Taste is relative but below is a list of products that are very well received by many people on the gluten-free diet. This is by no means a comprehensive list. It includes only products I’ve tried and enjoyed personally.
- Bell & Evans
- S’Better Farms
- Applegate Farms
- Allergy Free Foods
Wellshire Farms makes gluten-free chicken nuggets but they were tested about a year ago and were proven to contain gluten. Much more in fact, than is allowed in gluten-free foods. Or rather more than 20ppm. There was a bit of a scandal involving Whole Foods who carried the item and would not pull the products from their stores until customers pressured them to do so. It was a bit of a public relations nightmare for the national grocery chain based in Texas. Wellshire Farms stated they would switch suppliers for their gluten-free batter to correct the problem.
The gluten-free brands in the bulleted list above are routinely tested for gluten to make sure they are safe for those on the gluten-free diet. Bell & Evans makes many gluten-free breaded chicken items which are very good. S’Better Farms chicken fingers have a very crunchy coating, reminding me of extra crispy chicken from KFC. In addition to making tasty chicken tenders, Applegate Farms also makes very good gluten-free sausage. Allergy Free Foods products are free of gluten and all eight major allergens.
In the Atlanta area, zpizza in Alpharetta and Pepperoni’s both serve gluten-free chicken nuggets. At those locations, the chicken tenders arrive to the restaurants already battered. The famous Roswell, GA Outback Steakhouse also serves gluten-free chicken fingers, but they make theirs in house, making them as good as any gluten version you’ll find. To my knowledge, no other Outback Steakhouse serves gluten-free chicken fingers at this time.
If you want to make your own chicken fingers at home, they are super easy to make. Cut your chicken into nugget size or finger size. Soak chicken pieces in skim milk for a couple of minutes before dredging in a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure to coat all sides of the chicken pieces. We use Domata or Jules brand flour. Add salt and pepper to flour ifdesired. Pan fy the chicken in olive or canola oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. For a quick honey mustard sauce, blend equal parts of honey, mustard and mayo. Making your own sauce is cheaper than buying ready-made sauce and it tastes much better than anything from a jar.
Have a question about the gluten-free diet which we haven’t covered yet? You can now submit your questions here! (Note: All medical questions should be directed to your physician)
