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A crispy buffalo chicken breast sitting on top of a bed of arugula and drizzled with ranch.

Crispy Whole30 Buffalo Chicken

Kaleena Martinez
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.
4.80 from 10 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Large chicken breasts *about 1 pound
  • 1 Egg
  • ¼ cup Almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons Avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons Tapioca flour
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon Dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon Pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt

For the sauce

  • ½ cup Franks Hot Sauce or Crystals Hot Sauce
  • ½ teaspoon Ghee
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Cut the chicken breasts in half long ways making 4 total chicken breasts.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg.
  • Add the chicken to the bowl with the egg and stir to coat the chicken in the egg.
  • Heat the avocado oil to medium heat in a large pan.
  • On a large plate, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  • Using a fork or tongs, pick up one chicken breast at a time and place it on the plate with the almond flour mixture and flip the chicken to coat both sides.
  • Place the coated chicken in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes a side making sure to only flip the chicken once.
  • While the chicken is cooking, add the sauce ingredients to a medium sized saucepan and heat on low.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork or tongs and pick up the chicken one at a time and place it into the saucepan to coat it with the sauce. Be gentle so the coating doesn't fall off.
  • 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 helps give the chicken and sauce a little more crisp and golden color.

Air Fryer

  • Cut the chicken breast in half long ways making 4 total chicken breasts.
  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg and then add the chicken breast to the bowl and make sure the chicken breasts are coated well.
  • Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, and seasonings to a large plate and mix it till it's combined.
  • One at a time, place a chicken breast onto the plate with the almond flour mixture. Use a fork or tongs to flip it and make sure both sides are coated.
  • Spray the tray of your air fryer with avocado oil spray and place the chicken breast in a single layer on the tray. You may have to do this in batches.
  • Turn your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 12 minutes flipping once halfway through.
  • While the chicken is cooking, add the hot sauce, ghee, and garlic powder to a medium sized saucepan and turn the heat to low.
  • When the chicken is done cooking, use tongs to carefully pick up the chicken breasts one at a time, place the chicken breast in the saucepan, and coat both sides with the sauce.
  • 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 helps give the chicken and sauce a little more crisp and golden color.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

  • Large saute pan
  • Medium saucepan
  • Cookie sheet (optional)
  • Cooling rack (optional)

Notes

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.
Frequently asked questions
What is good with buffalo chicken?
This crispy buffalo chicken goes great on salads, in wraps, or topped with ranch and served with a side of fries.
How do you make buffalo chicken crispy?
This gluten free buffalo chicken gets its crispy crust from a combination of almond flour and tapioca flour.
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.
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.
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 it on high for the last few minutes to get it crispier.

Nutrition

Calories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 27gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 1213mgPotassium: 454mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 95IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg

*nutrition information is an approximate

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