Growing up in the South, fried chicken has always been a fixture in my life. This Keto Fried Chicken has all of the flavor and texture that I grew up loving while remaining gluten-free and low carb. Juicy, tender, and crispy, this is comfort food perfection.
I grew up with a Southern Grandmother who was a phenomenal cook, so naturally, fried chicken has always been part of my cooking repertoire.
This Keto Fried Chicken recipe is so satisfying - it is hard to believe that it is low carb. It has all the flavor of regular fried chicken.
Serve this crispy keto chicken with mashed cauliflower, keto collard greens, or coleslaw. You can also serve it with a simple side salad with Ranch dressing.
Ingredients Talk
- Smoked paprika adds a lot of flavor. I like regular smoked, but hot or regular (sweet) paprika can be used. The amount of cayenne gives a subtle kick. Use more if you are looking for spicy fried chicken, or omit for heat sensitive keds.
- For the marinade, heavy cream keeps it keto. If you’re low-carb but not keto, half-and-half works, or you can skip the vinegar and use buttermilk instead. The apple cider vinegar “sours” the cream so it acts like buttermilk.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken gives you the crispiest results. If you’re frying breasts, brown them first, then finish in a 350°F oven until they reach about 160°F internally (check with an instant-read thermometer).
- Use finely ground almond flour, not almond meal, and freshly grated Parmesan for the best coating. Make sure your baking powder is aluminum-free, and that it is fresh, so the crust gets crisp.
Tips & Tricks
- Breading chicken can get messy if you aren't careful! I recommend using one hand for wet ingredients and the other hand for dry ingredients. This keeps you from breading your own hand!
- When frying, I recommend working in batches to avoid the oil temperature from getting too low and prevent the chicken from sticking together.
- You can use almond milk in place of the heavy cream. If you do so, I recommend adding a beaten egg to the marinade for thickness. This will help the low-carb breading to adhere to the chicken.
Can I Use Pork Rinds?
Yes, if you would like to you can use pork rinds in place of the almond flour.
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- Shallow bowls or breading trays.
- Deep fryer or heavy-duty deep skillet or Air Fryer
- Instant Read Thermometer and Heat Safe Thermometer for Oil
Reusing Oil for Frying
As long as you choose the right oil - such as avocado oil - and are careful to keep the oil below its smoke point, it is safe to reuse oil that has been used for frying.
The first step is to filter it so that you can remove any bits of cooked food. You can use an extremely fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter to do this.
Make sure that the oil is not hot when you do this!
Place the oil in a container and keep it in the refrigerator.
How many times the oil can be reused isn't a hard and fast rule, but generally, you can use it between four and six times.
It is time to throw it out when it turns dark and begins to have an "off" odor. Don't plan on keeping oil for more than two months.
How to Make Keto Fried Chicken
Remove the chicken from the marinade, and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Fried Chicken
Heat the oil in a large deep skillet until it is 350 ° F. (Deep Frying is another option.)
Cook, skin side down, for 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and cook another 4 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160° F.
Rest for 10 minutes prior to serving.
Air Fried Chicken with Almond Flour
Preheat your air fryer to 400° F.
Spray the chicken with oil and cook for 13 minutes.
Flip and respray. Reduce the temperature to 350° F.
Cook until an Instant Read Thermometer registers 160 ° F.
Keto Fried Chicken with Almond Flour Parmesan Coating
Ingredients
Spice Mixture
- 1 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Marinade
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken pieces
Breading
- 1 ½ cups finely ground almond flour
- 1 ½ cups finely ground parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, salt, garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and vinegar and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Add in the yellow mustard and 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Marinate the chicken in a shallow dish or zip-top bag for 4 hours.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the almond flour, parmesan cheese, baking powder, and remaining spice mixture.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, and coat with the almond flour mixture, gently pressing the coating into the chicken with your fingers. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
For Frying:
- Fill a large skillet with at least 2 inches of oil. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 350° F. Add about 4 pieces of the chicken, skin side down. The oil temperature should drop to about 325 degrees.
- Fry, without turning, for 6 minutes. Flip and fry for another 4 minutes, or until golden brown, and the internal temperature is 160 ° F.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
For Air Frying:
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 ° F. Place the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Be careful not to overcrowd - work in batches if necessary.
- Spray the chicken with oil and cook for 13 minutes. Flip the chicken and spray with more oil. Reduce the air fryer temperature to 350 ° F. Cook for another 11 to 15 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reads 160° F.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Kalindy Kotiah says
Omg I love this recipe!!! I'm only 1 person though and just wondering if I can make it in advance? I just keep the breading and the chicken separately in the fridge and then bring them together right before cooking. It's still so good.
Do you happen to know if I can bread them ahead of time and just cook when I'm ready to eat?
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad you like it. I think there is a chance the breading would get soggy if you breaded it too far in advance. Maybe a few hours would work, but days might not. I think you could bread chicken that hadn't been previously frozen and then freeze it.
Gen says
Crispy and delicious! I am so excited to have found a keto version of fried chicken. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
GRETA says
Oh, I loved it! My family ate it in 2 minutes. So delicious! Highly Recommended!
Paulette says
Thank you for this recipe. I made it tonight, delicious. My husband said the best fried chicken he has had. I will make it again and again.
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
Judy says
Can this be deep fried?
Wendy Polisi says
Yes, it sure can! I have a deep fryer and have tested it. It works beautifully.
Yoli says
This is a fantastic recipe. The marinade makes the recipe. So yummy and satisfying..
Wendy Polisi says
I am so glad that you liked it!
Cinamon says
Hi Wendy,
Can you bake these in the oven?
Thanks, Cinamon
Natalia says
What’s the serving size? Can’t wait to make this!
Wendy Polisi says
It is about 3 ounces of chicken!