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Chili’s Grill & Bar lovers rejoice — these Gluten-Free Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers are about to make your tastebuds sing.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know a lot of my childhood memories were made in Chili’s booths with all of their classics filling the table. One of which is their Chicken Crispers which inspired this gluten-free remake. And trust me, y’all, while they are not an exact remake, dare I say they could be even better.
Chicken tenders are simply breaded in a gluten-free coating — thanks to cassava flour and gluten-free panko — then shallow-fried in avocado oil. Once all of the chicken is perfectly crisped, you’ll toss the tenders in a quick sauce that is perfectly smokey from the chipotle yet subtly sweet. I’m telling y’all you’re gonna want to drink this sauce.
And while these would be delicious over a salad, like this ranch salad, you can also serve up this recipe the classic Chili’s way, aka with freshly made oven fries and corn on the cob. It’s a classic for a reason, folks! But no matter how you serve chicken crispers, they are sure to be a hit.
While not an exact replica of my childhood favorite, I know you will absolutely love these Gluten-Free Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers!
Gluten-Free Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers
Ingredients
For the Gluten-Free Chicken Crispers:
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons cassava flour or GF all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound chicken tenders
For the Honey-Chipotle Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup unsweetened ketchup
- 1/3 cup honey
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Fresh parsley and flakey salt for serving
Instructions
Make the Chicken Tenders:
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and one tablespoon of water. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the panko and cassava flour and stir until well combined. Set the bowls next to each other for dredging.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dip a piece of chicken first in the egg mixture and shake off the excess. Then, dredge the chicken in the panko mixture, pressing it into the chicken to help it adhere. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
- In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat until it is shimmering. Working in batches, carefully lay the chicken into the oil in a single layer. Fry until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towels and repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken. Using a paper towel, carefully wipe down the skillet to remove any burnt bits in between batches. If the skillet runs dry as you’re cooking the chicken, add more oil as needed.
Make the Honey-Chipotle Sauce:
- Carefully wipe down the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 tablespoon more of avocado oil, the garlic, ketchup, honey, broth, vinegar, chipotle chili powder, and smoked paprika and whisk to combine. Bring to a light simmer and cook, simmering and stirring, until the flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and transfer the cooked chicken tenders back into the sauce and gently toss until the chicken is well coated in the Chipotle Honey sauce.
- Transfer to a platter and top with parsley and flakey salt.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
These are amazing & taste very similar to (and I agree with you even better) to the real Chili’s chicken crispers. A healthier version that is just as tasty! This might be my favorite new recipe that I’ve tried this year. This is going to be a keeper! Thanks for another great recipe, Alex!
They have a nice kick. I have both of your cookbooks and follow along on instagram. I saw these on a post and gave them a try. My family loved these and actually most every recipe of yours that I have tried. I’m a fan!
Thank you so much, Caroline!
This is the best recipe EVER! I now make it once a week.
woohoo! Glad it’s a winner!
This is perfection. Made this with the ranch salad tonight, and my husband thinks I’m brilliant. Thank you, Alex, for being my secret weapon!
Made them tonight! Delicious. Thank you!
This was amazing! It was a little spicy for my littles. Any recommendations on cutting the spice level down?
I have the same question!
You can omit the chipotle chili powder entirely or cut back to 1/2 a teaspoon!
Brilliant! Thank you so much!
Delicious! Made them last night and we all throughly enjoyed them. Served it with your zesty potato wedges and some fresh fruit. Winner!
Yum, perfect pairing!
These will definitely be a new staple in our household. Extremely easy to make and the flavor is top notch— excellent recipe, Alex! I didn’t have any GF panko breadcrumbs so I used the simple mills original crackers and crushed them up to make my own— turned out great!
Such a great tip! Thanks for sharing, glad you enjoyed these.
2nd time making them and my kids are in love with them. Thank you!
So great to hear! Thanks for commenting
My family luvvvved this!!! It’s SO delicious.
These look incredible! Can’t wait to make these, any suggestions on vegetable sides to serve with them?