Enjoy this low carb twist on the classic southern staple with ease using an air fryer. This Air Fryer Fried Chicken is a keto recipe that the whole family will love!
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In case you aren't familiar with air fryers, they are small countertop appliances that cook food by circulating hot air. Essentially they are like turbocharged convection ovens.
They get food really crisp on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside similar to a traditional deep fryer. Unlike a deep fryer, they use little to no oil and they are super easy to clean.
I recently upgraded to a new and much larger air fryer, so I figured that some new air fryer recipes were in order! And as far as I am concerned, you can't talk about fried food without talking about the OG - Fried Chicken!
Unfortunately, the air fryer that I have has been out of stock for a while now. THIS is the model I have and absolutely LOVE. I wasn't able to find it on amazon, but I did link to a similar air fryer below 🙂
Ingredients and substitutions
For this recipe, I recommend using skin-on chicken pieces. You can use skinless, but it isn't going to have quite as much flavor. You can use any combination of chicken pieces that you like. I generally just do thighs and legs, since that's what we like, but breasts and wings will work just as well.
The only really necessary ingredient in the breading is almond flour. It gets super crisp and is a great carrier for the other seasonings. Unfortunately, I have never been able to get similar results with any other breading.
Feel free to play around with the seasoning to suit your taste. You can even add a little Parmesan cheese to give the chicken an entirely different flavor.
Cooking Method and Tips
Making this fried chicken seriously couldn't be any easier. All the spice and the almond flour go into a gallon zip-top bag, along with the chicken. You give it all a shake, then transfer the chicken to the air fryer and let it do the rest of the work!
Each and every air fryer will vary a little bit, so be sure to check your chicken for doneness with a meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
Also, if you don't have an air fryer, you can make this in the oven. Just double the cooking time from the recipe and if possible, bake the chicken on
Looking for more low carb air fryer recipes? Check these out:
- Air Fryer Pork Chops | Keto, Gluten-Free
- Keto Chicken Strips
- Air Fryer Crab Cakes | Low carb
- Low Carb Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada Dipping Sauce
- Air Fryer Bacon and Brown Sugar Little Smokies
- Salmon Patties
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Keto Fried Chicken | Paleo, Gluten Free
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 16 Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Pieces about 3lb
- ¾ cup Almond Flour
- 1-2 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
- ½ tablespoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- Avocado or Olive Oil Spray Optional
Instructions
- Combine everything except the chicken and oil spray in a large zip-top bag. Add 4 chicken pieces to the bag with the spices and seal the top.
- Shake the bag to coat the chicken, then transfer it to the air fryer. Arrange chicken in a single layer and spritz it with the avocado oil. (the oil helps the almond flour get brown, but isn't required)
- Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Cook at 370 degrees for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), flipping the chicken halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
Stephanie Manning says
This looks amazing. I received the. nuWave infrared Pro for Chrristmas and have been scared to use it. I want to try these and the pork chops for sure. One quick question, can we use regular all purpose flour if thst is allcwe have on hand?
Sabra says
Hi Stephanie! I don't think that all purpose flour would work quite the same. You could probably get away with panko or regular breadcrumbs though. Hope that helps, let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
Carol says
I have seen a youtube video where the lady used all purpose flour and it turned out crispy. She dipped the chicken in egg first.
Jo says
Ap flour is not Keto
Cassandra says
I use all purpose flour, and add all my seasoning in the flour. Spray the chicken with olive oil. Pit all in air fryer, but don’t over crowd. Taste, and looks like fried.
Lorri says
Absolutely delicious!
Rachael Wills says
Can you use almond meal ? I’m in Australia and it’s hard to get almond flour over here
Sabra says
Hi Rachael, Almond meal will work fine 🙂
Jo says
Yes 😀
Jennifer says
Could you actually fry this chicken in oil like regular fried chicken
Sabra says
Hi Jennifer! Unfortunately, I don't think that frying this traditionally would work very well. It can be baked in the oven though!
Shirley says
Yes! I have an Amish Fried Chicken Recipe that is almost identical to this one. They add 1 T of baking powder to their mix. I don't know why, but there's a purpose. They also use 2-3 T each of olive oil and butter on a cookie sheet placed in the oven at 425•. After chicken is coated place on the hot cookie sheet fat side down and bake for 25 minutes then flip and cook another 20 minutes. I've recently had to convert my Amish recipe to a keto friendly one for my great neice and it was still just as good.
Jana says
I noticed your fryer has 2 layers....
Did you cook the chicken using both layers?
Did you rotate the top layer to the bottom when you flipped?
Jabeen says
Hi. Should I use coarsely ground almond flour or fine?
Thanks. x
Vicky says
Easy peasy and turned out crispy like real fried chicken thanks added a little extra spices like garlic powder chicken season
Sabra says
So glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for the great review Vicky!
Pam says
I have never left a response on Pinterest before (and I have made a zillion Pinterest recipes) but I have to tell you how much I love this keto friendly recipe ; it is delicious and so easy to make !
Sabra says
Thanks so much Pam!
Launie says
Delicious! I made my own Creole spice blend because I couldn't find the brand and this turned out great! 10/10 will make again.
Mary Lepp says
Hey Launie, can you share your Creole spice blend??
Chris says
Just made it for the family and they couldn't get enough! I made mine spicy which was extra good! Great keto recipe!
JK says
Do you have to coat in egg mixture before the almond flour? Of not how do you get it to stick to the chicken leg? Sorry old school thought of egg gives it that agent to stick to..
Sabra says
No Worries! The mixture sticks to the chicken really well without using an egg. It's kind of like shake-and-bake if you are familiar with that. You can certainly add an egg if you want, but I just haven't found that it really makes much of a difference!
I hope that helps, and if you try it I would love to hear what you think!
Tia W says
Is it 540 calories for 2 pieces (1 serving)?
Sabra says
Yes, although that is an estimate 🙂
Renee says
My husband and I chose this as our very first Keto recipe. It was amazing how little I could tell that this was not a traditional way of cooking chicken. The spices were spot-on. Delicious! This recipe is a keeper for us. Thank you for sharing.
Denise says
It is just like frying in a frying pan. My husband loves it.
Chrissie says
Finally tried this recipe! Super easy and quick. Air fryer does all the work! Not the best to reheat and a little messy, but nice crisp when it’s fresh. Seasoning is on point!
Suzi says
I used only 1/2 the Creole seasoning as we don’t do spicy. I used chicken tenderloin strips. Really good. I’ll do this again.
Barbara Santos Santos-Rodriguez says
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE! IT IS SO GOOD.
Becky Austin says
I have turned so many people on to this recipe it is crazy. EVERYONE LOVES IT!
Pat M says
Fabulous recipe. I used Lupin flour for both dips and added a teaspoon of baking powder in the seasoned one. Looks and tastes like fried chicken. 24 minutes in the air fryer at 400.