Keto fried chicken like you’ve never seen it before with Louisiana style spices on a keto bun! Popeye’s chicken broke the internet and the drive thru’s but wasn’t keto friendly. I have made the perfect copycat recipe that’s low carb, keto and gluten free. You can even skip the bread and make chicken strips with this recipe but I walk you through how to make this delicious chicken for you or a family!
The Best Keto Fried Chicken Sandwich
- Great with a keto bun such as Smart Baking Company
- Popeye’s chicken copycat
- Packed full of flavor with Louisiana style spices
How To Make Keto Fried Chicken-Step By Step
- Starting out with 3 chicken breast you want to shape them if you are using them for a sandwich. This isn’t needed but it will yield a much nicer end result.
- Create a brine of buttermilk and hot sauce for the chicken to sit in for at least 4 to 8 hours.
- While chicken is brining make bread crumbs out of pork panko or grinding your own pork rinds. I grounded my own since I knew what type of pork rinds were used and much cheaper.
- Create spice mixture. Using half for bread crumbs and other half to season the chicken.
- Next, after chicken is done brining remove and drain excess buttermilk off. If you leave it on the bread crumbs won’t stick as well.
- Create an egg wash to assist with your breadcrumbs.
- Cover the chicken in the other half of your spice rub and dip into bread crumbs with an even cover.
- Remove from crumbs then dip into egg wash.
- Next, go back to bread crumbs create an even coating.
- Lastly, place on parchment paper and freeze to allow crust to set.
- After that’s frozen, heat up beef tallow, lard or even coconut oil whichever you choose and give chicken a flash fry. Not too long about 1.5-2 minutes per side straight from the freezer.
- In a preheated oven bake chicken until it reaches and internal temperature of 165ºF. Rest, then serve.
Helpful Recipe Tips
- When trying to make this Popeyes keto fried chicken sandwich don’t fear if you think it will be spicy. There is plenty of spice and flavor but it’s not hot unless you are super sensitive to spicy foods.
- You can leave buttermilk instead of draining your chicken clean. But what I found out trying it both ways was my chicken crust stuck better when I drained the brine off completely.
- This Popeyes keto fried chicken can be eaten as a sandwich or skip the bread and make keto chicken tenders out of them both are great. Just follow the recipe step by step with the tenders as well.
- Is the recipe difficult? I wouldn’t say so but it may be a bit more challenging for a beginner cook when it comes to coating the chicken because it will get sticky.
- Elevate the chicken in the oven. If you put the chicken directly on a pan the bottom half will soak and the entire coating will get loose from the steam. This will cause the coating to fall off very easily.
- You don’t have to freeze the chicken but it’s highly recommended. If you choose not to freeze fully most of your coating will come off while frying.
Popeye’s Keto Fried Chicken Macros
Below is a nutrition label via Cronometer. To let you know these are pure estimates. Depends on the size of your chicken breast, minus the amount of ingredients you leave behind, etc. These numbers are based off you using each ingredient at each weight in whole. And honestly, who does that? But these chicken breast alone come out to only 2g net carbs a piece give or take. Due to you simply brining the chicken in buttermilk it isn’t included.
Other Keto Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Popeyes Keto Fried Chicken Sandwich
Keto fried chicken like you've never seen it before with Louisiana style spices on a keto bun! Popeye's chicken broke the internet and the drive thru's but wasn't keto friendly. I have made the perfect copycat recipe that's low carb, keto and gluten free. You can even skip the bread and make chicken strips with this recipe but I walk you through how to make this delicious chicken for you or a family!
Equipment
- frying pan
- mixing bowl
- grated pan for oven or rack
Ingredients
Chicken Brine
- 2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
Chicken Coating
- 1/3 cup whey protein isolate
- 2.5 ounces pork rinds
Spice Mixture(Split in half after making)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon fine black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon paprika
Egg Wash
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard
For cooking
- Coconut oil, lard or beef tallow
Instructions
Chicken Brine
- Mix together buttermilk and hot sauce. Place chicken in brine for 4-8 hours. Then remove and wipe any excess buttermilk off
Chicken coating
- You can use pork panko or grind your own crumbs as I did
- Add to a food process and evenly blend together. Then take half of spice mixture and blend into the crumbs. Save remaing half for chicken
Egg Wash
- Combine all ingredients and whisk well to incorporate the mustard within
Recipe, putting it all together
- Brine chicken for 4-8 hours
- While brining chicken create the coating for the chicken. In the seasoning use half then set half to the side.
- Right before removing chicken from brine make your egg wash.
- Remove chicken from brine wiping off excess buttermilk. You don't have to but it helps with sticking. Season both sides of the chicken with the seasoning you sat to the side.
- Place chicken in dry coating and cover evenly. Then dip into egg wash and back in the dry coating for the final cover as in video.
- Place in freezer until chicken is frozen. You do this to help the coating stick but you can skip it. Sadly, most of your chicken coating will come off in the pan if you don't freeze it.
- Before removing chicken from freezer preheat oven to 400°F
- Remove chicken from freezer and in oil on a medium to high heat flash fry each side for about 1.5-2 minutes. Don't over fry because it will burn.
- Immedietly put chicken breast in the oven on a grated rack until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160-165°F which should take 20-30 minutes
- Remove from oven rest then serve
Video
Notes
Helpful Recipe Tips
- When trying to make this Popeyes keto fried chicken sandwich don't fear if you think it will be spicy. There is plenty of spice and flavor but it's not hot unless you are super sensitive to spicy foods.
- You can leave buttermilk instead of draining your chicken clean. But what I found out trying it both ways was my chicken crust stuck better when I drained the brine off completely.
- This Popeyes keto fried chicken can be eaten as a sandwich or skip the bread and make keto chicken tenders out of them both are great. Just follow the recipe step by step with the tenders as well.
- Is the recipe difficult? I wouldn't say so but it may be a bit more challenging for a beginner cook when it comes to coating the chicken because it will get sticky
- Elevate the chicken in the oven. If you put the chicken directly on a pan the bottom half will soak and the entire coating will get loose from the steam. This will cause the coating to fall off very easily.
- You don't have to freeze the chicken but it's highly recommended. If you choose not to freeze fully most of your coating will come off while frying.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Popeyes Keto Fried Chicken Sandwich
Amount Per Serving
Calories 510
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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***Special thank you to JP and Julia over at Hellthy Junkfood! I’ve been a fan for years and I personally have never tried the real sandwich from the restaurant. But, before keto they were my go to recipe creators for copycats because they always have recipes that tasted almost identical to the real thing!
