Gluten-free, dairy-free, and baked not fried! This mouth-watering crunchy, juicy chicken bursting with Louisiana flavor! This Copycat Popeye’s Chicken was created especially for David. He had been asking for months if I would make it just because it looked so good on the commercial! Having never had Popeye’s chicken I’m not sure if it tastes like it but I will say this chicken is the bomb! It’s spicy and crunchy coating with the juiciest, tender meat is something to sink your teeth into! Feel free to kick the heat up by using Louisiana hot sauce and increasing the cayenne. If you love crispy-coated chicken you will surely enjoy this Jalapeño Lime Chicken or this Chicken Milanese.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Superior Quality Control: Making copycat Popeye’s chicken at home allows you to use better ingredients, ensure it is fresh and piping hot, and manage the spice level to your exact preference.
Perfect Gluten-Free Blend of Flours: Blending almond flour, cassava flour, and tapioca starch results in a crispy, light coating similar to Popeye’s Chicken.
It’s Paleo and Whole30: Having no gluten, grains, or dairy, it is the perfect dish if you need to keep it Paleo or Whole30 friendly.
Ingredients You Will Need
Whole chicken: is an uncut, bird with the carcass intact for roasting, baking, or breaking down into parts. I like Grass Roots Coop for my meat purchases.
Dairy free yogurt: like cashew yogurt, almond yogurt, or coconut cream yogurt.
Hot sauce: I like medium Buffalo sauce but Louisiana hot sauce or Frank’s hot sauce is perfect for this copycat Popeye’s chicken.
Almond flour: is finer and made from blanched almonds, while almond meal is coarser and often includes the almond skins in its preparation.
Cassava flour: made from the root vegetable cassava is the perfect gluten-free substitute for wheat or other flours.
Tapioca flour: (or starch) is a gluten-free, grain-free powder extracted from the pulp of the cassava root.
Salt and black pepper: salt enhances and balances flavors. Meanwhile, ground black pepper adds a gentle heat.
Cayenne pepper: is a moderately hot chili pepper with a strong spicy but earthy flavor.
Chili powder: is a spice blend of dried chili peppers and other spices like cumin, garlic powder and oregano.
Paprika: unlike smoked paprika, it is a little sweeter.
Garlic powder: is best for when you want a milder flavor that will also coat meats easier for sautéing or quickly frying.
Onion powder: adds a sweet and savory flavor to certain dishes that you can’t get from fresh onions.
Dry mustard powder: is made by grinding yellow mustard seeds which is an aromatic , sharply flavored seed belonging to the cabbage family.
Avocado oil spray: has a neutral flavor that can be used for baking, high-heat cooking, sautéing and frying.
Instructions
Cut the whole chicken up into pieces: and place them in a large bowl.
Add the yogurt: stir, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven: to 375˚.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with: foil and baking racks sprayed well with avocado oil.
Get 2 large bowls ready: in the first combine the flours and all of the spice, stir well. In the second, whisk the eggs and hot sauce.
Let excess yogurt to drip off of chicken pieces: and one at a time dredge in flour mix, egg mix, and flour mix a second time.
Place on sprayed rack: trying not to touch other pieces.
Spray chicken pieces well: with avocado oil.
Bake: for one hour or till crispy and cooked through. Should read 165˚ with a meat thermometer at the thickest piece.
Note: check halfway through to see if you need to spray again with oil. Do this if you still see dry flour spots.
Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Using tapioca flour (or starch): in this copycat Popeyes chicken recipe is the secret weapon for achieving an ultra-crispy, craggy, and light exterior rather than a dense, thick breading.
The Double Dip: for a thicker, more Popeyes-like crust, dip the chicken back into the egg mixture and then into the flour a second time before placing on the baking sheet (wire racks).
Recipe Variations
Spicy vs. Mild: Increase cayenne pepper and add more hot sauce to the egg mixture for extra heat. For milder, reduce or omit the cayenne and rely on paprika.
If you cannot have almond flour: double the amount of cassava flour or use gluten-free flour but keep in mind the recipe will no longer be Paleo or Whole30 friendly using gluten-free flour.
Storage Tips
You can store this copycat Popeye’s chicken in the fridge for up to 4 days when placed in an airtight glass container.
FAQ’s About Copycat Popeye’s Chicken
What to serve with copycat Popeye’s chicken?
I like to serve it with homemade french fries and my Whole30 Coleslaw.
Can I use chicken thighs and drum sticks?
Yes! You absolutely can.
Copycat Popeye’s Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the whole chicken up into pieces and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the yogurt, stir, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and baking racks-spraying them well with the avocado oil.
- Get 2 large bowls ready-in the first combine the flours and all of the spice and stir well. In the second whisk the eggs and hot sauce.
- Let the excess yogurt drip off the chicken pieces and one at a time dredge in the flour mix, then the egg mix, and once again in the flour mix.
- Place on the sprayed wire racks trying not to touch the other pieces.
- Spray the chicken with avocado oil.
- Bake for one hour or till crispy and cooked through. Should read 165˚ on a meat thermometer at the thickest part. NOTE: check chicken halfway through to see if you need to spray again with oil. Do this if you still see dry flour spots.
- Enjoy!
