Gluten-free diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more people adopting a gluten-free lifestyle due to celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or simply as a healthier way of eating. For those who avoid gluten, navigating recipe modifications and finding gluten-free substitutions can be challenging, especially when it comes to things like breading and coating foods before frying or baking. Many traditional breading recipes call for regular wheat flour, which contains gluten. So an important question for gluten-free cooks is: can gluten-free flour be used effectively as a breading?
What is gluten and why avoid it?
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. It helps give elasticity to dough, allowing it to rise and keep its shape. For those with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine. This can cause a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms and other health issues. The only treatment is adopting a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. For those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, using regular wheat flour with its gluten content is out of the question.
Purpose and technique of breading foods
Breading refers to coating foods with a dry crumb coating before cooking, usually frying or baking. The breading serves several purposes:
- It adds flavor, texture, and crunch to foods like chicken, fish, veggies, etc.
- It helps seal in moisture and prevent foods from drying out during cooking.
- It provides an attractive exterior coating that browns nicely.
Traditionally, breading is done by dredging foods in flour first to lightly coat and remove excess surface moisture. This helps the next layer, often beaten eggs or buttermilk, stick to the food better. Finally, the food is coated with breadcrumbs, panko, or a seasoned flour mix. Frying then sets the breading and creates a crispy coating.
Can gluten-free flour work for breading?
The good news is that yes, gluten-free flour can absolutely be used to create gluten-free breading! Gluten-free flours made from grains like rice, sorghum, millet, almond, coconut, and cassava can substitute for regular wheat flour. Here are some tips for using gluten-free flour for breading:
- Use a blend – Gluten-free flours don’t contain gluten to bind them together, so a blend works better than a single flour. Try mixing two or more gluten-free flours.
- Add xanthan or guar gum – These act as binders to give structure to gluten-free doughs and batters. Add a teaspoon or two per cup of flour.
- Season well – Gluten-free flours tend to be less flavorful than wheat flour. Up the flavor with garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, etc.
- Use broth, buttermilk, eggs – Wet ingredients like chicken or vegetable broth, buttermilk, and beaten eggs help adhere the breading.
- Press breading on – Press the breading into the food rather than just dipping to help it stick better.
- Chill before frying – Let breaded foods chill for 10-20 minutes so the coating firms up.
- Fry at proper temperature – Fry between 325-375°F for best results. Too low, breading falls off, too high it burns.
Sample Gluten-Free Breading Blend
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| White rice flour | 1 cup |
| Cornstarch | 1/2 cup |
| Garbanzo bean flour | 1/4 cup |
| Xanthan gum | 1 tsp |
| Salt | 1 tsp |
| Black pepper | 1/2 tsp |
| Paprika | 1/2 tsp |
Simply blend together and use as you would regular flour for dredging and breading foods. Experiment with different gluten-free flour combinations to find your favorite!
Best foods to use gluten-free breading on
These foods work well with a light gluten-free flour coating:
- Chicken breasts – Slice into cutlets or strips before breading
- Chicken wings or drumsticks – Easy finger foods
- Fish fillets like tilapia, cod, or haddock
- Shrimp – Peel, devein, and pat dry beforehand
- Vegetables like zucchini, cauliflower, green beans, etc.
- Cheese – Breading helps seal in melting cheese!
Heavier, denser items may need a thicker coating held on with buttermilk, egg wash, or cornstarch slurry. The lighter the item, the lighter the coating should be to prevent a gummy texture.
Gluten-Free Breading Recipes
Basic Breaded Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1⁄2″ thickness
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend
- 2 large eggs, beaten with 1 Tbsp water
- 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs or panko
- 1⁄2 tsp each salt and pepper
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in shallow dish.
- Working one piece at a time, coat chicken in flour, dip in egg, then press into breadcrumbs until fully coated.
- Heat 1⁄2 inch oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Fry chicken 4 minutes per side until golden brown and 165°F internally. Drain on paper towels.
Crispy Fish Sticks
Ingredients:
- 1 lb flaky white fish, cut into sticks
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1⁄2 cups cornflake crumbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- Tartar sauce, for serving
Instructions:
- Pat fish dry and season with paprika and salt. Place flour in shallow dish.
- Working one piece at a time, coat fish in flour, dip in egg, then press into cornflake crumbs until fully coated. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 450°F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and fish flakes easily.
- Serve with tartar sauce.
Crispy Parmesan Zucchini Sticks
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1⁄2″ sticks
- 1⁄2 cup gluten-free flour blend
- 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 large eggs, beaten with 2 Tbsp water
- Cooking oil spray
Instructions:
- Mix flour, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning in shallow dish. Dip zucchini in egg mixture, then press into cheese mixture until coated all over.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly spray tops with cooking oil.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes until crispy and light golden brown, flipping halfway through.
Gluten-Free Breading Tips
- For best adhesion, use broth or buttermilk instead of plain milk for the wet dip.
- Let breaded items chill for 10-20 minutes in the fridge to help set the coating before frying or baking.
- Try using crushed gluten-free pretzels or cornflakes for the breadcrumb coating for extra crunch.
- For chicken, pork, or beef, pound to an even 1⁄4-1⁄2 inch thickness so it cooks evenly.
- Bread just what you plan to cook right away – leftover breaded items won’t hold up in the fridge.
- Fry in small batches at 325-375°F to keep oil temperature consistent.
- Bake on a lightly greased or parchment-lined pan at 425-450°F, flipping items halfway through.
Storing and Freezing Breaded Foods
For best quality and texture, breaded foods are best cooked right after breading. However, you can store the breaded pieces in the refrigerator for several hours before cooking. Place them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined plate or baking sheet. Keep refrigerated until ready to fry or bake. The breading may soften a bit, but it will recrisp during cooking.
For longer storage, breaded foods can be frozen:
- Place freshly breaded items in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid, about 2 hours.
- Transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. Remove as much air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
- Cook frozen items directly from frozen, adding a couple extra minutes to the cooking time.
The breading may soften a bit during freezing but will get crispy again when fried or baked.
Troubleshooting Gluten-Free Breading
Breading falls off the food
If the breading isn’t adhering properly to the food, there are a few potential causes:
- The food wasn’t dried properly before breading – Pat foods very dry before starting.
- The wet dip is too thin – Use buttermilk, egg wash, or thick cornstarch slurry to help breading adhere.
- Breading is too thick – Use a thin, even coating for lighter foods.
- Food not chilled before frying – Chilling helps set the breading so it sticks better.
- Oil too hot – Fry at proper 325-375°F temperature to prevent burning.
Breading has a gummy texture
Gummy breading can happen when:
- Batter is too thick – Thin batter with more milk or water if needed.
- Food is too dense for batter – Stick to a light dusting of flour instead.
- Breading gets steamed – Allow oil to reheat between batches.
- Breading has too much starch – Use a blend of flours in the breading.
Breading burns or tastes bitter
To prevent burnt flavor or bitter notes:
- Don’t overload oil with too much food at once. Fry in smaller batches.
- Maintain proper oil temperature of 325-375°F.
- Use neutral tasting oil like canola or vegetable oil.
- Avoid over-browning. Cook just until golden, not dark brown.
Conclusion
With the right techniques and recipes, gluten-free flours can be used to create delicious and crispy breaded foods! Following basic breading methods while using tailored gluten-free flour blends yields tender baked foods or crispy fried favorites. Pay attention to properly drying foods, using a flavorful seasoned flour mix, and binding wet and dry layers together. With some trial and error, you can develop amazing gluten-free variations of traditionally breaded recipes.