Keto Chicken Schnitzel

by KetoFocus.com
5 Stars (8 Reviews) 5 Comments
Dairy FreeEasyKid Friendly

Chicken Schnitzel is a thin slice of chicken fried in avocado oil. It is breaded in almond flour and ground pork rinds to create a low carb crispy chicken crust.

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Nutrition Facts

4

Servings

416

Calories

24.4g

Fat

46.6g

Protein

1.7g

Net Carb

3.2g

Total Carbs

sliced keto chicken schnitzel on a plate

There are a number of recipes that I keep close and ready. My chicken parmesan, white chicken chili and this recipe are wonderful chicken treats!

Schnitzel is traditionally a German recipe where breaded, thinly sliced meat is fried in oil to create a crispy outer crust. To make a low carb version, we use almond flour and ground pork rinds, aka pork panko, for the breading. Frying the chicken thighs in avocado oil creates a crispy breading and juicy interior.

This one meal we make frequently in our house. It’s a family favorite and easy to make for dinner. If you make up a large batch of it, you can reheat the leftovers in the oven or the air fryer to re-crisp up the outside.

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Keto Chicken Schnitzel Recipe Video

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Keto Chicken Schnitzel Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast cutlets
  • ½ cup almond flour or coconut flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups ground pork rinds
  • avocado oil or ghee for frying

Keto Chicken Schnitzel Directions

  • STEP
    1

    Season & prep the chicken

    Season each chicken thigh with salt and pepper. To get thinner cuts of thighs, place the thigh in a ziploc bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound the meat until the chicken is ¼ inch thick.

    Ingredients

    • Chicken thighs
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    chicken thighs on a tray
  • STEP
    2

    Prepare the coating

    Place almond flour in a shallow dish. Place eggs and 1 tablespoons of water in another shallow dish and beat. Place ground pork rinds in a third shallow dish.

    Ingredients

    • Almond flour
    • Eggs
    • Water
    • Ground pork rinds

    three bowls with almond flour
  • STEP
    3

    Dip the chicken

    Dip each chicken thigh in almond flour bowl to evenly coat with a light dusting of flour.

    egg wash and ground pork rinds
  • STEP
    4

    Again in egg

    Dip the floured chicken thigh in the egg mixture.

    chicken thigh dipped in almond flour
  • STEP
    5

    Last Dip

    Finally dip the chicken in the ground pork rinds.

    flour coated chicken thigh dipped in egg wash
  • STEP
    6

    Add oil to skillet

    To a large skillet, add ½ inch of avocado oil or ghee. Heat over medium high heat. The oil is hot enough when a small piece of the breading mixture sizzles in the skillet.

    Ingredients

    • Avocado oil (or ghee)

    chicken thigh dipped in pork panko
  • STEP
    7

    Add the chicken

    Add 2-3 chicken thighs to the skillet. Only add in enough chicken to allow for evenly cooking. Have about ½ inch room around each thigh. You will have to cook the thighs in batches. Shake the pan back and forth over the burner to allow for the hot oil to slide over the edges and top of the coated chicken. This gets the edges crispy.

    crumb of pork rind sizzling in the skillet with avocado oil
  • STEP
    8

    Cook till golden brown

    Cook the thighs until golden brown, turning halfway through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate when done.

    pork panko crusted chicken thighs cooking in avocado oil
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  • Keto Chicken Schnitzel

    • Best chicken cuts for schnitzel

    raw chicken thighs on a plate

    Using when cooking with chicken, I prefer to cook with chicken thighs over chicken breasts. Chicken breasts tend to dry out faster than thighs because the breast is a very lean tissue (not a lot of fat content). Chicken thighs keep their moisture easily because they are a fattier cut.

    For making schnitzel, you want thin cuts of meat. Chicken cutlets for well for this recipe. If using chicken thighs, make sure the chicken isn’t too thick. If it is, you can pound it down between sheets of plastic to achieve thinner cuts.

    Low carb breading

    three dipping bowls of breading for chicken

    I often use this keto breading in other recipes: mozzarella sticks, chicken parmesan, chicken fried steak; to name a few.

    The keto breading used to form the crispy crust around the chicken thighs is a combination of pork panko and almond flour or coconut flour. The first coating is a lightly dusting of almond flour. This will help the egg wash stick to the chicken thigh. You can substitute with coconut flour if you are allergic to nuts.

    After a dip in the egg wash, the chicken thighs are coated with crispy ground pork rinds.

    bag of pork panko

    Ground pork rinds can be made by grinding up pork rinds in a food processor or you can buy them online already ground. The brand I prefer is Pork Panko by Bacon’s Heir.

    Reheating leftover keto chicken schnitzel

    If you have leftover keto chicken schnitzel, the breading can get soggy when kept in the refrigerator. You can easily crisp up the outside coating but reheating the schnitzel in the oven or the air fryer for 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

    Keto Chicken Schnitzel: FAQS

    What is chicken schnitzel made of?

    Chicken schnitzel is made of boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts and is battered with a crispy breading. When I say 'breading' I mean almond flour mixture to keep this recipe keto-friendly!

    Is chicken schnitzel high in carbs?

    Your traditional chicken schnitzel can have over 20g of net carbs per serving. Our keto version of schnitzel has only 1.7g net carbs! So if you need a low carb version - this is obviously it!

    Can I use an air fryer for this recipe?

    I am working on a recipe that works in the air fryer. So far it has been less than stellar. I am finding it hard to duplicate the crispy-ness of the oil in the frying pan (vs the air fryer). If I can nail it, I will add it. If you find an air fryer recipe that works, please let me know at annie@ketofocus.com.

    Nutritional information & Macros

    Nutrition Information

    Keto Chicken Schnitzel

    Servings: 4

    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 416
    Fat 24.4g
    Protein 46.6g
    Total Carbs 3.2g
    Net Carbs 1.7g

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    5 Comments

    2. I wish there was a printer friendly version of the recipe without the extra junk (ads etc)- don’t want to waste several sheets of paper on blank spaces and ads!

      Reply

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