Keto Chicken Parmesan

Step by Step Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

   Place each thigh in a zip-lock bag (or between parchment paper) and pound with a mallet or rolling pin until about ¼ inch thick. This takes maybe 2 minutes total and makes a huge difference in even cooking.

   For this step

   • Chicken
2. 2

   I set up three shallow dishes in a row: assembly line style:

   Dish 1: Almond flour
   Dish 2: Beaten eggs
   Dish 3: Pork rind and parmesan mixture

   Season each chicken thigh with salt and pepper before you start. I usually do about ½ teaspoon of each for the whole batch.

   For this step

   • Almond flour
   • Eggs
   • Crushed pork rinds
   • Parmesan cheese
3. 3

   This is the messy part. I designate one hand as my “dry hand” and one as my “wet hand” to avoid getting clumpy egg-flour gloves.

   1. Dust the chicken lightly in almond flour (shake off excess)
   2. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off
   3. Press firmly into the pork rind mixture, coating both sides.

   For this step

   • Salt
   • Pepper
   • Almond flour
4. 4

   Heat about ½ inch of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

   How to know when the oil is ready: Drop a small piece of the breading mixture into the oil. If it sizzles immediately, you’re good to go. If it just sits there, wait another minute.

   Fry the chicken in batches: don’t crowd the pan! I usually do 2-3 pieces at a time, giving about ½ inch of space around each piece. Cook 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.

   Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Resist the urge to eat one now (I fail at this every time).

   For this step

   • Avocado oil or ghee
5. 5

   This layering method took me a few tries to perfect. Here’s what works best:

   Layer Order:

   1. Thin layer of marinara on the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish
   2. ⅓ of the parmesan cheese
   3. Half of the chicken pieces
   4. Half of the mozzarella slices
   5. Half of the remaining marinara
   6. ⅓ of the parmesan
   7. Remaining chicken
   8. Remaining mozzarella
   9. Last of the marinara
   10. Final ⅓ of parmesan on top

   Bake at 400°F for 35-40 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling around the edges. Check the thickest piece of chicken with a food thermometer; it must reach 165°F. Continue baking if needed.

   Important: Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. I know it’s hard, but the cheese needs to set slightly or it’ll be a molten mess when you try to serve it.

   For this step

   • Marinara sauce
   • Parmesan cheese
   • Mozzarella slices