This crispy baked chicken recipe is a riff on old-fashioned oven-fried chicken. This version is gluten-free and paleo-friendly using an almond four base. Perfect for your next Whole30 or any night you feel like the crispy taste of paleo fried chicken!
Paleo Fried Chicken
Do you ever long for crispy fried chicken, but you have to pass on those craving to stick to your diet? That’s how my husband has been feeling ever since I started going grain-free, which meant we had to give up one of his favorite weeknight dinners, my Oven Fried Chicken. Well, no one, including you or my husband has to suffer any longer because I finally perfected a paleo fried chicken recipe!
Yup, you heard that right, this recipe is paleo and whole30 compliant, and it couldn’t be more delicious. This chicken is coated in a crispy grain-free mixture and baked in the oven until it reaches that peak crispy perfection.
There is no doubt that this dish will be devoured almost as soon as it’s set on the table, so you might even want to make a double batch.
What Is The Difference Between Fried Chicken and Oven-Fried Chicken?
There is one dib difference between regular fried chicken and oven-fried chicken. Regular fried chicken is usually deep-fried in a vat of oil. You typically need to use a deep fryer or get a large pot of oil and a heat resistant strainer. This method of cooking, while insanely delicious, can be very high in calories, and a whole boatload of other things, making it a meal you don’t want to be incorporating into your diet on a regular basis.
That’s where the difference of oven-fried chicken comes in handy. Oven-fried chicken opts out of the deep fry method, and instead, you cook the chicken in the oven, using a LOT less oil, making it way less indulgent overall.
When done right, oven-fried chicken can taste just as good as regular fried chicken, especially when you have a recipe as good as this one!
Is This Crispy Baked Chicken Whole30 Compliant?
Yes, it is! With my love for crispy baked chicken, I was determined to make a Whole30 compliant and Paleo Oven Fried Chicken Recipe that was just as crispy, crunchy and spicy as my original recipe.
Oven-Fried Chicken is ALL ABOUT THE CRUMB and getting a crispy, crunchy crumb that sticks well without any type of grain flour is no easy task. I managed to to get that perfect crumb though, so no flavor of crispy goodness is lost, even when doing the whole30 diet!
How To Make Paleo Fried Chicken
After playing around with different ratios of almond meal and almond flour, I finally nailed this recipe and man, it is GOOD. It takes a bit of patience and practice to perfect, but once you have it down, you’ll be making it once a week! Just follow these simple instructions and you’ll be on your way to the best paleo fried chicken in no time!
1 Ace an oven rack in the upper third position. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with tin foil and placing the cooking rack on top. Use the olive oil sprayer to generously coat the cooking rack.
Mix the almond meal and almond flour in a bowl. Use a fork to sift through and break up any clumps.
2. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, oregano, and garlic powder to flour and use a fork to mix thoroughly.
3. In a separate bowl (flat enough to dip each piece of chicken in) beat the eggs with the almond milk.
Grab a small baking sheet or plate. You are going to use this to coat the chicken instead of dipping in the almond flour.
4. You are doing this for two main reasons – almond flour tends to absorb moisture and get crumbly which you desperately want to avoid so you can get a good crumb and because you only need about 3/4 of the almond mixture and we don’t want to contaminate it all with raw chicken. You should have your small tray or plate, skinless, bone-in chicken, almond flour mixture with spices, beaten eggs and olive oil mister set to the side.
5. Use a spoon to spread some of the almond flour on the bottom of the tray.
6. Dip a piece of chicken in the egg until well coated.
7. Place on a tray and use the spoon to dump some of the flour mixture on top of the chicken. Pat the flour mixture onto the chicken until all sides are coated and place on the cooking rack.
8. Repeat until all of the chicken is evenly coated and on the cooking rack. Make sure to leave space around each piece of chicken. Finally, use the olive oil sprayer to give each piece of chicken a nice coating (it should shine or appear misted).
Tips For Making Paleo Fried Chicken
- I very rarely tell you to buy stuff just to make a dish but if you are serious about oven-fried chicken, you need an elevated baking tray (they are called cooling racks) so the bottom can get crispy instead of soggy.
- If you want to avoid non-stick cooking sprays, get an olive oil mister. The spray of olive oil before going into the oven is crucial for crispy-success!
- I used a combination of almond meal (ground raw almonds with their skins on) and blanched almond flour (finely ground blanched and skinless almonds). You can make your own almond meal if you have raw almonds and a food processor. Trader Joe’s also sells it pretty cheap ($3.99 / lb). As for the blanched almond flour, I just buy that! I have tried this recipe with just almond meal and with just almond flour as well as other combinations and it didn’t have the crunch.
- You can make this with all legs, thighs, breasts or any combo of the above. But if you go with a whole chicken, make sure to ask the butcher to remove the skin and cut it into 8 pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, and 2 wings). This is a major time saver!
More Gluten-Free Chicken Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
This crispy baked chicken recipe is a riff on old-fashioned oven-fried chicken. This version is gluten-free and paleo-friendly using an almond four base. Perfect for your next Whole30 or any night you feel like the crispy taste of paleo fried chicken!
- 4 to 5 pound whole chicken cut up into 8 pieces, skin removed
- 1.5 cups almond meal
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1.5 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1.5 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/8 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
Place an oven rack in the upper third position (second one from the top). Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with tin foil and placing the cooking rack on top. Use the olive oil sprayer to generously coat the cooking rack.
Mix the almond meal and almond flour in a bowl. Use a fork to sift through and break up any clumps.
Add salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, oregano and garlic powder to flour and use fork to mix thoroughly.
In a separate bowl (flat enough to dip each piece of chicken in) beat the eggs with the almond milk.
Grab a small baking sheet or plate. You are going to use this to coat the chicken instead of dipping in the almond flour.
You are doing this for two main reasons - almond flour tends to absorb moisture and get crumbly which you desperately want to avoid so you can get a good crumb and because you only need about 3/4 of the almond mixture and we don't want to contaminate it all with raw chicken. You should have your small tray or plate, skinless, bone-in chicken, almond flour mixture with spices, beaten eggs and olive oil mister set to the side.
Use a spoon to spread some of the almond flour on the bottom of the tray.
Dip a piece of chicken in the egg until well coated.
Place on tray and use the spoon to dump some of the flour mixture on top of the chicken. Pat the flour mixture onto the chicken until all sides are coated and place on the cooking rack.
Repeat until all of the chicken is evenly coated and on the cooking rack. Make sure to leave space around each piece of chicken. Finally, use the olive oil sprayer to give each piece of chicken a nice coating (it should shine or appear misted).
- Bake for 1 hour, 10 min. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!
NOTE that I had about 1/4 cup flour mixture leftover on the tray that was contaminated by the raw chicken so I threw it away. Same thing for the egg - trash it.
If you were careful and used a spoon to scoop the flour mixture from the mixing bowl and have any leftover (I had 1 cup), store in an airtight glass jar and save for the next batch!
- I very rarely tell you to buy stuff just to make a dish but if you are serious about oven-fried chicken, you need an elevated baking tray (they are called cooling racks) so the bottom can get crispy instead of soggy.
- If you want to avoid non-stick cooking sprays, get an olive oil mister. The spray of olive oil before going into the oven is crucial for crispy-success!
- I used a combination of almond meal (ground raw almonds with their skins on) and blanched almond flour (finely ground blanched and skinless almonds). You can make your own almond meal if you have raw almonds and a food processor. Trader Joe's also sells it pretty cheap ($3.99 / lb). As for the blanched almond flour, I just buy that! I have tried this recipe with just almond meal and with just almond flour as well as other combinations and it didn't have the crunch.
- You can make this with all legs, thighs, breasts or any combo of the above. But if you go with a whole chicken, make sure to ask the butcher to remove the skin and cut it into 8 pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, and 2 wings). This is a major time saver!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
UPDATE NOTES: This Paleo Fried Chicken recipe was originally published in May 2013 and was updated in August 2019 with step-by-step instruction photos and more helpful recipe information.
Best baked fried chicken ! Followed your seasoning to the tee. We loved it and will definitely use in the rotation.
LOVE! Day made Molly!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I made a few modifications to fit our dietary restrictions and it turned out great. I substituted Potato Flour and Coconut Flour instead of the Almond Flours. I used canned Coconut Milk instead of eggs to dip the chicken into before the flour mixture. After baking I broiled the chicken about 3-5 minutes each side to add more crispiness.
Hi Amy! Awesome that it worked out with those changes!!
Hi! Thank you for posting, this looks fantastic!
I have almond flour but no almonds/almond meal on hand 🙁
Is there a chance that it would work with a walnut meal? Or coarsely ground blanched almonds? I also have pistachios and cashews.
Thanks in advance!
Hey Meera – Coarsely ground blanched almonds would be my choice. Hope it worked out!
I have almond flour/meal. Can I use just that?
The mix is what really makes a textured “crust”
This looks yummy and I want to make it this week. This recipe calls for almond meal and blanched almond flour, I believe they are 2 different ingredients since you listed them separately. I have raw almond meal/flour from whole almonds (this is what it says on the package) on hand, is this an almond meal or blanched almond flour or neither? Thanks.
Hi Zendia! They are. One of the easiest ways to tell the difference is the color. Blanched almond flour is beige and one color because the skins are removed. It is also usually a fine grind. Almond meal has the skins on, is speckled beige and brown and is usually a coarser grind. Hope that helps!
Absolutely delicious! I made 16 drumsticks with this recipe and they were gone in one night! My husband and children devoured them. They are so good, we are making them tonight, again.
Yay! Love it Megan – my family is the same way with this recipe 🙂
We had a recipe where we coated the chicken lightly in flour and sautéed it. We weren’t looking for crunch. It just made the sauce adhere nicely and was good. We stopped using flour and have been looking for a substitute ever since. We tried arrowroot, almond flour/meal (Red Mills) and brown rice flour and none of these stuck or coated evenly. Any suggestions for just a plain flour substitute? Thanks. Judy
Hi Judy, Cassava flour or white rice flour!
I made this last week, with boneless skinless chicken thighs, and it was great. Tonight, I plan to top it with a piccata sauce.
That sounds amazing Jackie!! Glad you found the almond flour 🙂
Love the recipe, one of our favorites, instead of tossing the left over breading and egg, I mix them and fry it like a totilla for the dogs, even snaçked on it myself.
What a great idea Erich – I’ll have to try that next time!
Hi Alyssa –
Do you think the paleo version would work ok using mayo/dijon instead of the egg like in your original recipe? We use an egg-free mayo bc of allergies.
xoxo
Susan
Hi Susan! I do think it would work but just make sure not to make the mayo coating too thick or the crust will just fall off!
Looks delicious! I’m trying this tonight, but with all chicken breasts. How might that change the cooking time?
Hi SK,
How did it work out?
Oh my goodness- SO good. Cook time was about 50 minutes. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
You are welcome SK! So glad you liked it – thanks for letting me know 🙂
I just developed a nut allergy. I am so sad because I loved this chicken so much. Any ideas to make this nut free?
Sorry to hear that Julie! Have you considered sunflower seed “flour”?
We eat these all the time now and cook extra for leftovers, often for lunch. We’ve also made them when we host and get rave reviews. Hardly anyone can believe it’s paleo.
We do the same Scott – hardly anyone ever believes me that there isn’t some type of traditional breading in the recipe!
Would this work for Chicken FIngers? I am not great at experimenting, was just wondering what the adjustment in cooking time should be and if I can just make it otherwise the same way? Thanks!
Yes, it definitely will Julie! If you read through the comments, you will see a bunch of other readers who made these as chicken fingers and they list their cook time. Good luck!
Leftovers were amazing! I will definitely make this again. I do need to find a place to purchase almond flour that isn’t $10 for 3 cups. Perhaps Trader Joe’s?
$10 for 3 cups is crazy. Are you a Costco member? My local Costco has Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour (3 lbs for $21). At the holidays, they also had a 3 lb bag of Bob’s Red Mill for $19!
For the expense this was just “ok.” I have leftovers for lunch, always my favorite, I’ll post.
Leftovers are always a good thing – one less meal you have to make!
Excellent recipe!! Thank you so much. This will go into regular rotation at our house. Delicious!!!!!
So glad you loved it Laurie!!! 🙂
Best recipe ever! I was concerned in feeding it to my husband who cannot do nuts due to having Crohns disease. I didn’t tell him what the coating was, and he never showed a symptom!! The almonds were softened, but fabulously crispy!! It is perfect for my picky GF son, too! Everyone I make this for RAVES about it and fights over the last pieces. Thank you!!
Hi Rose! Nothing like making a dish the whole family loves. Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Thanks so much! Oven-fried chicken wing drummettes tonight! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes too!
Can’t wait to hear how they turn out – please check back and let me know 🙂
Would this work for chicken with the skin on? I just bought a bunch of wing “drummettes”. Plus I’ve been looking for ages for a replacement for the fried chicken at the grocery deli counter.
Hi Jen,
Yes, it does! I have made it both with and without skin multiple times. My only complaint when you leave the skin-on is that large sections of crust come off with the skin. Doesn’t bother my family but bugs me. Hope you like it!
Thank for the quick response. I am going to risk soggy chicken over preparing it with hungry cranky kids under my feet;) will keep you posted.
This recipe sounds great…..I would love to try it. Can I ‘bread’ the chicken tonight and bake it tomorrow?
I have never tried that because I think the unbaked crust would get soggy. If you do it, let me know how it turns out!
I would dip again the 2nd day before cooking! Extra crispy (sound familiar)? Hold oil til cooking day, too.