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This is the last recipe of the year! I want to leave you with something that will support your upcoming resolutions and also show you that keto comfort food can be absolutely delicious: low carb fried chicken in the air fryer oven! This keto fried chicken recipe is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. (But if you want a simpler way to make them, try oven baked chicken legs instead.)

You’re going to love it. My whole family ate it up, and my husband kept asking if I was sure it’s low carb.

Is Fried Chicken Keto Friendly?

Can you eat fried chicken on keto? Unfortunately not regular fried chicken, which is breaded with high-carb wheat flour.

But, that doesn’t mean we have to say goodbye to the concept. We’ll just make low carb fried chicken in the air fryer instead!

So, how to make fried chicken low carb? It’s totally easy and doable – promise!

The key is making the right keto fried chicken breading…

How To Make Keto Fried Chicken Breading

You guys, I’m obsessed with this breading! I’ve been using it on so many things.

You need to setup three bowls to make it. Set them up in a line, in this order:

Coconut flour with salt & pepper – This is for dredging to help the egg wash stick.
Egg wash – whisked
Pork rinds with spices – This is the crispy exterior. You can buy the rinds, or for maximum flavor, learn how to make pork rinds yourself.

Important Tip: Use one hand to handle the dry ingredients (coconut flour and pork rind mixtures) and the other to handle the wet egg wash. This will help keep the dry bowls dry, so that you don’t end up with clumpy breading that doesn’t stick.

How To Make Low Carb Fried Chicken in the Air Fryer Oven

Once you have your bowls setup, you can make your low carb fried chicken!

Use one hand to to dredge the chicken drumsticks in the coconut flour, then the other hand to dip in the eggs, and finally use the first hand to press it into the pork rind breading mixture. You can also just scoop the breading over the drumstick to help it stick.

Another Tip to prevent clumping: Keep most of the third mixture in a separate bowl and add a little at a time to the bowl where you’ll be coating the chicken. With this method, the breading will stick very well.

Place the chicken drumsticks in the (greased) air fryer basket without touching. It’s the perfect size to fit 4 of them!

Finally, bake the keto fried chicken in the air fryer oven at 400 degrees F. You can do this on the Manual setting to set the time and temperature.

I love the GoWise USA Air Fryer Oven, because it’s larger than a regular air fryer and has more settings. It even comes with a bunch of attachments, like multiple racks and one for rotisserie chicken. I can’t wait to share more low carb air fryer recipes with you soon.

And, air fryer fried chicken is soooo crispy!

What To Serve With Keto Fried Chicken

Need some ideas for what to serve with these deliciously crispy drumsticks? Here are some of my favorite sides:

For more ideas, check out all the low carb side dishes or low carb salad recipes.

More Keto Chicken Recipes

Tools To Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken

Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

GoWise USA Air Fryer Oven – My air fryer oven has been a total game changer! It has made low carb fried chicken a reality.

Air Fryer Keto Low Carb Fried Chicken Recipe

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Ingredients

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2 1/2 lbs Chicken drumsticks ▢
1/4 cup Wholesome Yum Coconut Flour ▢
1/2 tsp Sea salt ▢
1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢
2 large Eggs ▢
1 cup Pork rinds (2.25 oz) ▢
1 tsp Smoked paprika ▢
1/2 tsp Garlic powder ▢
1/4 tsp Dried thyme ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

In a medium shallow bowl, stir together the coconut flour, sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
In a second medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. Set aside.
In a third bowl, mix the crushed pork rinds, smoked paprika, garlic powder and thyme.
Dredge the chicken pieces in the coconut flour mixture, dip in the eggs, shake off the excess, then press into the pork rind mixture. For best results, keep most of the third mixture in a separate bowl and add a little at a time to the bowl where you'll be coating the chicken. That way, it won't get clumpy too fast.
Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) for 5 minutes. Lightly grease the basket and arrange the breaded chicken on it in a single layer, without touching.
Cook keto fried chicken in the air fryer for 20 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F (77 degrees C). (The safe internal temperature is 165 degrees F, but for dark meat, 170 is optimal for the most tender, juicy results.)

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 drumstick

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 273

Fat 15g

Protein 28g

Total Carbs 3g

Net Carbs 2g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 0g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keywords: chicken, keto chicken, low carb chicken

Calories: 273 kcal

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112 Comments

Diane
0 October 18, 2022Reply

Loved it! Will make again!
Fannie Wright
0 March 15, 2022Reply

We made this recipe using boneless, skinless chicken breast. We loved it and put it on our rotation dinner lists. Everyone loved it.
- Jeannie
  0 September 19, 2022Reply
  
  Did you use the same time on the air fryer?
Elizabeth
0 February 22, 2022Reply

This was our first attempt at air frying in the oven and it turned out wonderfully. We used chicken breast tenders.
- Cindi Wahlund
  0 May 7, 2022Reply
  
  How long did you cook the tenders in your air fryer
Kimberly
0 February 9, 2022Reply

This was very good! Came out crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Will definitely make again. Might like to try with flavored pork rinds next time. Any tips for when the egg mixture doesn’t quite stick? Should I thin it down? Thanks.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 February 10, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Kimberly, If the egg mixture isn’t sticking make sure your drumsticks are free from moisture.
Rhonda
0 February 9, 2022Reply

First time making it but will not be the last. Absolutely delicious.
Alicia Sorenson
0 January 27, 2022Reply

Hello, I am allergic to eggs. Any thoughts on what I could use as a substitute?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 January 28, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Alicia, I believe heavy cream would work in place of eggs in the egg wash step of the recipe.
Judy Wallace
0 January 18, 2022Reply

How long and what degree in the oven?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 January 19, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Judy, Right above where you just left this comment you will find the complete instructions.
Cara
0 November 15, 2021Reply

I’m unable to read your recipe or the comments because you have SO MANY ADS that it keeps skipping around. Super annoying. Not sure you can do anything about it but thought I’d let you know….
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 November 16, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Cara, Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
Catherine
0 November 7, 2021Reply

I don’t have an air fryer. Can this be done in a regular oven?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 November 8, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Catherine, An oven would work, you may have to add more cooking time. Just make sure the internal temperature reached 165 degrees.
Martha
0 October 3, 2021Reply

Is there another dry coating other than pork rinds? I am allergic to them.
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 October 4, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Martha, I have a few suggestions as a substitute for pork rinds. The first would be grinding up low carb tortilla chips in a food processor. The second would be to use an almond meal with seasonings from the recipe.
Maranda Marriott
0 September 3, 2021Reply

Can I use almond flour in place of coconut flour? My husband doesn’t care for coconut. Even the slightest taste or smell of coconut sets off his gag reflex.
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 September 3, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Maranda, You can’t taste the coconut at all so I recommend sticking to that. Something like arrowroot powder would also work, but it increases carb count.
Mark Phillips
0 August 16, 2021Reply

Was wondering if you could mix the flour and pork rinds together? To save a step in the process.
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 August 16, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Mark, I don’t recommend doing this. If you mixed them together, it is likely that the breading will simply fall off your chicken. Layering your chicken with a dry coating first (in this case coconut flour) will help the pork rinds to adhere to the chicken better. I hope this helps!
Beth Ellen
0 August 13, 2021Reply

SO, so good! I added cayenne pepper to the flour mixture, and I also used hot & spicy pork rinds for extra kick. I made 2 batches. 400° was a little too hot (for MY air fryer), so I turned it down to 360° for the second batch. They came out perfectly! Will definitely make this again! Thank you for the recipe.
Jeanette Tanega
0 August 2, 2021Reply

Making now in my Ninja 5 in 1 air fry setting at 400 degrees as instructed, and 1/2 way through cooking the coating looks like it is starting to burn
The air fry tip for the Ninja says 360 degrees for 20-25 minutes for chicken, so I will have to try that next time. I turned it down now, but I am worried that the outside will be burnt by the time the inside is done
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 August 3, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Jeanette, All air fryer machines are not exactly alike, so you may need to adjust the temperature for this recipe to work with your machine. You may need to increase the overall cook time if you are turning the temperature down, so be sure to check the internal temperature before pulling from your fryer.
Brenda
0 June 12, 2021Reply

I always have trouble with dredging anything. Even though it looks great on the chicken before cooking it hardly ever stays on. This is the first time I have been successful in coating chicken and the breading adhering pretty well. There were a couple spots that it came off the chicken but for the most part it worked! Great recipe
Rex Redmon
0 June 1, 2021Reply

Tried this recipe for dinner tonight, it was great and easy to make. The texture and flavor of the outside was amazing
Becky Gregory
0 May 4, 2021Reply

Made this chicken for dinner tonight and the hubs and grandson loved it!!!! Win win
Vicky
0 April 8, 2021Reply

I’d love to try this but I have a question, I only eat white meat (breast) do you use Skin on or Skinless
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 April 8, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Vicky, Either will work. Many other readers have commented making this with skinless chicken breasts with great results!
Elizabeth Rogers
0 March 24, 2021Reply

Great recipe, I only changed one thing. I used almond flour instead of coconut, mt husband is not a fan. Will be making this again. Thank you.
Julie
0 March 9, 2021Reply

I mixed in some almond flour and upped the coconut flour, no pork for me. Thanks for the recipe.
Lori M.
0 February 27, 2021Reply

Thanks for adapting the dredging technique! I agree with an earlier post that some seasoning of the chicken doesn’t hurt when you might lose a bit of the coating.There is actually a great fiber to use instead of coconut flour that behaves even more gluey – oat. Oats are indeed a grain that our caveman predecessors ground with rocks before farming existed, but I am referring to the hull. It is ordinarily considered gluten-free. It is practically a dust that adheres wonderfully to clammy raw meat/poultry. It causes the egg wash to stick very well. It brings just about zero net carbs and zero calories to a dish as it is merely fiber (and no coconut flavor). I have used it, in conjunction with the final coat of pork rinds and/or lupin meal and/or carbalose flour for many “breaded”/fried things. It helps the “breading” stay on for skillet frying in 1/2 (or less) inch of oil but I never tried deep frying. I learned about it on a keto YouTube channel who thanked yet another resource for the hint. So this option is keto, Paleo-ish (not strict), gluten-free (depending on brand) but not precisely grain free. Has anyone else started trying lupin flour and lupin meal? – at least that’s not a grain and low in isoflavones!
Elizabeth
0 February 1, 2021Reply

DELICIOUS RECIPE! Keto recipes like this are so amazing! All the pleasure without the guilt! Keto has really changed my life! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!
Lynda
0 January 20, 2021Reply

Oh, my!!! There are no other words! This was the BEST chicken I’ve had since starting keto!!
Simply divine! THANK YOU for the recipe and hard work in developing it! Bless you!!