Introduction to Keto Chicken Recipes
Chicken is quite possibly one of the most versatile animal proteins you can find. It can be roasted, grilled, braised, or poached and pairs well with all sorts of herbs, spices, and ingredients to work in just about any cuisine you can imagine. And keto? It’s fit great since there are virtually no net carbs.
The Challenge of Finding Keto-Friendly Chicken Recipes
Doing a quick internet search, you’ll return thousands and thousands of delicious chicken recipes, but the problem is that while they may be delicious, they’re not always low-carb and keto-friendly. When you add in sauces, thickeners, and sugars, the delicious dish you’ve just created goes out the window in terms of keeping you in ketosis.
Making Chicken Recipes Keto-Friendly
And if you’ve traditionally been a fan of white meat chicken (most people’s favorite), you may have to make some minor tweaks to make it acceptable for keto and low-carb eating; chicken breasts are far too lean (especially without the skin) for the keto macro breakdown. But if you’re willing to step out of the box, add some veggies, and cover it with fat (olive oil, butter, avocado, or other keto options), you’ve got yourself a delicious and low-carb keto chicken meal at your fingertips.
Options for Cooking Methods
One of the great things about cooking is that the method you use to actually cook the chicken can totally change the textures and flavor profile of the dish itself and it can elevate the recipe to new levels.
Here are the 7 most popular ways to cook meats:
- Roasting – Roasting is one of the most basic ways of cooking chicken. It is a dry heat method where hot air (oven, flame, or other heat source) completely surrounds the food, resulting in an even cook on all sides.
- Baking – The other standard when it comes to cooking, baking is very similar to roasting but is generally used for food items that lack structure prior to cooking (breads, desserts, etc.). You can roast both chicken breasts and chicken legs or thighs.
- Grilling – If you love the smoky, crispy, charred taste of meat (be mindful that the ‘char’ is actually carcinogenic), grilling is probably right up your alley. It involves a dry heat source generally applied to the surface of a food to create a crispy outer shell while retaining moisture on the inside. Grilled chicken is a great option for boosting flavour of your favorite keto chicken recipe.
- Frying – As much as we’d love to tell you that deep frying is okay for keto or low-carb because it is cooked in fat, sadly the oils commonly used to deep fry aren’t part of a low-carb diet. However, there is some good news. Shallow frying or pan frying chicken with something like avocado oil or beef/duck fat (both with a high smoke point) are two alternative options that get you a super crispy result, without the drawbacks of traditional deep-frying methods.
- Broiling – Broiling is another method that achieves a similar cooking style to grilling, but uses an intense, but controlled, direct heat from an oven broiler, usually located on top of the oven. When broiling chicken (or any other meat), be careful you don’t overcook it.
- Braising – Braising is a combination of cooking methods that uses both wet and dry heat. Typically, meat is pan-fried and seared prior to being covered by liquid and slowly cooked. There’s no other cooking technique that requires so little and gives so much in return like braising does. It intensifies flavors and provides a rich, delicate, and tender finished product–and it’s great for chicken.
- Poaching – A moist-heat cooking technique that involves submerging a food in liquid at a low heat. It’s a great method to preserve the structure of more delicate proteins like chicken, eggs, and fish. You can use water or a fat source like olive oil or butter to add more flavor.
Cuts You Can Use for Keto Chicken Recipes
Because keto and low-carb rely so heavily on a high fat intake, opting for lean proteins isn’t always the best way to go. With chicken, however, you have a few options to explore depending on the fat content you’re looking for. Keep in mind that the cut you use may vary between recipes because the reality is that some recipes just taste better with leaner cuts than others.
Here are some popular cuts:
- Chicken breasts (the leanest of the bunch; high protein + less fat)
- Thighs
- Drumsticks
- Wings (less meat but loads of flavor)
What to Avoid in Keto Chicken Recipes
Let’s also talk about what you need to avoid in chicken recipes on a keto or low-carb diet. The teriyaki chicken you’ve been eyeing may look delicious and keto-friendly (no rice, potatoes, etc.), but what’s hiding in that sauce that may not make it so low carb or keto after all?
Good news is that there are plenty of low-carb keto alternatives available that can make even the most non-keto chicken recipes okay for you to eat!
Added Sugars
Sauces and dressings are one of the sneakiest places for sugars and carbs to hide. We all know that any sweet sauces are loaded with added sugar, but even ones that don’t taste “sweet” can still add up in carb count and make them not so low-carb-friendly.
Condiments like BBQ sauce, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and sriracha are the most common sources of hidden carbs and sugar, so always make sure you’re reading the ingredient list (and nutritional chart) before you buy them.
Carb-Based Flours
Flours or other starch-based products are frequently used in foods to thicken or as a coating to make foods crispy. While in very small amounts they may be okay to consume on a low carb or keto diet, better alternatives exist. Swap out any wheat or carb-based flours for coconut or nut-based alternatives.
The Best Keto Chicken Recipes
Get your pen and paper out, write these down, and get ready to hit the grocery store, because here’s a round of up of our favorite low-carb and easy keto chicken recipes!
Keto Chicken Appetizers & Small Bites
In need of a deliciously addicting keto party platter idea? Or maybe you’re in the mood for an easy keto snack and don’t feel like nuts or other keto snack foods. Check out our favorite and most popular keto chicken small bites and appetizers.
Keto Chicken Nuggets
Admit it—you love chicken nuggets. Even if you didn’t grow up on them as a kid, transitioning to eating keto probably meant most of your favorite chicken nuggets were totally off-limits. Breaded and deep-fried? Delicious, but not exactly part of a keto diet.
But hold on. We’ve re-invented the wheel on this and given you a second chance at making these bad boys keto-friendly, so even if you didn’t have them as a kid, you now have the chance to indulge in them now without blowing through your net carbs. Trust us, it’s going to be one of your favorite keto chicken recipes.
They’re crispy bite-sized pieces of chicken breasts packed full of flavor and completely low-carb that are sure to be a hit amongst anyone in your home (even if they’re not following keto). Not to mention they’re super easy to make.
Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
In need of a quick and easy appetizer for your next keto dinner party? Jalapeno poppers are pretty much a staple in any good restaurant or bar. But now is your chance to bring this delicious pub-grub appetizer to your home with a keto-friendly (chicken) twist on a classic recipe.
This version makes use of an air fryer to get them super crispy and they take a fraction of time compared to some other recipes. Basically, you’re looking at minimal work and maximum output. Your guests (or even just your family) will be truly blown away by how delicious these poppers are that they won’t even know they’re missing the bacon and they’re low-carb keto.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
We’re huge fans of buffalo sauce and if we’re being honest, we can put it on just about anything. In lieu of one of our best and favorite appetizers, buffalo chicken dip, we wanted to put a creative spin on it and make them into a bit more of a keto party appetizer.
We kick up your standard one-textured meatball a notch by adding some sautéed veggies to give it the perfect amount of crunch and bite. That’s topped off with a homemade buffalo sauce to create the perfect pairing for these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
Easy Baked Keto Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are a classic. Whether it’s a Friday night feast, game day, or you’re just feeling like some wings, they’re a go to favorite that everyone loves. But the problem with most chicken wings you’ll find in restaurants or grocery stores is the coating.
Regardless of whether it’s ‘gluten-free’ or not, traditional wings are coated in either rice flour or a wheat-based breading that means they don’t comply with your keto net carbs count.
How about something better and completely keto-friendly? These Easy Baked Keto Chicken Wings are equally as delicious (actually, we think more) as your deep-fried pub favorite, but without any of the carbs.
Gluten-Free Popcorn Chicken
It’s a signature of fried chicken joints like KFC, but who says it can’t be a keto staple for you? Lose the deep-frying and breading, this gluten-free keto popcorn chicken recipe is a sure-fire replacement to its high-carb fried counterparts.
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