• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast and Breads
    • Snacks and Appetizers
    • Entree
    • Side Dishes
    • Freezer Friendly Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Sauces & Seasonings
  • Menus
  • Resources

This Moms Menu

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast and Breads
    • Snacks and Appetizers
    • Entree
    • Side Dishes
    • Freezer Friendly Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Sauces & Seasonings
  • Menus
  • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Published: Jan 10, 2019 ·Updated: Sep 9, 2021 by Sabra · 34 Comments

    Air Fryer Keto Fried Chicken | Paleo, Gluten Free

    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe

    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!

    Air fryer keto fried chicken in a basket

    This Mom's Menu is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This post may be sponsored or contain affiliate links but all opinions are my own. I may earn money from purchases made through the links shared here (at no additional cost to you)


    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 🙂

    an air fryer full of chicken for frying

    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 a baking rack.

    an air fried chicken leg with one bite taken

    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

    Air Fryer Keto Fried Chicken | Paleo, Gluten Free

    Sabra - This Mom's Menu
    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!
    4.66 from 38 reviewers
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Servings 8 people
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins

    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

    Serving: 2 pieces of chickenCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 66gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 221mgSodium: 654mgPotassium: 477mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 385IUCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thismomsmenu or tag #thismomsmenu
    a collage of low carb air fryer fried chicken with a text overlay.
    « Chicken Mulligatawny Soup | Instant Pot, Paleo, Keto
    Carrot Cake Cheesecake | Keto, Instant Pot »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Stephanie Manning says

      February 05, 2019 at 1:54 pm

      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?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        February 05, 2019 at 2:05 pm

        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!

        Reply
      • Carol says

        July 25, 2019 at 9:59 am

        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.

        Reply
        • Jo says

          August 10, 2021 at 9:43 pm

          Ap flour is not Keto

          Reply
      • Cassandra says

        January 19, 2021 at 10:42 pm

        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.

        Reply
    2. Lorri says

      February 25, 2019 at 8:12 pm

      Absolutely delicious!

      Reply
    3. Rachael Wills says

      May 18, 2019 at 11:36 am

      Can you use almond meal ? I’m in Australia and it’s hard to get almond flour over here

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        May 19, 2019 at 1:41 pm

        Hi Rachael, Almond meal will work fine 🙂

        Reply
      • Jo says

        August 10, 2021 at 9:45 pm

        Yes 😀

        Reply
    4. Jennifer says

      June 19, 2019 at 1:03 pm

      Could you actually fry this chicken in oil like regular fried chicken

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        June 20, 2019 at 3:17 pm

        Hi Jennifer! Unfortunately, I don't think that frying this traditionally would work very well. It can be baked in the oven though!

        Reply
      • Shirley says

        December 17, 2020 at 4:16 am

        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.

        Reply
    5. Jana says

      July 01, 2019 at 3:39 pm

      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?

      Reply
    6. Jabeen says

      July 03, 2019 at 10:58 am

      Hi. Should I use coarsely ground almond flour or fine?

      Thanks. x

      Reply
    7. Vicky says

      August 09, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      Easy peasy and turned out crispy like real fried chicken thanks added a little extra spices like garlic powder chicken season

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        August 10, 2019 at 4:53 pm

        So glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for the great review Vicky!

        Reply
    8. Pam says

      September 16, 2019 at 5:29 pm

      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 !

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        September 17, 2019 at 12:22 pm

        Thanks so much Pam!

        Reply
    9. Launie says

      October 16, 2019 at 9:27 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Mary Lepp says

        October 23, 2019 at 12:45 pm

        Hey Launie, can you share your Creole spice blend??

        Reply
    10. Chris says

      October 17, 2019 at 6:55 pm

      Just made it for the family and they couldn't get enough! I made mine spicy which was extra good! Great keto recipe!

      Reply
    11. JK says

      November 13, 2019 at 5:32 pm

      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..

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        November 14, 2019 at 7:28 am

        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!

        Reply
    12. Tia W says

      December 02, 2019 at 3:38 pm

      Is it 540 calories for 2 pieces (1 serving)?

      Reply
      • Sabra says

        December 06, 2019 at 11:59 am

        Yes, although that is an estimate 🙂

        Reply
    13. Renee says

      January 18, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      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.

      Reply
    14. Denise says

      February 04, 2020 at 12:59 pm

      It is just like frying in a frying pan. My husband loves it.

      Reply
    15. Chrissie says

      March 08, 2020 at 11:41 pm

      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!

      Reply
    16. Suzi says

      September 15, 2020 at 9:45 pm

      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.

      Reply
    17. Barbara Santos Santos-Rodriguez says

      April 15, 2021 at 2:17 pm

      THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE! IT IS SO GOOD.

      Reply
    18. Becky Austin says

      July 21, 2022 at 10:58 am

      I have turned so many people on to this recipe it is crazy. EVERYONE LOVES IT!

      Reply

    Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this Recipe:




    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Hi! I am Sabra and I'm the face behind This Mom's Menu. I live just outside of Louisville Kentucky with my husband and four kids. Here at This Mom's Menu, you can expect to find family-friendly, healthy recipes plus articles about what is helping me get through my daily to-do list with a little sanity to spare! My favorite things right now are fresh flowers, eggs, and re-runs of The Office ...

    More about me →

    Trending posts

    • Low Carb Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup | Crock Pot
    • Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Casserole
    • Chicken and Dumplings
    • Sticky Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

    Seasonal Recipes

    • Sugar Free Peppermint Mocha
    • Keto Gingerbread Whoopie Pies
    • Crockpot Wassail (Mulled Apple Cider)
    • Glazed Ham | Keto, No Added Sugar
    • Keto Candy Cane Pie
    • Cranberry Jalapeno Dip

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy

    Follow Me:

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 This Mom's Menu, LLC

    • 1.6K
    30.8K shares
    30.8K shares
    • 1.6K