This keto fried chicken is extremely crispy, succulent, full of flavor, and a crowd-pleaser. The almond flour low carb breading is super easy to make. Enjoy quick and easy fried chicken ready in just 30 minutes with simple ingredients.
I’ve been a KFC regular fried and spicy chicken fan for a long time. The best part is that sometimes I still enjoy homemade low carb fried chicken, a recipe that, in my opinion, resembles and tastes even better.
Even fried dishes (that are higher in calories) can be healthier when cooking at home. You can choose the frying oil, the coating, adjust the seasonings, and omit the sugars and other nasty ingredients.
Today I am showing you my favorite keto fried chicken recipe dipped in ranch dressing. You can also serve them with sugar-free ketchup, coleslaw salad, or roasted vegetables.
But, be careful these golden little fried chicken pops are addictive. I haven’t yet met someone who doesn’t like crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside fried chicken.
Watch this quick video to see how to make keto fried chicken!
Is Fried Chicken Keto?
Usually, regular fried chicken is not keto-friendly because the breading is made with wheat flour. No worries, we found a solution that makes super crispy chicken as well that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Ingredients for Keto Fried Chicken
The ingredients you’ll need for the best low carb fried chicken are super easy to find and versatile. Tender chicken pieces are seasoned to perfection and then fried until extra crispy and delicious. Here’s a note on the ingredients:
- Chicken thighs or chicken breast – cut them into bite-size pieces!
- Eggs – help everything bind together, so all the seasonings stick to the chicken.
- Seasonings: I used tons of my favorite herbs and spice that include dried basil, dried thyme, oregano, powder, ginger powder, and garlic powder, chili pepper flakes.
- minced garlic
Breading For Keto Chicken Nuggets
To make delicious fried keto chicken nuggets, I suggest replacing the wheat flour with some lower carb alternatives:
- Almond Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Unflavored Whey Protein
- Pork Rinds – Crush pork rinds in a food processor and add your favorite spices, then coat the chicken bites.
I choose to deep fry the chicken in refined coconut oil because it’s tasteless and heat resistant due to the saturated fatty acids.
To coat the chicken bites, I used almond flour, but an unflavoured protein powder works well too.
Some people use coconut flour or coconut flakes, but I am not a huge fan of those. One thing I tried and really loved was the pork rinds processed into little pieces.
How To Make Keto Chicken Bites
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and place them in a shallow bowl or large bag,
- Prepare the seasonings and coatings: Add seasonings, eggs, and almond flour over the chicken. Toss well to combine, then marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Fry the chicken for at least 5 minutes or until crispy and brown. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding.
- Remove the chicken from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
The Secrets of Crispy Keto Fried Chicken
The secret to extremely flavourful fried chicken is to marinate the meat in many herbs and spices before frying it.
I recommend keeping it overnight in the fridge so the meat can absorb all the flavors. There’s no problem if you don’t have that much time to wait. An hour in the fridge is enough to get the chicken ready.
You’ll see that this is a super simple recipe that requires less than 20 minutes of work. After the chicken is ready to coat and fry, all you have to do is to wait for it to be done and prepare a delicious dip and serve along with a simple cabbage salad.
What is the Best Oil for Deep Frying?
You may already know that not all oils are good for frying. You should choose oils that have a high smoke point and are stable when heated.
- Coconut oil is one of the best choices when it comes to deep-frying. Try a refined coconut oil that has no taste.
- Animal fats like lard, tallow, or ghee are a great choice. They taste amazing and add extra flavor to the recipe.
- Avocado Oil has a high smoke point and can be used for deep frying.
- Peanut oil has a neutral taste and a high smoke point (446°F / 230°C).
- Palm oil is excellent for deep frying but not recommended.
Tips and Variations
- For some extra flavor, grate some parmesan over the hot fried chicken bites.
- The chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165F degrees.
- Make super the oil is moderately hot because if the oil is too hot, the chicken may burn on the outside and still be raw on the inside.
- Serve these fried chicken bites with honey mustard, homemade ranch, or keto barbeque sauce.
How To Store Low Carb Fried Chicken
While these keto friend chicken bites are incredible freshly fried, you can make them ahead and store them:
- Fridge – Fried chicken bites can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – Prepare the chicken as instructed in the recipe card below, then place them on a baking sheet before frying. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, fry from frozen until golden brown. You can also freeze the fried chicken bites and reheat them in the oven.
Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce
- Keto Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Baked Chicken Legs
- Hasselback Chicken Stuffed with Mozzarella and Spinach
Crispy Keto Fried Chicken
Description
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs skinless, boneless
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp basil dried
- 1 tsp pink salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Coating and Frying
- 1/2 cup almond flour or unflavored whey protein
- coconut oil or your choice of oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized (1-inch) pieces.
- Place the chicken into a zip-lock bag or into a bowl, add one egg and all the spices. Toss to coat well. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Add the almond flour or protein powder in a container. Place the chicken pieces in the container and toss to coat well.
- Heat enough oil in a deep pot. Fry chicken bites, several pieces at a time, for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown.
- In a deep fryer, heat oil to 375°F. Fry chicken bites, several pieces at a time, for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown.
- Serve with your favorite side salad or a delicious keto sauce.
Video
How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.
READER FAVORITES
The full recipe is in the recipe card below. Readers that love this aslo made these recipes:
Can I do this in an air fryer?
Excellent! My hubby & I both approve. Marinated the chicken for 4 hrs. Took it out of the fridge while the oil was heating. Tossed with the almond flour & fried at about 320-335 degrees Didn’t time the chicken, just waited for it to float. So good! And so easy! Thank you!
I tried them with whey protein powder as the breading. They were so tasty! I added a keto buffalo sauce and put them into a salad with low carb ranch dressing. Even non-keto family members thought it was delicious!
We just made this last night in our air fryer. It was fantastic. I didn’t have all the spices (couldn’t find paprika for some reason in our house) and we did whole legs and thighs, but it still turned out great. The air fryer was a MESS when I was done, but it was worth it. Thanks!
My wife is gluten-free, sugar-free, etc… She ate it, loved the flavor and how crispy it was and didn’t complain about it upsetting her stomach. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.