Keto Fried Chicken Recipe

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, this keto fried chicken is coated with crushed pork rinds and baked to crispy perfection.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 304kcal

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup) and fit it with a roasting rack. Grease the rack.
Process the pork rinds in your food processor into fine crumbs. You can also do as I do in the video below – place them in a resealable bag, close the bag well (removing as much air as possible), and crush the pork rinds with a rolling pin. But this method will result in bigger crumbs. They should still adhere to the chicken pieces, but not as well.
In a small bowl, mix together the crushed pork rinds, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and thyme. Divide the mixture between two shallow bowls.
Whisk the eggs in another shallow bowl. About half the egg mixture will remain in the bowl (and this is reflected in the nutrition info), but I find that you need two eggs to coat the chicken pieces properly.
Dip each chicken piece in the eggs, then dredge it in the crushed pork rinds. When you finish one bowl of pork rinds, move on to the next. Focus on coating mostly the tops of the chicken pieces – the bottoms will become slightly soggy anyway.
Place the coated chicken pieces on the prepared rack.
Bake the chicken in the preheated oven until the tops are golden brown and crispy and the insides are fully cooked to 165°F. In my oven, it takes about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Make sure to use plain pork rinds. The ingredient list should only include pork skins (fried in their own fat) and salt.
Pork rinds are very salty, so I don't add any salt. If you wish, you could add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the pork rind mixture.
Instead of dipping the chicken pieces in eggs, you can dip them in thick buttermilk. Another option is to coat them in mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, or a mixture of both.
This dish is best enjoyed fresh, both in terms of flavor and texture. But if you do end up with leftovers, you can place them in an airtight container on paper towels and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power or (uncovered) in a 350°F oven. Or enjoy them cold! Cold leftover chicken is yummy, and not just on a picnic.