Digital Growth Group

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Fried Chicken

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A Recipe That Changed My Mind About Fried Chicken

I’ll be honest — I’ve never been a big fan of fried chicken.

Until this recipe.

This is my mom’s Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and it completely changed my perspective. There’s no egg wash, no complicated steps, and the chicken always comes out juicy, tender, and full of flavor. Hot or cold, fresh or leftover, it holds up every time.

I’ve always said fried chicken is all three cycles of life in one bite — the bird, the baby, and the food — but when it’s done right, it’s hard to argue with the result. This one does it right.

This recipe is gluten-free and celiac-friendly, using rice flour and panko for a light, crisp coating that doesn’t overpower the chicken.

Recipe Overview

Ready in: 35 minutes
Prep time: 20 minutes (plus marinating)
Serves: 8
Diet: Gluten-Free

Ingredients

  • 1 package chicken tenderloins
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 6 Tbsp salt (divided)
  • 3 cups rice flour
  • 1 cup panko
  • 2 Tbsp Lawry’s seasoning
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Preparation

1. Marinate the Chicken (4 Hours Before Cooking)

Place chicken tenderloins in a one-gallon zip-top bag.
Add buttermilk and 4 Tbsp salt.
Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

2. Prepare the Coating

In a large bowl, mix together:

  • rice flour
  • panko
  • remaining salt
  • Lawry’s seasoning
  • black pepper
  • Italian seasoning

3. Bread the Chicken

Drain the chicken well.
Add tenderloins to the flour mixture and coat thoroughly.

4. Fry

In a high-walled pot, heat vegetable oil to 350°F.

Fry chicken in batches of about 8 pieces, cooking 11–14 minutes per batch until golden and cooked through.

Remove and drain on paper towels.

Chef Tips

  • These are incredible hot or cold
  • I usually make a large batch for leftovers
  • Pairs perfectly with potato wedges or potato salad
  • No egg layer keeps the coating light and the chicken tender
  • Maintain oil temperature for best crunch

Why This Recipe Works

The buttermilk tenderizes the chicken.
The rice flour keeps it light.
The seasoning does the heavy lifting.

Simple steps. Reliable results.

This is the kind of recipe that gets written down, used again, and passed along — not forgotten after one meal.

📘 A Perfect Fit for the Fantasy Recipe Journal

This recipe fits beautifully inside my Fantasy Recipe Journal — especially the kitchen-sized pages designed for go-to favorites like this one.

Each page includes:

  • a blank recipe card to fill in by hand
  • surrounded by fantasy-themed coloring borders

It’s a creative, practical way to build your own recipe collection.

📘 Fantasy Recipe Journal
👉 https://amzn.to/3KVLhqA

This fried chicken recipe is exactly the kind of dish this journal was made for. 😋

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this recipe:

✔️ Save it
✔️ Share it
✔️ Write it into your recipe journal
✔️ Follow along for weekly chef-tested, family-rooted dishes

New recipes are posted regularly here at
📍 Digital-Growth-Group.com

Thanks for being here and cooking along with me.

– Gregory Stephens
Digital Growth Group LLC
📧 digitalgrowthgroup3@gmail.com