Party and picnic-perfect, now low carb lovers can make Keto Air Fryer Chicken without the carb-laden guilt!
With just a few ingredients and seasonings, the air fryer makes tender and juicy chicken pieces with crispy skins that are totally keto-friendly. So break out the air fryer and make this delicious keto fried chicken recipe tonight. It’s sure to turn out just right!
Keto Air Fryer Chicken
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Keto Fried Chicken Recipe
- The air fryer makes low-carb living so easy! Make wings, thighs, breasts, drumsticks, boneless tenders—even DIY nuggets using this easy batter and breading recipe.
- Fried chicken is an American staple! This keto fried chicken recipe is an easy winner for prep, cooking, and clean up.
- This air fryer chicken recipe is a meal prepper’s dream! Make in batches and serve hot or cold all week long.
- Try these delish seasoning blends like Keto Dry Rub, or Southwest Seasoning for a new recipe every time.
Keto Recipe Ingredients
COATING – Low carb cooks in the know can create the same crispy, crunchy fried chicken results by switching out a few key ingredients.
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- Almond flour performs the same way as white flour without the gluten or the carbs found in the usual breading. And it’s easy to find and easy to use in a lot of low-carb recipes.
- Pork rinds are a staple in a keto diet, not only as a snack food but as a low-carb breading for everything from meat to veggies!
- Parmesan cheese not only adds flavor but binds the breading together and makes it extra crispy!
MARINADE –Pickle juice is a cheap and easy way to marinate meat! It’s already seasoned and the acidic base works as a natural tenderizer.
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- Why Marinate? Marinating chicken makes it moist, tender and juicy once cooked. Plus it adds just the right amount of flavor!
How To Fry Chicken in An Air Fryer
Keto air fried chicken is as easy to make as 1, 2, 3:
- Marinate chicken in eggs and pickle juice, as per the recipe below.
- Dip into breading mixture and be sure to flip halfway through cooking
- Fry until the pieces are golden brown and cooked through.
PRO TIP: Space chicken pieces apart so the hot air can circulate around the pieces, sealing in their juices and keeping the skin nice and crispy! Cook pieces in groups (all wings or all drumsticks) to ensure even cooking.
Side Dishes for Fried Chicken
Hot or cold, air fryer chicken is the perfect main dish to all of these low-carb appetizers and sides! Keto Deviled Eggs or Keto Egg Salad (Low Carb) both taste great with fried chicken and Air Fryer Daikon Fries make the perfect low carb side. Low Carb Jalapeno Poppers (Keto), are the ideal appetizer, and for a salad, try this tasty Cucumber Feta Salad, or a tart and delish Dill Pickle Salad With Cauliflower.
Leftovers
Store keto air fryer chicken in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat pieces for a few minutes in the air fryer until they are crisp again!
Other Easy Chicken Recipes To Try!
- Air Fryer Roast Chicken – so tender and juicy.
- Melt In Your Mouth Chicken Recipe – quick 5 minute prep!
- Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings – an easy appetizer.
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs – made with a simple seasoning.
Keto Air Fryer Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken pieces thighs and drumsticks, with skin on
Marinade
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup pickle juice
Breading
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup crushed pork rinds
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 370°F.
- Combine chicken, eggs and pickle juice together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Combine all breading ingredients in a bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
- Let access liquid drip off the chicken, then dip it into the breading mixture making sure it is fully coated.
- Place chicken on a plate and spray with cooking spray or oil. Once coated place chicken in the air fryer basket.
- Cook chicken for 25-30 minutes flipping the pieces halfway through the cooking time.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
©Easy Low Carb. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
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How many pieces of chicken is one serving?
This will depend on the size of the chicken you use. You should have about 4-6 pieces so one serving is approximately 1 to 1 ½ chicken pieces. Hope that helps Julia.
This sounds amazing… one question: am I assuming correctly the pickle juice is from a jar of DILL pickles?
Yes Nancy, it is the pickle juice from a jar of pickles! Enjoy the recipe!
Can you use chicken breasts. instead of legs or thighs?
Hi Emi, you can. You will need to adjust the cooking time based on how large your chicken breasts are. They should only take about 18-20 minutes in the air fryer. You will want to check to make sure they reach an internal temperature of 165°F still.
Do they need to be bone-in or can they be boneless? Thanks
For this recipe, we use bone-in chicken pieces. If using boneless you will need to adjust the cooking time since they cook quicker.
I only have boneless skinless. Should I try it anyhow?!
This recipe will still work with boneless skinless chicken, but the time will need to be adjusted! I would check it early and cook until the chicken is 165˚F at the thickest part of the chicken. Enjoy!
400 calories for approximately one piece of chicken. That’s a lot of calories. Sounds good… but.
Hi Donna, if you prefer a lower calorie version you can opt for lower calorie chicken meat like chicken breasts.