You guys, this keto fried chicken is the thing picnic dreams are made of! With its flavorful, crunchy breading, no one would ever think this is one of your low carb recipes…
Plus, it’s SO simple, and SO fast, this healthy recipes perfect for whipping up for a crowd.
I love low carb chicken recipes like this one because they’re an inexpensive and fast way to meal prep an entire week’s worth of low carb dinners. Plus, they taste like eating at a home-cookin’ restaurant – minus the extra carbs and cost! Win-win!
Let’s get started!
Looking for more keto dinners? Check out my chicken curry, egg roll in a bowl, or my keto chicken casserole.
What I Love About This Low Carb Fried Chicken Recipe
This keto fried chicken is, in a word, mouthwatering! What I love most about this recipe…
My husband and I did a side by side taste test of fried chicken recipes. He was a chef (and a dang good one!), so he made traditional fried chicken. I made this low carb version. After a blindfold taste test, neither of us could tell the difference. SERIOUSLY! Why waste the carbs?! This stuff is MAGIC!
Plus:
- Made from just 3 ingredients plus some seasonings!
- On the table in under 45 minutes!
- All of the crunchy, salty, tender flavors and textures you crave in fried chicken!
Keto Fried Chicken Recipe Notes
This recipe is so simple and takes no time at all!
Ingredient Notes
There are really only a few ingredients to this easy, peasy recipe:
Chicken tenders – There are two of these soft cuts of meat per chicken, one attached to each side of the breast. You can usually buy a pack of them at the grocery store. But, if you can’t find them, you can make something similar by taking chicken breast and cutting it into ½ inch strips.
Pork rinds – these may win the award for the most underutilized ingredient. Fried pigskin pieces, also called cracklins, make a yummy chip-like snack and work beautifully as a low carb breading when crushed up. Plus they add amazing flavor! Find them in the snack aisle!
Since our breading is already fried, we get to bake our fried chicken in the oven! It’s a MIRACLE! (If you’ve made fried chicken in a pan, you know what I’m talking about…)
Tools To Make
This keto fried chicken recipe uses 2 of the most basic kitchen tools of all!
- Oven: Again, the reason we can get away with this is because the pork rinds are ALREADY fried, meaning we get to utilize their crunch without the hassle! Smart, right?
- Baking sheet: Just a plain old baking sheet, cookie sheet, jelly roll pan – any will do! Just get a flat metal surface and cover with foil and presto! You’re good to go!
Storing Tips
Like any meat, you’ll want to store these keto fried chicken pieces in an airtight container in the fridge. You can eat them cold, just like normal fried chicken, or rewarm them in the toaster oven or oven.
You can reheat them in the microwave as well, but they won’t be as crispy, and I wouldn’t recommend it.
Can You Freeze These?
Yep, you can! That’s a great way to make these last longer. Store a whole batch in an airtight container in a single layer, not overlapping.
Or, to be able to reheat a few at a time, wrap pieces individually in plastic wrap and foil and then freeze in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven or toaster oven!
Serving Recommendations
What is fried chicken without sauce?! Our faves for fried chicken are:
As far as sides go, I like to serve this fried chicken with keto coleslaw and keto potato salad — but really it goes great with all the fried chicken classics.
Recipe Variations
Want to gussy up your keto fried chicken? Let’s check out some variations!
- Try a different marinade. Marinating your chicken before breading them is a great way to get some more flavor and amplify the juiciness of this dish! Try swapping pickle juice for this yogurt marinated chicken.
- Make the chicken spicy. There are a lot of ways to add a kick to this recipe! Simply add some cayenne or red pepper flakes or keto taco seasoning to the breading. Or, you can dip your fried chicken in a spicy sauce!
- Pan-fried Chicken. With this recipe, the pork rinds will fall right off if you try to pan-fry them, so consider making a keto chicken stir fry instead if pan-fried is what you’re craving!
- Deep-fried chicken. Again, this particular breading won’t work when deep-fried, but the breading on this low carb popcorn chicken will! Check it out and adjust your cook time accordingly.
More Keto Chicken Recipes
Does this keto fried chicken have you hankerin’ for even more healthy chicken recipes? There are lots to choose from. Check these out!
- Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
- Chicken Crust Pizza
- Lasagna Stuffed Chicken
- Asian Chicken Marinade
- Fajita Stuffed Chicken
Keto Fried Chicken
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Marinade (optional!):
- Pickle Juice enough to cover the chicken in a resealable baggie
Fried Chicken:
- 3 Lbs Chicken Tenders
- 4 Ounce Pork Rinds
- 2 Teaspoon Thyme
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 Eggs
Instructions
Marinade (optional):
- Place chicken tenders (3 Lbs) in a large resealable baggie.
- Pour pickle juice over the top. Make sure there's enough to cover the chicken.
- Place chicken in the fridge and allow it to marinate overnight.
- Rinse chicken before coating it...
Chicken:
- Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Place pork rinds (4 Ounces) in a resealable bag and crush into a panko sized grain. Be sure to leave a few large pieces.
- Add thyme (2 teaspoon), salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (1 teaspoon), oregano (1 teaspoon), garlic powder (1 teaspoon), and smoked paprika (1 teaspoon) to the bag and shake a few times to combine.
- Pour the pork rind combo in an even layer on a flat plate.
- Beat eggs (2) in a wide-mouthed bowl.
- Dip chicken into the eggs, then into the pork rind combo — make sure to evenly coat all sides. Place chicken onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Once all chicken tenders are evenly coated, bake in the oven 24 minutes, until chicken is cooked all the way through and has reached an internal temp of 165 F.
- Allow chicken to cool and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
What kind of pickle juice did you use
Hi Carroll! I’ve used many different brands — Vlassic is my go to as they’re easy to find. Enjoy!
Can you use an air fryer?
Hey Andy, you don’t really need to since the pork rinds are already fried, but you can if you prefer!