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Low Carb & Ketogenic Recipes that are Gluten-free and Sugar-free

BEST Crispy Keto Fried Chicken Recipe

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Crispy, flaky and juicy keto fried chicken fried to absolute perfection using the BEST low carb breading recipe out there.  This low carb fried chicken recipe is entirely grain free, gluten free, nut free and pork free.

This recipe was originally published on May 19, 2017 and was since republished with better explanations, pictures, recipe and video.

Crispy fried chicken thighs over parchment paper in an old rustic frying pan.

Do you miss Kentucky Fried Chicken and wish there were a low carb version? Well, look no further because I’m about to blow your mind with this AMAZING keto fried chicken recipe.

It’s just like the real deal! That’s right. This crispy fried chicken recipe is just like KFC fried chicken.  Actually, it’s even better!

Did you know that one piece of Extra Crispy Chicken Thigh on the bone from KFC has 9g net carbs.  That’s one tiny little piece of chicken for 9g! Plus, we all know that nobody eats just one piece.  So 2-3 pieces of chicken thighs would equal to 18-27g net carbs just for chicken! And that’s just for chicken.

This is where the best part comes in.  My recipe for this super crispy and juicy keto fried chicken has less than 0.5g per chicken thigh! If you add spices to your batter then the carbs will slightly go up, but will still be under 2g net carbs!

And because this is fried with whey protein, it fills you up faster than normal breading so you don’t need to eat that many pieces of my low carb fried chicken recipe.

The Ultimate Keto Fried Chicken Breading

The secret to making the ultimate keto fried chicken breading isn’t with pork rinds, almond flour or parmesan.  No, it’s much better than that.  Pork rinds, almond flour or parmesan will never be a batter, which is what I was looking for when I created this recipe.

That original fried chicken that we all know is crispy, flaky and super juicy.  That’s not something that you can easily achieve with pork rinds, almond flour or parmesan.

What you want to use is whey protein isolate.  Whey protein is the ultimate secret to getting that perfect low carb KFC fried chicken.  It sticks to the chicken, bubbles up in the oil and becomes super crispy when eaten, just like the real deal!

What kind of whey protein is low carb?

Not all whey protein are created equal.  You’ll definitely want to check the ingredients label and nutritional information on your whey protein bottle.

A lot of whey protein powders have added sugars or flavourings. You’ll want to choose an unflavoured whey protein from a reputed brand. My favourite brand for whey protein is NOW.

Choose Unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate

It’s important you get whey protein isolate and not any other kind. Whey protein will usually have added ingredients like sugar, fillers and additives.  On the other hand, whey protein isolate usually has no artificial ingredients added to it.

Whey protein usually has 2g of carbs per 1/4 cup, whereas whey protein isolate has less than 1g of carbs per 1/4 cup.

Can I deep fry anything else with whey protein?

Yes, absolutely! This easy keto breading works for any type of protein. Whether it’s meat or fish, apply the same methods as this recipe and you’ll have different fried meals. My keto fish tacos recipe can use either whey protein or egg white powder to deep fry the fish.

You can also change the recipe a little and make gluten free tempura and low carb corn dogs with whey protein!

Here are some protein options that you can deep fry with whey protein:

  • Pork slices
  • Pork chops
  • Pork tenderloin
  • Beef slices
  • Steak
  • Ground beef, pork, chicken
  • Any type of fish (salmon is my favourite)

Juicy pieces of keto fried chicken with some lemon wedges in a frying pan.

What type of oil should I use to deep fry?

I recommend using either lard, avocado oil, beef tallow, or coconut oil. Depending on your budget and what you prefer in terms of health, some oils may be better options than others.

My favourite oils for deep frying are lard and avocado oil.  I usually use lard more often because it’s definitely more affordable than avocado oil.  Both oils have high smoke points which make them great for deep-frying different dishes.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is made up of about 70% monounsaturated fats, which is believed to increase the high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the good cholesterol in your body.

Moreover, refined avocado oil has an extremely high smoke point at 500F/260C and extra-virgin avocado oil has a lower smoke point at 375F/190C.  This means that you can safely use avocado oil to sautee, deep fry, bake or sear at high temperatures.

Downside: It’s pretty expensive compared to other oils.

Lard

Lard is made up of 60% monounsaturated fat, compared to butter which is only 45% monounsaturated fat.  It has a slightly high smoke point at 375F/190C, which makes it perfect for deep frying things. Plus, it’s odorless and tasteless so makes it perfect for different dishes.

Upside: It’s pretty cheap to buy or make at home.

Beef Tallow

Beef tallow is made up of 42% monounsaturated fat.  It has a high smoke point at around 420F/215C.

Downside: It’s pretty expensive to buy, more than avocado oil, but can be super cheap to make at home.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is made up of 92% saturated fat.  It’s one of the healthy saturated fats and is very good for your health.  It has a smoke point of 350F/175C.

Downside:  It can get a little pricey depending on the brand and whether it’s refined or extra virgin.  It can also leave a strong coconut taste if it’s extra virgin and a slight coconut taste if it’s refined.

What temperature should I deep fry my chicken?

When making keto fried chicken with whey protein isolate, I suggest deep frying your chicken between 140-150C/280-300F.  If you deep fry your chicken pieces at a higher temperature than that, the whey protein isolate will burn before the chicken can get cooked.

Deep fried chicken cut into two. You can see juices coming out of the chicken thighs.

How do you make fried chicken breading stick?

To make the whey protein isolate stick to each piece of chicken, you absolutely must coat the raw chicken pieces in a raw egg beforehand.

So you’ll add your spices and whatnot to your raw chicken and then add an egg to the chicken. Mix everything together and make sure that each piece is coated with egg.

You could also just dip one piece of chicken at a time into whisked eggs.

Once your chicken is coated with egg, you can then dip each piece of chicken individually with the whey protein isolate.  Make sure to coat the chicken evenly so that you have the protein powder everywhere.

Once it’s coated, you’ll simply pop the chicken into the hot oil and it’ll start to crisp and bubble up.  The fried chicken breading will stick without problem as long as you coat your chicken with an egg beforehand.  If you don’t, your batter will fall off the chicken in the hot oil.

A closeup shot of crispy, flaky and spicy fried chicken.

What part of the chicken should I use?

The best part about this crispy fried chicken recipe, is that you can use any part of the chicken.  I chose to use chicken thighs because they are super juicy, but you could use chicken breasts, chicken fillet, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks or bone-in chicken thighs.

With skin or no skin?

Totally up to you.  If you like crispy chicken skin, then I suggest you leave it on.  If not, then I suggest you cut it off.

How to Make Crispy Keto Fried Chicken

The first thing you’ll want to do is cut the chicken thighs into desired size.  I prefer to have bite-size pieces, but you can totally do whole chicken thighs.

Once your chicken is all cut up, you’ll want to add the spices to the chicken thighs.  I decided to do a KFC style of fried chicken, which is why I added lots of different spices.  But if you don’t feel like adding that many spices, you can always go simple and just add salt and pepper.

I added almond milk to this recipe so that spices could be distributed evenly throughout the chicken thighs. You could also add oil to the chicken, but then the eggs wouldn’t stick as well to the meat.

Let your meat marinate for about 30 minutes or more so that the chicken has time to absorb all the flavours from the spices.

Low carb fried chicken marinating in spices.

You’ll then preheat your oil to 140-150C/280-300F.

Once your meat is ready, you’ll then start the breading process.

Crack a couple of eggs into the chicken and mix until all of the chicken pieces have been coated well with the eggs.

Add the whey protein powder to a large plate and dip one piece of chicken at a time into the protein powder. Make sure that all sides of your chicken is coated with the protein powder before frying.

Add your pieces of chicken into the hot oil one at a time, but don’t over crowd the pot. You want to make sure that each piece of chicken deep fries properly and becomes crispy.

Steps showing how to bread low carb fried chicken with whey protein isolate.

Pro tip: Wash the utensils and bowls that touched the whey protein immediately as it’s harder to wash off once it’s dried.

I usually use a meat thermometer to check whether my chicken is ready.  When your chicken is 65C/150F and up, you can then take it out of the hot oil.

Serve immediately as fried chicken is best served freshly out of the oil!

Deep fry your healthy crispy fried chicken in lard until ready.

Can this fried chicken be made paleo-friendly?

To make this fried chicken recipe paleo-friendly, you’ll want to check out my paleo fried chicken recipe.  It’s extremely similar to this one, but instead of whey protein isolate, it uses egg white powder.

Egg white powder is simply dehydrated egg whites so it’s completely dairy free.  It also doesn’t raise your blood sugars like whey.  It’s definitely more diabetic-friendly.

If you don’t mind a little bit of carbs, you could always deep fry your chicken in tapioca starch, arrowroot flour, or cassava flour.

Can I use an air fryer?

Unfortunately, no.  Whey protein isolate does not work in an air fryer.  You need to deep fry the chicken the old-fashioned way, in hot oil.

I’ve tried to air fry this fried chicken recipe multiple times in an air fryer, but it always ends up the same.  The whey protein isolate powder hardens in the hot heat and doesn’t bubble up or crisp up since there is no oil to do so.

You really need to add the chicken pieces to hot oil in order for the whey protein isolate to activate.

Can I reheat this low carb fried chicken recipe?

Yes, of course! Just pop it into the microwave the next day and you’ll have delicious fried chicken ready in no time! Note that it won’t be as crispy anymore.  I suggest using the leftover low carb fried chicken for making stir-fries!

Low Carb Fried Chicken Dipping Sauces

If you’re a dipping sauce kind of person, I got you covered! I also love to dip my crispy fried chicken pieces in different sauces.  I give you a spicy dipping sauce for this recipe, but if you feel like changing things up, then you’ll definitely want to try dipping your keto fried chicken pieces into my sugar free sweet chili sauce recipe.

If you feel like going Japanese, then you’ll definitely want to dip them in sugar free teriyaki sauce. Just stir fry your fried chicken with the teriyaki sauce and you’ll have a delicious homemade Japanese dinner.

If you don’t feel like making another sauce, then there are a couple of pre-bought sauces that I really love.

  • G. Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
  • Buffalo sauce
  • Plain sour cream

Low Carb Fried Chicken Dishes

After you’ve breaded your low carb fried chicken tenders, you can eat them as is, or make a different dish out of them!

The great thing about this crispy keto fried chicken recipe is that it goes really well with lot’s of different sauces.  You could make some healthy sweet chili chicken and add any kind of vegetables that you want.

Another option you have is to grind up some chicken breast meat and make some delicious low carb chicken nuggets! You can either use whey protein isolate or egg white powder for these delicious little nuggets.

Final Tips Recap

Before making my low carb fried chicken recipe, make sure to read the following tips and ticks to make sure you make the BEST keto fried chicken recipe!

  • Make sure to use unflavoured whey protein isolate and not whey protein powder.
  • You can’t make this low carb fried chicken recipe with an air fryer.
  • You must absolutely cover the raw chicken with an egg before coating with the whey protein isolate. This is how you ensure your fried chicken breading sticks to the chicken.
  • If you eat dairy free, simply switch the whey protein isolate for egg white protein.
  • Deep fry each chicken pieces in oil that’s about 140-150C/280-300F. Higher than that and your batter will burn before the chicken is cooked.
  • You can use any type of spice you want.  I chose to do a copycat KFC fried chicken recipe which is why I used that many spices.
Juicy pieces of keto fried chicken with some lemon wedges in a frying pan.
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5 from 37 votes

The BEST Crispy Keto Fried Chicken Recipe

The BEST fried chicken you'll ever eat.  You won't need nuts, pork rinds, or parmesan for this recipe!
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American, Canadian
Keyword fried chicken, healthy fried chicken, keto fried chicken, low carb breading, low carb fried chicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Total Carbs 2.98g
Cook Mira

Ingredients

METRIC - US CUPS
  • as needed lard (or avocado oil, coconut oil, beef tallow)
  • 120 ml whey protein isolate (or egg white powder for dairy free)
  • 2 eggs

Fried Chicken

  • 450 g boneless chicken thighs (4 large 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
  • 3 tbsp 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 🙂
  • 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 🙂

WATCH THE RECIPE VIDEO (must disable adblocker)

Notes

  • The chicken can be reheated the next day, but taste better and is crispier the same day 🙂 
  • The ranch dressing can also be made as a salad dressing.
  • The nutritional info does not include the ranch dipping sauce.
  • Make sure to use unflavoured whey protein isolate and not whey protein powder.
  • You can’t make this low carb fried chicken recipe with an air fryer.
  • You must absolutely cover the raw chicken with an egg before coating with the whey protein isolate. This is how you ensure your fried chicken breading sticks to the chicken.
  • If you eat dairy free, simply switch the whey protein isolate for egg white protein.
  • Deep fry each chicken pieces in oil that’s about 140-150C/280-300F. Higher than that and your batter will burn before the chicken is cooked.
  • You can use any type of spice you want.  I chose to do a copycat KFC fried chicken recipe which is why I used that many spices.
Tried this recipe?Mention @mypcoskitchen or tag #mypcoskitchen!
Follow me for more Low Carb Recipes!Mention @MyPCOSKitchen so that I can see all of your goodies!!
Nutrition Facts
The BEST Crispy Keto Fried Chicken Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 serving (without ranch))
Calories 382 Calories from Fat 183
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20.37g 31%
Saturated Fat 5.65g 28%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.28g
Monounsaturated Fat 7.84g
Cholesterol 212mg 71%
Sodium 1109mg 46%
Potassium 413mg 12%
Total Carbohydrates 2.98g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3%
Sugars 0.63g
Protein 44.2g 88%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is provided through calculations made on fatsecret.com. They are approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on mypcoskitchen.com. Sugar alcohols are included in the fiber count. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber (which include sugar alcohols).

 

All text, pictures & videos are copyright protected © by Mira Richard-Fioramore for My PCOS Kitchen.

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 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 well…any protein powder that contains “whey protein concentrates” still contains lactose – even if the manufacturer claims it’s a high quality isolate.”

    Reply


      • 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!

        Reply


  3. 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!

    Reply

  7. 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.

    Reply

    • 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!!

      Reply

  20. 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 🙂

    Reply

  21. 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.

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  23. 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?

    Reply

  25. 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.

    Reply

  27. 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!

    Reply

  28. 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.

    Reply

    • Thank you! A buttermilk marinade sounds good! You can change the spices to anything you like and it’s guaranteed to taste amazing!

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

    • 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…😃👍🏻

      Reply

  34. 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?

    Reply

    • I usually add all my seasonings to the chicken first. I haven’t tried seasoning the protein powder first. Worth a shot!

      Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

      • 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.

        Reply

  37. 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!!!

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

  38. 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!

    Reply

  39. Dude. This stuff was amazing. Can’t even begin to thank you for bringing this concoction into this world…

    Reply

  40. 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!

    Reply

    • 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 🙂

      Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  41. 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.

    Reply

  42. 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 😉

    Reply

  44. 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…

    Reply

  45. 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.

    Reply

  46. 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. 🙂👌

    Reply

  47. 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!

    Reply

  48. So, I’m definitely intrigued and excited to try. Question about the servings, would 1 serving be considered 1 piece of chicken?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

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