My kids are obsessed with crispy crumbed chicken so I decided to give it a healthy gluten free makeover with my Baked Quinoa Crumbed Chicken recipe. You heard correctly, BAKED NOT FRIED. All the crispiness, all the tenderness, all the deliciousness of crispy chicken without the mess, oil or fat of its fried counterpart. Every parent MUST HAVE THIS RECIPE. Quick, healthy, easy and yummy. I promise you’ll be baking this quinoa crumbed chicken weekly for your family just like I do.
Quinoa flakes are a great gluten free ingredient for crumbing because they are high in fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Quinoa flakes are just the whole quinoa seed flattened into a flake so they have a shorter cooking time than regular quinoa with all the health benefits.
Tapioca is a great gluten free flour for crumbing because it produces a beautiful crispy crust. You can easily find tapioca flour in the health food aisle or Asian section of the supermarket
Here are my tips to get your baked chicken pieces nice and crispy-
- Grease your baking tray with olive oil before placing the chicken on the tray. The hot tray will crisp up the base of the chicken without any need to turn the chicken pieces.
- Ensure your oven is nice and hot at 220C. The chicken does not take long to cook so you want to develop that golden crust quickly. Drizzle a little oil over the top of the chicken pieces once placed on the tray to help develop that golden colour and crisp texture.
- Flatten your chicken pieces with the palm of your hand prior to coating to create a wider surface area. Flatter, wider pieces will crisp up more against the heat of the metal baking tray.
- When coating the chicken in the quinoa mixture press it firmly into the mixture to ensure a nice thick coating of flaked crumb.
I love serving quinoa crumbed chicken with my delicious homemade Lime Aioli, but it is equally yummy dipped in ketchup or mustard. Say goodbye to greasy, fatty fried chicken and say hello to nutritious and utterly delicious quinoa crumbed gluten free chicken. Best part? Your family will have no idea this crumbed chicken recipe is healthy. So finger lickin’ good!
- 800g organic chicken breast, cut into pieces
- 2 eggs, whisked
- ⅓ cup tapioca flour
- 1½ cups quinoa flakes
- ⅓ cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
- Lime aioli to serve or your favourite sauce
- Preheat oven to 220C.
- You need to set up 3 stations. Tapioca flour in one bowl. Whisked eggs in one bowl. All other dry ingredients combined in a separate tray.
- Individually dip each chicken piece in tapioca flour first, dusting off extra flour. Next, dip chicken into the whisked eggs and then finally coat in the dry quinoa mixture by firmly pressing the chicken into the quinoa.
- Grease an oven tray with olive oil and place chicken pieces on tray. Drizzle or spray the top of the chicken with olive oil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.
Hi can you please tell what dipping sauce you have pictured with this recipe?
Thanks.
Hi just saw it’s Aioli, sorry. Thanks again.
No problem, enjoy the Quinoa Crumbed Chicken!
Backed crumbled chicken that also gluten free! Great dish for me. I am fan for chicken and always look for gluten free recipes of chicken. Your disk is very delicious. Loved it.
So glad you love my Baked Crumbed Quinoa Chicken recipe Punam. Enjoy!
Love the idea. Thanks for sharing….
This is such a brilliant recipe Helen. One that is both health conscious and such a great taste sensation. And, as you said on the television, best of all, no disgusting oily frying pan to clean afterwards. Also a fabulously easy recipe for my 14 year old son with special needs to have a go at making to practise his cooking/activities of daily living skills. 5 stars from me!!!!!!!
So happy I could make family life a little easier Kayty and bye-bye to those smelly frypans!You should try my baked fish fingers next from Easy Gluten Free.
Can you use any other gluten free flour for dipping?
Yes you can use any flour of your choice.