Crispy Whole30 Buffalo Chicken

This Whole30 Buffalo Chicken is an easy recipe that uses simple ingredients like almond flour and spicy buffalo sauce to make the perfect gluten free tangy crispy chicken.

This paleo buffalo chicken is one of my favorite meal prep recipes and dinner recipes of all time. It's packed with tons of buffalo flavor and can easily be paired with Whole30 mashed potatoes or Whole30 coleslaw for a delicious dinner the whole family will love. It's also a great game day recipe!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Step by Step
• Frequently asked questions
• What to pair with
• Tips and notes
• Storing and reheating
• Recipe

Ingredients

Substitutions

Almond flour- To keep this Whole30 there isn't a great almond flour substitute. If you aren't doing a Whole30 then you can use gluten free panko or gluten free breadcrumbs.

Tapioca flour- Arrowroot flour can be substituted for the tapioca flour.

Chicken- I use boneless skinless chicken breasts but boneless skinless chicken thighs would work great too.

Hot sauce- I use either Frank's Hot Sauce or Crystals Louisiana Hot Sauce but you could also use a Whole30 friendly buffalo sauce of your choice.

Avocado oil- You can use olive oil instead of avocado oil.

Step by Step

1. Cut the chicken breast in half long ways making 4 total chicken breasts.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg and then add the chicken breast to the bowl and coat them in the egg.
3. Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, and pepper to a large plate and mix it till it's combined.
4. Add the avocado oil to a large skillet and heat to medium heat.
5. One at a time, place a chicken breast onto the plate with the almond flour mixture and gently coat both sides of the chicken in the almond flour mixture. Use a fork or tongs to make sure both sides are coated.
6. Gently place the chicken in the hot pan.
7. Cook for 5-6 minutes a side. Use tongs or a fork to flip the chicken carefully so the coating doesn't fall off. Only flip the chicken once so the coating doesn't start to come off.
8. While the chicken is cooking, add the hot sauce, ghee, and garlic powder to a medium sized saucepan and let the sauce sit over low heat till the chicken is done.
9. When the chicken is done cooking, use tongs to carefully pick up one chicken breast at a time, place it in the sauce, and coat both sides with the sauce.
10. Optional- cover a cookie sheet in foil and place a cooling rack on top. Add the cooked and sauced chicken on top of the cooling rack and broil in the oven on high for 5 minutes. Be sure to watch it to make sure it doesn't burn. This just helps give the chicken a little more crispy and golden brown color to the sauce.

Air fryer

1. Cut the chicken breast in half long ways making 4 total chicken breasts.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg and then add the chicken breast and make sure they are coated well.
3. Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, and seasonings to a large plate and mix it till its combined.
4. One at a time, place a chicken breast onto the plate with the almond flour mixture. Use a fork or tongs to make sure both sides are coated.
5. Spray the tray of your air fryer with avocado oil and place the chicken breast in a single layer on the tray. You may have to do this in batches.
6. Turn your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 12 minutes flipping once halfway through.
7. While the chicken is cooking, add the hot sauce, ghee, and garlic powder to a medium sized saucepan and let the sauce sit over low heat till the chicken is done.
8. When the chicken is done cooking, use tongs to carefully pick up one chicken breast at a time, place it in the sauce, and coat both sides with the sauce.
9. Optional- cover a cookie sheet in foil and place a cooling rack on top. Add the cooked and sauced chicken on top of the cooling rack and broil in the oven on high for 5 minutes. Be sure to watch it to make sure it doesn't burn. This just helps give the chicken a little more crispy and golden brown color to the sauce.

Frequently asked questions

What to pair with

Here are some great ways to serve this crispy buffalo chicken.

• Add the chicken to a bed of greens and top with green onions and your favorite Whole30 ranch dressing for a yummy buffalo chicken salad.
• Cut into smaller strips to make crispy buffalo chicken tenders and serve with ranch, celery sticks, and carrot sticks.
• Wrap in bib lettuce with some Whole30 coleslaw for a great lettuce wrap.
• If you aren't doing Whole30 or trying to keep it Paleo, toast up some gluten free buns, and add some pickles, coleslaw, and ranch for an awesome crispy buffalo chicken sandwich.
• You can serve it with a side of cauliflower rice.
• Add it to some cooked spaghetti squash and drizzle with ranch or more buffalo sauce.

Tips and notes

The almond flour and tapioca flour coating can be a little fragile so be sure to only flip your chicken breasts one time to make sure the coating stays on. Also, when dunking the chicken in the buffalo sauce, make sure to be gentle so you don't lose a lot of the breading.

Storing and reheating

Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

You can reheat the chicken in the microwave, but to get the best texture, I recommend reheating it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes. Optional- you can broil on high for the last few minutes to get it crispier.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Your feedback is so important to me.

Recipe