Gluten-Free Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers

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

Serves: 4

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5 from 5 votes

Total Time35 minutes mins

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.