Keto Coconut Crusted Chicken Dinner

This Paleo and low carb coconut crusted chicken is a delicious and healthy dish you can make in less than 30 minutes and has only 4.7g net carbs. Using shredded coconut and almond flour you can make a tasty, gluten free breading for an easy weeknight dinner.

You might also like this low carb coconut shrimp with mango salsa recipe.

My family loves fried cutlets. Often I make a pork cutlets with panko breadcrumbs for them as it’s one of their favorite recipes. However since I like to eat low carb I decided to these keto coconut crusted chicken cutlets for me, and of course them.

Using almond flour, unsweetened coconut and spices, I made an easy, tasty breading and tried frying chicken in coconut oil for more flavor. It was a hit and my hubby and son didn’t miss their traditional breadcrumb coating. Yeah!  

Recipe ingredients I used.

All you need for this crispy coconut chicken is a few basic ingredients – thin chicken breast cutlets, almond flour, unsweetened shredded coconut, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper.

I like to use thin cut chicken breasts for this recipe and sometimes you can find these at Aldi and other grocery stores.

If you can’t, just get some boneless, skinless chicken breast and slice them as you would a bagel. So I had two pieces of chicken that I cut in half and ended up with 4 thin chicken pieces. You could also use chicken tenders.

How to make keto coconut crusted chicken.

Step 1: Once you have your thin sliced raw chicken breast, you want to get two shallow dishes or bowls. In one beat the egg and in the other shallow dish mix the breading mixture of almond flour, unsweetened coconut flakes, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika.

Step 2: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then dip them first in the egg mixture and then in the coconut mixture. Place them on a plate and get the oil ready for frying.

Step 3: Get out a large skillet and heat to medium high heat. Add the coconut oil or olive oil and get it nice and hot. Then add the breaded chicken to the hot skillet in a single layer. Turn the heat down to medium heat. You may have to do this in batches.

Step 4: Brown the chicken pieces for about 4-5 minutes on each side. If they seem to be browning too fast, turn down the heat. You want crispy chicken cutlets not burned ones.

Cooking time will vary depending on how thin your cutlets are. That’s why I like thin pieces as it takes less time and cooks more evenly.

Step 5: Once they are golden brown on both sides, place on a plate or platter and let rest for a few minutes before serving. The internal temperature should be 165°F when using a meat thermometer. (source)

Store leftovers in an airtight container. (Please scroll down to view the recipe card.)

To bake these in the oven instead of frying.

If your family into fried food and would prefer to bake this dish all you need to do is preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the breaded coconut chicken on the prepared sheet and then spray the top with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Again the internal temperature should be 165°F.

What low carb side dishes to serve with this dish.

For a quick and easy low carb side dish you can try this cheesy broccoli cauliflower rice and a green vegetable or simple salad to make it a meal. Actually these would be great on a big salad!

Or try this asiago cauliflower rice along with these Asian green beans or bacon & green beans. Or pick from all of my low carb side dishes to add to this meal.

You can also try making a low carb dipping sauce with them or use your favorite sauce. My favorite is this honey mustard sauce however you can try these other low carb sauces: avocado lime,  jalapeno aioli, buffalo aioli or bbq sauce all of which go great with fried foods.

This would also be great with mango & pineapple salsa or avocado salsa.

Recipe Notes and Cooking Tips

• As I mentioned above I like to use thin sliced chicken for this recipe. It cooks much faster and it gives you more crust! You can slice thicker chicken pieces in half like you would a bagel and even pound them thinner with a meat mallet. You want them all to be similar in thickness.
• You can use chicken tenderloins to make chicken strips instead of the filets if you want. I personally do not like tenderloins but just follow the instructions as is and they will work fine.
• If your cutlets are thick and you find they are not cooking enough but the breading is getting too brown, you can place them on a baking sheet and place in a 350°F for 5-10 minutes to get them cooking. 
• If you have tree nut allergies you can substitute coconut flour for the almond flour.
• You can use coconut oil or olive oil to fry the chicken in. The coconut oil will give the dish more coconut flavor but olive oil is fine too.
• I used simple seasonings for this recipe but you could also try some Italian seasoning, curry powder or other spices if you wish.

This is an easy dinner that you can make in just about 25 minutes. It’s the perfect recipe for a busy weeknight dinner and great for those on a low carb diet. I hope you like this crispy Paleo coconut crusted chicken.  Enjoy!

The nutrition info per serving is: 333 calories / 19.4g fat / 6.9g carbs / 2.2g fiber / 33.2g protein = 4.7g net carbs

If you find you like this crispy almond flour breading, please check out my Chicken Romano with Lemon Butter or Lemon Romano Pork Cutlets. They use Romano cheese and are gluten free and low carb. I personally LOVE the Romano chicken but both are delicious recipes.

You might also like these keto parmesan chicken tenders recipe!

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Keto Coconut Crusted Chicken Recipe

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This Paleo friendly and keto coconut crusted chicken is a delicious and healthy dish you make in 20-25 minutes and has only 4.7g net carbs.

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Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut, shredded unsweetened
• ½ cup almond flour
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika powder
• salt and pepper
• 4 thin chicken breasts, 2 regular sliced in half
• 2 Tablespoons oil, use coconut oil for more coconut flavor
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. If you don't have thin cut chicken breasts, cut them in half like you would a bagel. Pound them thin with a meat tenderizer or heavy object like a skillet so they are all uniform in thickness.
2. In a shallow bowl add your egg and beat it.
3. In another shallow bowl add your almond flour, coconut, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Mix to combine.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over your cutlets then dip in the egg and then the flour mixture.
5. Coat both sides and place on a plate.
6. In a large skillet, add oil and heat to medium high.
7. Add your chicken to the skillet, turn down the heat to medium and cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Then flip over and cook for 3-5 more minutes. 
8. Once they are golden brown on both sides, place on a plate or platter and let rest for a few minutes before serving. The internal temperature should be 165°F when using a meat thermometer.

Notes

333 CALS / 19.4G FAT / 6.9G CARBS / 2.2G FIBER / 33.2G PROTEIN= 4.7G NET CARBS

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Unsaturated Fat: 0g