Weekend Project: Gluten-Free Breading

Crunchy, golden-brown breaded dishes are always crowd-pleasers. Often, they use wheat-based ingredients to create the crust, but if you’re avoiding gluten, there are still plenty of options that can create the same crisp satisfaction! Use the formula below for creating baked breaded chicken, turkey or fish at home, and try it out with our featured recipe — and find more creative ideas for eating gluten free in our cookbook Weeknight Gluten Free.

 

Gluten-Free Breadings

 

Gluten-free canola-oil spray

Breading of choice, such as almonds, gluten-free cornflakes, gluten-free tortilla chips, pecans or potato chips

Dried herbs, such as thyme, oregano or marjoram (optional)

Spices, such as cayenne, chili powder or paprika (optional)

Thin cuts of poultry or fish, such as chicken tenders, chicken or turkey cutlets, or medium-thick fish fillets

Olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Spray a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil spray. If necessary, in a food processor, process large items like corn flakes, tortilla chips, potato chips and nuts until finely ground. If using nuts, take care not to process them to finely, or they will turn into nut butter. Transfer the breading to a glass dish and add a small amount of dried herbs or spices to taste.

 

Brush the chicken, turkey or fish with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the poultry or fish to the breading mixture and turn to coat all sides, pressing the crumbs into the surface with your fingertips to help them adhere; place on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the breaded item with additional canola oil spray to encourage browning. Bake until the breading is golden brown and the poultry or fish is cooked through, 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness.

 

TIPS: IT’s easy to create a crisp coating on thin pieces of poultry or fish: dredge them lightly in gluten-free flour mix or cornmeal, shake off the excess, then saute in butter or oil in a hot pan until cooked through. Before using them as a coating, be sure to read the labels on packages of chips or cereal to make sure they are gluten free.

 

Mahi Mahi with Pecan Crust

 

Fragrant nuts with a hint of lemon and a knob of butter form a crunch, slightly sweet crust on this fish. Complete the meal with brown jasmine rice and a green vegetable.

 

Olive oil

4 mahi mahi fillets (6 oz./185 g. each)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup (4 oz./180 g.) pecan halves or pieces

2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

2 Tbs. butter, at room temperature

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush oil over a small rimmed baking sheet and place the fish on the sheet. Brush the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 

In a processor, combine the pecans, parsley and lemon zest. Process to grind finely. Add the butter and blend until the mixture starts to cling together. Spoon the nut mixture onto the top of the fish fillets, pressing to adhere. Roast the fish until it is almost cooked through, about 12 minutes.

 

Position a rack so the fish will be 4 inches from the heat source, and turn on the broiler. Broil the fish until the nuts brown, watching carefully, about 4 minutes. Transfer the fish to 4 warmed plates and serve right away. Serves 4.

 

Find more quick, gluten-free dinner recipes in our book Weeknight Gluten Free, by Kristine Kidd.