Learn how to make the most delicious crispy keto parmesan crusted chicken! It’s packed full of flavor and so incredibly easy to make (even on a busy night).
This post is sponsored by Klarbrunn.
Keto Parmesan Crusted Chicken:
If you’re anything like me, there are a few foods that you just miss when you’re doing your best to eat well. Breaded chicken is at the top of that list for me.
Before making this recipe, I never would have guessed that I could make low-carb breaded chicken that’s:
- Crispy
- Juicy
- Quick and Easy
It turns out that it’s completely doable to make amazing breaded chicken without any breading!
It just takes a few ingredients (I’m looking at you almond flour), and a little preparation.
The two things that I found made the biggest difference in this recipe were:
- 1) Really pressing the breading into the chicken.
- 2) Allowing the breaded chicken to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking.
Those two things made such a difference in helping the almond flour and parmesan breading stick to the chicken perfectly.
To keep this dish light and fresh, I decided to serve it with sauteed vegetables.
Can we talk about drinks for a second though? Drinks are one of my weaknesses.
I can put all the work into planning out a perfectly balanced meal plan, but then make the mistake of not considering what I’ll have to drink when the cravings hit.
That’s why I’m obsessed with keeping Klarbrunn Sparkling Water around.
Klarbrunn’s water doesn’t taste like any other sparkling water I’ve tried before. It tastes so much better.
You know how flavored water can sometimes taste a little fake? Klarbrunn isn’t like that at all.
It tastes delicious and refreshing. I love the different citrus flavors when I’m craving something light, so I decided to pair their Citrus Blend Sparkling Water with this recipe.
If you haven’t tried their water yet, be sure to buy Klarbrunn’s sparkling water here.
How to Cook Crispy Parmesan Herb Crusted Chicken:
This recipe calls for the breasts to be cut in half horizontally and then pounded to ¼” thick before breading them. That makes cooking them easy because they’re thin enough to cook the chicken through before the coating burns.
The breaded chicken breasts only need to be cooked in an oiled nonstick skillet for 3 minutes per side (or until they’re cooked through). Cooking the chicken this way makes it perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside!
How to Make This Chicken Recipe Gluten Free:
This recipe makes parmesan crusted chicken without bread crumbs, so it’s naturally gluten free and doesn’t need any other alterations.
How to Make This Recipe Keto Friendly:
The main swap in this recipe to make it keto is to use almond flour in place of bread crumbs.
It’s also important to use an egg wash instead of a buttermilk wash. This is both for the increased binding power and for the net carbs.
How to Bake Keto Parmesan Crusted Chicken:
To bake this chicken, preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the chicken on a silicone mat lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes (or until the juices run clear).
The chicken will be much crispier if you use both a silicone mat and a high quality baking sheet (versus parchment paper and a thin baking sheet that’s prone to warping).
How Many Calories are in Parmesan Crusted Chicken?
This recipe makes four servings, and each serving has approximately 622 calories and 7.7 net carbs according to Cronometer.
What to Serve with Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts:
Since this is a healthier version of traditional parmesan crusted chicken, I decided to keep that theme going and serve it with sauteed spring greens. Any roasted vegetables will work, but my favorites are:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli Rabe
- Green Beans
Broccoli rabe can have a bit of a bitter taste, so if that’s not something you like, I’d recommend using kale, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts instead. I like the bitter taste because bitter foods help with digestion.
I love tossing the greens in a simple dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, and Dijon mustard while they’re cooking. It has a very clean, simple, and “spring” flavor profile.
To make the side of greens shown in the video you’ll need the following.
Sauteed Spring Vegetables:
- 1/2 pound broccoli rabe (thick middle stems removed)
- 1/2 pound asparagus (tough ends removed and cut into 2” pieces)
- 1/2 pound green beans (ends trimmed and cut in half)
Simple Greens Mustard Dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
And this is how you can prepare the spring greens.
- In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.
- Wash, prep, and dry the vegetables.
- Add the broccoli rabe florets and green beans to a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add in the dressing and toss to combine. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until the green beans seem about half cooked.
- Add in the asparagus and saute until they’re just turning bright green.
- Add in the broccoli rabe leaves and turn off the heat. Stir until they’re starting to wilt.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the vegetables to a plate immediately to stop the cooking process.
Quick and Easy Substitutions:
There are a few different ways that you can play with this one pan recipe (and they’re all amazing)!
- Swap the dill for crispy bacon pieces in the dipping sauce. You could also leave out the lemon if you want a salty, savory, and creamy sauce.
- Try serving the chicken with a traditional and authentic tzatziki sauce.
- Use mayonnaise as the binder instead of egg. If you use mayonnaise without eggs, you can make this recipe egg free.
- Serve it with honey mustard for a totally different flavor profile (or ranch if you just don’t have time to make a sauce). You can make a keto version of honey mustard by using a combination of apple cider vinegar and liquid stevia to replace the honey.
- Use it as the meat for the most incredible sandwich ever! To keep the bread keto friendly, you could either make cloud bread, or purchase keto friendly wraps or sandwich bread.
What You’ll Need:
To make this recipe successfully, you’ll need a few tools.
The first is a good sharp knife. If you have a knife sharpener, I definitely recommend sharpening your knife before cutting the chicken.
Second, the whole recipe is much tidier if you wrap the chicken in saran wrap.
Third, a meat mallet is the best tool for pounding the chicken to the perfect thickness (but a wine bottle or a cast iron skillet will work in a pinch).
Finally, you MUST use a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet for this recipe. If you don’t, the parmesan will stick to the skillet while you’re cooking the chicken and turn into a bit of a mess.
Keto Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Learn how to make the most delicious crispy keto parmesan crusted chicken! It's packed full of flavor and so incredibly easy to make (even on a busy night).
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (depending on taste preference)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Creamy Dill Sauce:
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (depending on taste preference)
- 1 small clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Chicken:
- Wash and thoroughly dry the chicken breasts. Place one breast on a cutting board. Using the palm of your non-cutting hand, press down on the chicken breast to hold it firmly in place. Starting with the thick long side of the breast, use a sharp knife to cut horizontally through the breast to cut it in half. Repeat with the second half. Wrap the chicken in a single layer in plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet. You don’t need to pound it too much, just enough to get the chicken to an even thickness of ¼” throughout.
- Beat the eggs in a medium shallow bowl.
- Combine the almond flour, freshly grated parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, dried parsley, and onion powder in a large shallow bowl.
- Dip each piece of chicken in the eggs and shake off any excess. Then dip the chicken in the breading mixture. Press the breading firmly into the chicken.
- Place the chicken on a plate and cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and olive to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Saute the chicken for 3 minutes, and then flip and saute for an additional 3 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on the outside). While the chicken is cooking on the second side, use a spoon to baste the chicken with the butter and oil that’s in the skillet. Once it’s finished cooking, remove from the skillet and serve immediately. If not serving immediately, place on a cooling rack.
Creamy Dill Sauce:
- Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, fresh dill, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Notes
You can use up to 4 Tablespoons mayonnaise (1/4 cup) in the creamy dill sauce, depending on how creamy or tangy you want it to taste. 4 Tablespoons will make it creamier, whereas 3 Tablespoons tastes lighter and a little tangier. If you use 4 Tablespoons mayonnaise, it will need an additional pinch of salt.
If you don’t have time to wait 30 minutes for the chicken to rest in the refrigerator, that’s OK. It doesn’t have to rest in the fridge, but the coating will stick much better if it does rest. When the coating sticks better, it’s much easier to get the outside perfectly crispy and golden brown.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 622Total Fat: 49.4gSaturated Fat: 13.7gTrans Fat: 0.7gCholesterol: 193.8mgSodium: 806.6mgCarbohydrates: 10.9gNet Carbohydrates: 7.7gFiber: 3.2gSugar: 2.1gProtein: 35.3g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate. For ingredients that had a range in the amount of the ingredient (ex: salt), the lower amount of the range was used. This was calculated assuming all the breading and egg was actually used (that none was left over in the breading process).
If you try this recipe, please let me know what you thought in the comments or on Instagram! @keytomylime #keytomylime
Be sure to pin this recipe for later!
The next time you’re looking for a delicious and easy keto chicken dinner, try making this keto parmesan crusted chicken!
