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Fried Chicken

Updated May 7, 2020Published Aug 2, 2018 By Julia 151 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

Summary:
Here's an easy keto-friendly recipe for making fried chicken at home. The breading is made from almond flour and parmesan cheese, which keeps the carb count low. Once fried, the breading turns crunchy and golden brown, with juicy and tender meat.
keto fried chicken served on white plate

Fried Chicken

4.6 from 80 votes
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (18 ounces total) (Note 1)
  • oil for frying (Note 2)

Egg Wash:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Breading:

  • 2/3 cup almond flour (Note 3)
  • 2/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (Note 4)
  • 1 teaspoon table salt (Note 5)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (Note 6)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (Note 7)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Prep Chicken: Cut each chicken thigh into 3 evenly sized pieces, trimming off excess fat if desired. If moist, pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
  • Prep Breading Station: Whisk eggs and heavy cream in bowl until combined and pale yellow. Stir together all breading ingredients in another bowl until well-mixed with no clumps. Prepare large tray lined with parchment paper to hold breaded chicken (Note 8).
  • Bread Chicken: Working with one chicken piece at a time, coat chicken first in breading bowl, then in egg wash bowl, then again in breading bowl. See Note 9 for breading tips. Place breaded chicken pieces on prepared parchment paper as each chicken piece is breaded in turn.
  • Heat Oil: Add 1 to 2 inches of oil to pot (Note 10) over medium-high heat. Heat oil to 350 F, and frequently monitor to maintain temperature by adjusting heat level during frying. Alternatively, use deep fryer with automatic temperature control.
  • Fry Chicken: Carefully lower half of breaded chicken (6 pieces; Note 11) into hot oil. Fry until deep brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes (Note 12), and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining breaded chicken. Serve (Note 13).

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings
(Note 14)
Amount Per Serving (3 fried chicken pieces):
Calories 380 (61% from fat) ย 
Total Fat 26g 40%
ย ย ย Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Cholesterol 218mg 73%
Sodium 920mg 38%
Net Carb 2.5g ย 
Total Carb 5g 2%
ย ย ย Dietary Fiber 2.5g 9%
ย ย ย Sugars 1g ย 
Protein 34g ย 
Vitamin A 8% ยท Vitamin C 0% ยท Calcium 22% ยท Iron 15%

PHOTOS

keto fried chicken served on white plate
breading ingredients in bowl
mixed breading ingredients in bowl
step by step showing how to bread chicken
breaded chicken set aside on parchment paper
cooking fried chicken in deep fryer
keto fried chicken served on white plate
taking a bite out of fried chicken

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Chicken. I use thighs because they’re juicy, flavorful, hard to overcook, and easily available as boneless and skinless. They’re especially good for fried chicken because they’re uneven, with all sorts of nooks and crannies, providing lots of surface area for delicious breading to easily adhere to. You get a lot more crunch in every bite compared to breaded chicken breasts. If you decide to use chicken breasts, make sure to cut them into small nugget-sized pieces. Readers have also reported success using drumsticks and wings.
(2) Oil For Frying. Select an oil that (a) has neutral flavor and (b) can be heated to at least 350 F without burning — see Oil Smoke Points. Common frying oils include avocado oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil. Pick a budget-friendly oil, since you’ll likely need a large quantity of it to completely submerge the chicken when deep frying. Note that you can re-use oil by filtering it through a fine-mesh strainer or coffee filter; I use the built-in oil filtration system in my T-fal deep fryer. In fact, re-used oil or a mix of old and new often results in crunchier fried foods due to broken-down oil making better contact with the food — see Cooks Illustrated article.
(3) Almond Flour. I use almond flour that is blanched, which means the skins are taken off of the almonds, so that the resulting flour looks white. Don’t substitute with coconut flour or other flours, which vary in their absorbency.
(4) Parmesan Cheese. This is the kind of parmesan that has a sandy or almost powdery texture. Donโ€™t use shredded cheese, which wonโ€™t stick as easily to the chicken.
(5) Salt. The amount listed results in low carb breading that is a bit on the saltier side, which is how I like my fried chicken. If youโ€™re trying to minimize your sodium intake, you can decrease the salt by up to half.
(6) Paprika. This spice is included for a smokier breading, and to give a nice orange color to the fried chicken.
(7) Cayenne. This small amount results in very minimal heat. For spicy chicken, you can double the amount.
(8) Tray With Parchment Paper. This is useful so that you can bread all of the chicken at once. I use a baking half sheet. Wax paper or other nonstick surface would also work for lining. You can skip this step if you plan to place each breaded chicken directly into the hot oil right after breading — it just makes it harder to keep track of how long each chicken piece has been frying, since you’re not putting them in simultaneously.
(9) Breading Tips. To make the breading process less messy, use one hand for touching the breading and the other hand for touching the egg wash. Only one hand per bowl. To coat, flip the chicken piece a few times in the bowl until it’s coated on all sides, lift up, and shake off excess (for breading) or let the excess drip away (for egg wash). When coating with breading, place the chicken in the breading bowl and first scoop some breading on top of it so that you don’t have to touch the chicken while flipping to coat.
(10) Pot. An 8-inch diameter pot is a good size, which is large enough to fry 6 breaded chicken pieces simultaneously without overcrowding them.
(11) Working In Batches. I only fry 6 chicken pieces at a time, both to avoid overcrowding them and to avoid decreasing the oil temperature too much.
(12) Frying Time. If your chicken thigh pieces vary in size, they may not cook at the same rate. On average, it takes me about 5 minutes to fry them until deep brown and cooked through, but yours may take longer if you have large pieces. The best way to tell if your chicken is done is by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the center of the thickest part. It should read at least 165 F. If not, give it another minute or two of frying before testing again. If your chicken takes much longer than 5 minutes to cook through, some possible reasons are: (a) the oil is not hot enough, (b) the chicken pieces are not completely submerged in oil, (c) the chicken pieces are unusually large, or (d) you are overcrowding them in the pot.
(13) Serving. Serve promptly while hot and crispy; leftovers don’t keep well because the breading loses its crunchiness over time. Serve with dips on the side, like keto ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, or buffalo sauce, or side dishes like low carb biscuits, cornbread, or coleslaw. Don’t toss the fried chicken in sauce because the breading will turn soggy.
(14) Nutrition. The estimate assumes all of the egg wash and breading ingredients are consumed. Oil used for frying is not included in the estimate.

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Filed Under: Low Carb, Low Carb Copycats, Mains: Poultry, Per Serving: Under 5g Net Carbs Tagged With: 0-30min, 6-10ingredients, almond flour, cayenne, chicken thighs, eggs, featured, gluten free, heavy cream, paprika, parmesan cheese, popular, stovetop

About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes, mostly low carb and gluten free. Learn more.

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newest oldest most voted
Monica

Very good, I loved it! I used different seasonings though because I feel like the seasoning should be up to the cook but I used the almond flour and the egg/cream and it worked like a charm. If anyone wants to know I used garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, seasoning salt and lemon pepper!

Vote Up71Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Nonna

Kudos for starting off with the recipe and then following up with the details. I wish others would follow your lead. This is my new go to favorite for chicken strips. Thanks

Vote Up47Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Sue Halliburton

Just made this tonight and it’s soooo good! My husband is new to keto and also not a fan of chicken, but he said this is the best chicken he’s ever had! I used avocado oil in a bigger pan so I didn’t have more than about an inch probably, and they cooked perfectly! I only had to make one batch, they all fit. I also used breasts because that’s what I had on hand. Next time I’m going to cut them even smaller and make nuggets!

Vote Up13Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Danielle

Did you deep fry also…im not sure if you cook in pan then deep fry?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Robert

Wife was getting irritated with my menu when I went Keto… i knew she wanted some fried chicken and found this recipe… let’s just say she way VERY happy with the outcome. Flavor, crispyness, and presentation were all perfect!

Vote Up12Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
CLowe

The best keto fried anything recipe Iโ€™ve found to date! I actually fried fresh fish. It passed my 3 point test – 1. Easy. 2. Common ingredients. 3. Delicious!! Iโ€™ve found a keeper.

Vote Up8Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
klh

Has anyone made this in the airfryer?

Vote Up8Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Melissa F

I am going to be making it in my air fryer this evening for dinner.

Vote Up3Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Bonnie Trotter

I made these in the air fryer last night. I left them whole rather than cut them up into 3 pieces. Took about 20 minutes and they came out very crispy. The flavor was on point. My husband who is a fried chicken snob loved them!

Vote Up28Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Michele

What temperature did you cook the chicken? Thanks!

Vote Up4Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Sara

What temp did you use?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Eric

Hello, can you tell me how you did it in the air fryer?

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Judi Whiteaker

Yes! I made it in the Air Fryer. Cooked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Mine were kinda large Thighs, so I added an additional 7 minutes ๐Ÿ˜‹

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 months ago
Sarah

Unbelievable! I would have never thought it could have mimicked fried chicken so well. I made this for my family last night and we couldnโ€™t tell the difference! The recipe was super easy to follow, it was relatively quick, and outright delicious! I used chicken breasts cut up into strips, since thatโ€™s what I had on hand, as well as vegetable oil to fry in. Thank you so much for the recipe. Definitely a meal to have again and again!

Vote Up7Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Patrick

Donโ€™t use avocado oil! I have a giant foamy mess instead of frying oil….

Vote Up6Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Dermot

Iโ€™ve made many Keto/Atkins recipes over the years. Even made a pizza base from flax meal which still gives me nightmares. But this was by far the best nearly better than the real thing. An absolute top class recipe. Used Gran Padano cheese by mistake, but donโ€™t think it makes a difference.

Vote Up5Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
TexasTknk

Very nice crunch but a teaspoon of salt with tge salty parmesan is too salty. Also you must cut the thighs in much smaller pieces as this coating browns faster than large thighs can cook throughly. Sure does satisfy the fried chicken craving!

Vote Up5Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Alex

I suspect the type of pan makes a big difference here. Traditional southern fried chicken uses a cast iron skillet to maintain a low and slow, consistent frying temperature that allows you time to get the meat cooked throughout without burning the crust.

Vote Up3Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Danielle

Made this recipe tonight and WOW it was amazing. Tasted just like fried chicken. I have tried other recipes of yours and have not been disappointed yet! My family thought it tastes just like fried chicken too. Only thing I did different was add some of my own seasonings to it, other than that followed the recipe to a T. The breading was crispy and didnโ€™t taste like almond flour or cheese at all. Couldnโ€™t believe it wasnโ€™t flour!

Vote Up5Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Jacki

Just finished our dinner featured your chicken recipe. So good, and donโ€™t think it could be any better made with regular flour. Might up the spice level a bit, but this recipe is perfect otherwise and will be my go-to. Who would have thought that you can eat fried chicken while staying Keto. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
P.S. – thank you also for the tips included with this recipe. They were very helpful!

Vote Up3Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
carlzday

how do you make it so crispy looking (your breading looks thick) mine, when done just looks lightly breaded

Vote Up3Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Julia

I would make sure that you’re generously coating the chicken with the breading. Should have good coverage all over. Chicken thighs have lots of nooks and crannies, which means more surface area for breading to adhere to.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
carlzday

made it today–turned out pretty good… I fried it in coconut oil

Vote Up3Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Jake

Great Recipe. Probably the best tasting wings I’ve had out of the oven period. Easily modified with different spice combinations, the key is the baking powder and flour ratio, otherwise modify to your liking but it is fantastic as is.

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Julia

What temperature and time did you bake them for?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
San

Baking powder? I didn’t see that in the recipe. What step would I add that to- the almond flour?

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Lisa

I made this recipe with 4 whole bone in thighs (skin on). I added hot sauce to the eggs and extra cayene/hot paprika as we love the spice. It was awesome….One last piece burnt a tiny bit as the oil probably got too hot. I did have to finish them in the oven at 375 for about 10 to 15mins, on a rack as they were whole and bone in. Didnt get soggy afterward…loved it!!!

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
Ron Bell

Turned out excellent! Thanks for a great recipe!
(I have pictures.)
I will adjust the amount of salt, reducing it to 1/2 teaspoon next time. Just like the recipe suggested, if a teaspoon it calls for is to salty.
I used canola oil and yes, it did begin to foam over time, but it wasnโ€™t a big problem.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Jessica

I made this just now and MY WORD itโ€™s so good! I used chicken breasts and it was still juicy and delicious! Iโ€™ve done maybe 5 recipes from this website and theyโ€™re always so good!!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Tony

I did large drumsticks and they were really good. I would highly recommend this for wings!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Tony

I have rewarmed chicken strips made with this recipe in the oven on some foil. The residual oil kind of refries the breading. I just made it again and purposely made way too much so I can reheat.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
David Heath

Just made this and I am so pleased with it.
I only added a small amount of parmesan but still tutned out great. Made my Saturday lunch heavenly. Curried scrambled eggs with fried chicken and avocado. Never thought I’d be eating like this on keto. Great recipe

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Sue

I made this recipe last night but I didn’t have whipping cream so I used milk, but that was obviously a huge mistake because the batter didn’t adhere to the chicken very well and most of it fell off and went soft. Obviously the fat in the cream helps to keep the batter crispy and uniform, so if you make this recipe, use the recommended ingredients. Also, I used my air fryer and brushed olive oil onto the chicken before cooking. It worked, but I’m wondering if this also affected the outcome. I’m going to give this one 4 stars, only because it was my mistake that caused issues.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Heather

I used all the recommended ingredients and the batter still slipped off. Next time Iโ€™d try it with boneless skinless chicken breast strips rather than chicken parts with skin. The batter was pretty good otherwise.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
11 months ago
Hails

I tried this recipe tonight. I would have to agree with several other commenters that the breading was not quite as crispy as I would have liked, however I did turn mine into a sandwich with avocado so it was still pretty good. My biggest complaint would be that you probably shouldnโ€™t add much salt, if any, to the recipe since youโ€™re using the Parmesan as part of the breading. It came out extremely salty, in my opinion, and I feel itโ€™s just unnecessary. Overall, Iโ€™m not sure I would use this recipe again, but I do appreciate you putting this out there for others to try. Keto is not easy and Iโ€™m sure most would agree that weโ€™re willing to try anything!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Nathan Barron

Burnt in 2 mins in the fryer. My temp was fine. Not impressed

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
2 years ago
Kristine

I made this and found I used and wasted a ton of Almond flour. It’s too expensive to waste. I had 8 terradactl size thighs and made the recipe as listed thinking I’d make a 2nd batch of breading. I coated all 8 and threw away over half the breading. This tasted ok but I’ll increase spices next time. On keto I need flavor. But I will cut the flour and parmesan in half at least.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago
Judy Frye

Loved this recipe, tastes better than regular fried chicken… will make it again and again.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
3 years ago

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