Aaah yes, you heard that right. Β Crispy Keto Fried Chicken. YUM. When is the last time you ate some fried chicken that didn’t involve either pork rinds, almond meal, baking powder/soda or parmesan cheese? Look no further, because I just made the best fried chicken ever!!
The secret to these succulent crispy chicken thighs? Whey Protein Isolate! Β I use the NOW brand and love it because it’s much lower carb than normal protein powder.
These days I’ve been trying to make so many recipes keto-friendly by using protein powder and let me tell you something. Β I am in LOVE! Man, this stuff is amazing. Last week I uploaded some Keto Tempura using whey protein powder, so if you feel like some Japanese food, make sure to make some!
The trick to these bad boys are the eggs. Β If you don’t coat the chicken with eggs first, the protein powder won’t really stick to the chicken and will fall to the bottom of the pot when deep-fried. Β So please make sure to add the eggs.
I was thinking about the tempura recipe and how it worked with protein powder, so I tried coating the chicken with it without the egg and it failed miserably, so I added an egg and problem solved! So really don’t forget the egg!!!
If you’d like to try this recipe, but you eat dairy-free, you must try my DAIRY-FREE KETO PALEO FRIED CHICKEN!Β It uses egg white powder instead of whey protein and it’s just as amazing!!
Crispy Keto Fried Chicken
The BEST fried chicken you'll ever eat. You won't need nuts, pork rinds, or parmesan for this recipe!
Ingredients
- as needed lard or coconut oil, beef tallow
- 1/2 cup whey protein isolate
- 2 eggs
Fried Chicken
- 450 g boneless chicken thighs
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tbsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tbsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp celery seeds
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 45 ml unsweetened almond milk
Spicy Ranch Dressing
- 3 tbsp homemade mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp chili oil
Instructions
Mince the garlic cloves. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces. I prefer to eat the skin, but if you don't like the skin feel free to take it off π
In a bowl combine the chicken with all the spices and the almond milk. Mix until well combined. Add the two eggs to the mixture and mix thoroughly.
Heat the lard (or any frying oil you'll be using) between 140-150C/285-300F.
When the oil is hot, dip each chicken piece, one by one, into the protein powder making sure all the sides are perfectly coated. Once coated, add the chicken pieces to your hot oil and fry 2-3 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. The inner temperature of each chicken bites should register at 65C/150F+ when the chicken is cooked through.
Add the fried chicken on a wire rack or some paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Eat as is or with some spicy ranch dressing!
Spicy Ranch Dressing
Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl together and serve with the fried chicken π
Recipe Notes
- The chicken can be reheated the next day, but taste better and is crispier the same day πΒ
- The ranch dressing can also be made as a salad dressing.
This recipe does not work in an air fryer.Β The whey protein isolate needs to activate inside the hot oil in order to crisp up and get flaky.
Anna says
Made these for dinner. They were amazing!!!also occurred to me that this is perfect breading for pop corn shrimp or calimari. Thank you so much for the great recipe!
Brent says
Excellent flavor and crisp. I used egg white protein instead of the whey and it came out perfect. I found a new favorite!
Tammy says
Try with almond milk and an egg substitute you will find that the recipe is just as good and you can make your own pressing you do not have to use store-bought dressing I like the avocado lime dressing with this is phenomenal. There are ways to make it so that it can be vegan.
Marla says
Can this be done in an air fryer? Do any adjustments need to be made to the recipe?
Mira says
Hi Marla, I believe I mention it somewhere in the post. It doesn’t work with an air fryer as the protein powder activates when it hits hot oil!
MaryKay Jones says
Whey IS dairy. Dairy-free must be whey-free.
“Whey sensitivity and intolerance: Here’s when whey protein just isn’t …
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/whey-protein-allergies-intolerances-bloating
There are many folks who suffer allergies or intolerance to traditional protein supplements, especially whey protein. Heck, you might … But, consider this as wellβ¦any protein powder that contains βwhey protein concentratesβ still contains lactose β even if the manufacturer claims it’s a high quality isolate.”
Mira says
Hi MariKay, this recipe is not dairy-free and I never say anywhere that it is…
Alison says
No, you didn’t say dairy free! I tried this tonight! Fried chicken is my absolute favorite meal and I have missed it so much since starting keto! I am in love!! I used chicken tenders and added a little bit of garlic salt to the whey protein. The breading was light and crispy. Didn’t even need a dip! Thank you!
Tatiana says
I wish i saw this recipe before the SuperBowl today! i would totally make it for a crowd!
Leslie says
Wow! This looks amazing! Whey protein powder as a breading is something I have NEVER seen before. Neat idea, I’ll have to share with my keto friends!
Danielle says
LOVE this idea! I have a friend doing keto right now, can’t wait to share this with her!
Janine says
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! Thank you so much for this!
Mira says
Thank you!!!
Christina Shoemaker says
I can’t believe you used protein powder?! MIND BLOWN! This looks fantastic and so crispy!!
Mira says
It’s great right!! Can coat anything with it!
NatInPW says
How does this compare to the “3-2-1” breading (parmesan / flaxseed flour / almond flour) ?
I tried the 3-2-1 on fish last night and it tasted ok (not great). It also didn’t get crispy in my deep fryer.
I’ve also tried straight almond flour on chicken in the past, and that tasted “doughy”, not appetizing at all.
Not knowing how to cook at all, and having to learn to cook AND to cook with replacement ingredients, is NOT EASY.
Mira says
For me those breading were just coating and not actual “fried chicken” like KFC. The whey protein (or egg white powder if you’re dairy-free) actually ACTS like flour. It gets flaky, crisps up in the oil just like normal fried chicken! Whey protein and egg white powder are DEFINITELY my favourite!!
Katie Mae @ Nourishing Simplicity says
Why was this not my dinner tonight?! I’ve never thought of using whey protein isolate like that! I’m going to be dreaming of fried chicken as I sleep. π
Easy Prep Ahead Meal Plans @ 20 Dishes says
I have made a lot of fried chicken in my day, but this blows my recipe out of the water.
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says
Such a huge fan of chicken wings! I love how you have made these so crispy!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
OMG this chicken! I can’t believe the crispy crust…Just from protein powder? Yay and healthy too!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
WOW!!! This chicken looks AMAZING! Look at that beautiful crispy texture. Yum!
linda spiker says
Crispy fried chicken is one of my favorite things in the whole world. I am swooning!
Monique says
I never would have thought to use whey protein for chicken like this! Amazing!
Yvonne says
Fantastic recipe! We make it all the time since going on keto as a treat for game day and all the boys love it!
Jean says
Wow! Fried chicken is one of the foods I miss the most after going gluten so I canβt wait to try this recipe!
Joni Gomes says
Looks incredibly crunchy! Love the addition of the whey protein, so cool!
Megan Stevens says
Wow, what a cool idea!! I would never have known to use protein powder! About how many cups is 45 ml of almond milk?
Mira says
Thank you, it’s 3 tbsp.
[email protected] says
I used a similar method last night for a whole 30 orange chicken dish…I LOVE the idea of trying your technique with the whey powder to keep it totally keto!! And all those spices, swoon!
Yang says
I haven’t had fried chicken in like forever! This looks so yummy. I agree with you on using thighs and eating the skins. Haha, sometimes I only like to eat the skins π
lparry says
Is there something else I could use besides the whey protein? I have all the other ingredients and was trying to avoid buying anything else.
Mira says
Since this recipe was for KFC style fried chicken, the only other thing you can use is egg white powder. If it’s not whey protein or that, it won’t be the same recipe at all. You can use a mixture of parmesan and almond flour to coat and fry, or coat with crushed pork rinds, but it won’t get crispy like real fried chicken.
Amanda says
How much is one serving? The whole recipe?
Mira says
It says on the recipe card. Makes 4 servings. The nutritional info is for 1 serving.
Marietta says
Is it possible to use chicken wings or thighs with the bone in? Also how much lard do I use? Anyone used anything other than Lard? Coconut oil?
Mira says
You can use any part of the chicken or any type of meat. You can also use any type of oil you want.
Margie says
OMG!! This is amazing! I followed the recipe w tenders cut in half and used peanut oil. Soooooo good. Will try shrimp w old bay seasoning next. Thank you for this recipe. Not sure why the carb count should be 2.1? The sauce??
Mira says
It’s the spices! Spices have carbs too.
artbylisabelle says
Excellent! MMMmmmmmmmmm
Annette Banks says
Oh, my! Thank you for trying and sharing this. I just made fried eggplant. I haven’t had that in so long and even my hubby likes it.
Sara Huddleston says
Just found and tried this. Freaking amazing. The protein powder and eggs can be a bit messy but man…yum
Karen Scheff says
Greatest dish I’ve had since going Keto. Thank you. Also I just put everything in one bowl including the protein and mixed it up then fried each piece in lard. Came out perfect!
K Morano says
FINALLY, a recipe without pork rinds or almond flour! I can’t eat pork and my kid wants fried things crispy. I used chicken breasts. Loved the tender-crisp texture and how it didn’t fall off the bird. I also liked it with more salt and garlic and used chicken breast instead of thighs. I may try using a buttermilk marinade another time. Also, the spice mix itself fried up nicely with some protein powder. I could see using some little fried bits of this over a salad for texture and flavor.
Mira says
Thank you! A buttermilk marinade sounds good! You can change the spices to anything you like and it’s guaranteed to taste amazing!
leslieavon1585 says
has anyone tried using an air fryer?
Estelle says
I just bought two air fryers. That is why I am looking for a low carb coating to put on the chicken. Well, using an air fryer will certainly reduce the calories. I am wondering if you can just avoid to whey protein. Gonna try just with the eggs and almond milk just to see how it goes.
Mira says
I havenβt tried making in it in an air fryer so not sure if itβll work. If you donβt want to use whey protein, you can also use egg white protein powder. I uploaded the recipe for that here: http://www.mypcoskitchen.com/keto-paleo-fried-chicken/
Jammie says
I don’t have chili oil, can I substitute with anything else? Thank you in advance.
Mira says
You can use cayenne pepper.
Mike Nadelman says
I got Pea protein flour and noticed it has more sodium and no potassium. Plus not cholesterol. Will that work?
Mira says
Hi Mike! I haven’t tried with any other protein powders so if you try, please let me know if it works π
Jeannie Allen says
Pray tell me what the hell is protein powder. Do you mean corn flour?..
Mira says
Protein powder is protein powder. It is not corn flour. This is the one I use. http://amzn.to/2x2fCsH
Nanabella says
Protein Powder is a food powder that is usually made from dehydrated whey or egg white. People use it to add protein to their diet, whether by mixing it into a shake, or using it as a type of flour, like in baking, or, in this case, as a low carb coating for making crispy fried food. There are many many brands with lots of ingredients and flavors on the market… look for one with ingredients that suit your tastes and needs…
I hope this info helps…πππ»
Dawn says
OMG I’m craving hahaha
Andrew Eatmon says
I made this last night and it was awesome. However i was wondering if you have tried adding some seasoning to the coating and if so how did it work out?
Mira says
I usually add all my seasonings to the chicken first. I haven’t tried seasoning the protein powder first. Worth a shot!
Melissa says
How much of the breading comes off when you fry it? Do you think this can be made in the oven?
Mira says
The breading doesn’t really come off, but the oil does get orange. I haven’t tried making it in the oven so I can’t really tell you if it works!
Holly says
Could these be made with an air fryer? Also can I use Quest multi purpose protein powder?
Mira says
Hi!
I don’t own an air fryer so I couldn’t tell you if it works, but if you do try, please let me know! Any protein powder will work π
Yamini says
Hi. Did you try making it in the air fryer? Did it come out well?
Mira says
Air frying won’t give great results. The batter gets extremely tough. Deep frying is better as the batter crisps up in the oil and gets flaky/juicy like KFC.
Heather says
I made this tonight. So much flavor and perfect crispiness! I think I put too much paprika, but otherwise, SO SO SO good! Thank you!!!
Mira says
Thank you so much!!
You can try different combination of spices too! I made some Japanese karaage ones that had ginger, garlic, coconus aminos, salt and pepper, and they were amazing!! I also made some with curry powder and YUM! You can also fry other cuts of meat or fish/seafood π
Angie says
What flavor of protein do you use? Or is there a plain protein powder on the market I’m not aware of? Because I know my French vanilla and double fudge aren’t going to work for this! Haha!
Mira says
Unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate from NOW. I put the link to Amazon in the ingredients list!
DAMON K SNYDER says
Dude. This stuff was amazing. Can’t even begin to thank you for bringing this concoction into this world…
Mira says
Haha thank you so much!! You can also do different spices and do it with different cuts of meat or fish!
Christy P says
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I’m from TX and have been missing chicken fried steak and steakfingers something fierce so I’m going to try the batter on beef cube steaks/cutlets. What do you think?
Blessings To You!
Mira says
Hi!
I haven’t tried with beef but I imagine it would taste amazing! So far I’ve done it with shrimp, fish, pork and chicken! All were super yummy π
jackie says
I did chicken fried steak last night (with beef cube steak) and it came out fantastic, I did use different seasonings but the coating was the same with eggs & whey protein. Even my non low carb husband said he’d eat it again.
Christy Pogue says
WOOHOO!! Thank you Jackie! I’m going to give it try this weekend!
jackie says
I followed instructions & ingredients exact and this was perfect, even my non low carb husband liked it. Thank you so much its game changing for me.
jenniferstill says
We’ve made this twice now and HOO BOY, it’s delicious. Literally cannot thank you enough for being so clever and coming up with something so delicious and non-keto tasting π
Mira says
Thank you so much!! I’m so happy that there are so many possibilities to using protein powder!!
marshaxxx3 says
The ingredient list does not contain eggs, yet eggs are clearly in the video and instructions.
Mira says
Ah, there seemed to be a mistake. Added the eggs to the recipe card. Thanks for the heads up.
Christiane Schulze says
made these tonight…they were AMAZING…made a mushroom cap version for my kiddos…and dipped them in wheat starch (they are very limited on their protein intake)….then fried….sooooo good…thank you so much…I would have never thought of this recipe for my kids…you are awesome…
Glenda says
I just wanted to let you know, if you don’t already, whey protein isolate contains MSG. This is a name used to disguise MSG. Obviously, you try to cook healthy, but if you haven’t developed a sensitivity to MSG, you may soon. I recommend reviewing truthinlabeling.org, specifically the list of hidden sources. It sounds lovely, but if I ate it, I’d have a migraine of huge proportions.
Mira says
MSG does absolutely nothing to me.
Glenda Hendry says
I’m glad you don’t have an issue. Unfortunately, all excitotoxins affect me. π
Mira says
I live in a country where MSG is used as table salt at home and restaurants so I may just be used to it or my body can tolerate it since it’s used in every single dish here.
Tina says
You are mistaken. This is a myth circulating the internet and the site you reference has been proven as unreliable. Whey protein does NOT contain MSG. Period. https://fixyourgut.com/msg-in-your-protein/
Michelle says
I just finished eating these and want to say THANK YOU!! These are so good and I love how crispy the crust is. It makes me feel like I’m not even eating low carb. Keep up the amazing recipe ideas. ππ
Mira says
Thank you so much for making it and leaving a comment about it <3
Melzer says
I made this chicken tonight. I wanted to say BLESS YOU!! It was delicious and so satisfying to me. Ive been missing fried chicken with a coating NOT made from almond. I made a few small modifications to it based on what I had on hand…..used breast meat, cumin for the celery seed, and chicken broth for the almond milk. Even the dip was tasty!
Nakisha Outlaw-Bellamy says
So, I’m definitely intrigued and excited to try. Question about the servings, would 1 serving be considered 1 piece of chicken?
Mira says
Hi Nakisha,
One serving is about 110g of chicken thighs so however big or small you cut the pieces. I used 4 large thighs for this recipe and cut each thigh into 3-4 pieces. So 3-4 pieces of chicken was 1 serving for me.