic alternative)

Oil, for frying

For the sweet and sour dipping sauce
1/2 cup apricot preserves or jam

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or other mild white vinegar)

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

• Marinate the chicken. In a large, zip-top bag or large bowl, place the chicken strips and buttermilk, and stir to coat the chicken fully. Squeeze out all of the air if using a zip-top bag before sealing the bag. If using a bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Place the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 and up to 16 hours.

• Dredge the chicken. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. In a medium-size bowl, place enough extra cornstarch for dredging the chicken strips. Remove the chicken from the marinade one piece at a time, dredge in the cornstarch to coat completely on both sides, then place the chicken on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Set aside for about 10 minutes to allow the cornstarch to adhere to the chicken and form a thick paste.

• Make the beer batter. In a large bowl, place the 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch, the white rice flour, salt, sugar and (optional) paprika and whisk to combine well. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg and egg yolk with 1/4 cup of the beer until well-combined. The mixture will bubble. Create a well in the center of the large bowl with the cornstarch and white rice mixture, and pour in the beer and egg yolk mixture and the remaining 1 cup beer in a slow and steady stream, whisking to combine constantly. The batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.

• Fry the chicken. Line a baking sheet or flat surface with paper towels, place a wire rack on top and set aside. Place about 3-inches of frying oil in a medium-size, heavy-bottom pot or fryer. Clip a deep-fry/candy thermometer to the side of the pot or fryer, and place the oil over medium-high heat. Bring the oil temperature to 370°F. Dip each chicken strip in the beer batter and allow any excess batter to drip off the chicken. Place the chicken strips, a few at a time, in the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the oil. Fry until the chicken strips are golden brown all over (about 2 to 3 minutes per side). As soon as each batch is removed from the fryer, place on a wire rack placed over paper towels to drain and cool completely.

• Make the dipping sauce. In a small, heat-safe bowl, place the apricot preserves/jam and microwave for 10 second to thin. Whisk the preserves/jam to loosen it. Add the remaining sweet and sour sauce ingredients, and whisk to combine well.

• Inspired by Southernfood.about.com’s recipe, selected by you from my Must Make Gluten Free Pinterest Board.