Keto Chicken Parmesan

Keto Chicken Parmesan is a dream come true for the Italian food lover trying to watch their carb intake. While it doesn’t have the pasta you may be used to, it does satisfy that flavor craving and has a perfect crunch.  This generously seasoned chicken breast is coated with crispy pork rinds instead of bread crumbs to give you the texture and flavor you expect without any gluten. 

Keto Chicken Parmesan recipe

One of the most talked about parts of being on a keto diet or lifestyle is the lack of pasta recipes. 

This low carb chicken parmesan doesn’t replace the carbs, but it gives you all of the flavors you want, and helps leave you satisfied even if the pasta is still not on your plate. 

This low carb version of a chicken parmesan is a great addition to your menu because it gives you the flavor and that crispy coating without the guilt. 

Of course, you can add tons of yummy cheese and even your favorite no sugar marinara sauce and really feel like you have sat down for a traditional Italian dinner. 

How to make low carb chicken parmesan

Although this recipe is simple to make, it does require an assembly line of different ingredients to dip and coat the chicken before cooking.

Clean the kitchen counter so you have plenty of space to work in.

Ingredients:

You will need the following ingredients to make Keto Chicken Parmesan:

• Chicken breasts, boneless – try to get similar sized chicken.
• Eggs – lightly beaten to help the coating stick to the chicken.
• Seasonings – Italian, salt & pepper, and garlic
• Parmesan cheese – buy a block if you can and grate it yourself. This gives this dish better flavor and texture.
• Marinara sauce – sugar-free like the Rao’s brand or use my sugar free pizza sauce
• Pork rinds – crumble in a food processor or place in a ziplock plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
• Mozzarella cheese, sliced – sliced gives you the perfect amount of cheese and plates beautifully. Alternatively, you can grate the cheese and add about 1/4 cup to each piece of chicken or slice a mozzarella ball in small round slices.

Assemble the chicken

First we want to prepare the dry and wet ingredients. In small shallow bowl that can fit a single piece of chicken lightly beat eggs.

Step 1 – Mix wet and dry ingredients

In a separate bowl whisk the dry ingredients; Parmesan cheese with the salt, pepper, and garlic and 1 tablespoon of the Italian seasoning.

In a third bowl combine the pork rinds with the remaining Italian seasoning.

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Step 2 – Dip the chicken

Heat a non-stick skillet or cast iron over medium heat and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coat the chicken one by one with the parmesan cheese, egg, and pork rinds.

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Step 3 – Pan Fry

Add a little olive oil or cooking spray to the pan and slowly add the chicken to the pan. 

Cook for about 3 minutes on each side to allow the crust to stick.

Remove from pan and transfer to a baking dish.

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Step 4 – Top with sauce and cheese

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce onto each piece of chicken.

Then top each with a slice of mozzarella.

Step 5 – Bake

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the chicken is warm.

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What Can I Serve with Keto Chicken Parmesan?

Of course, you are used to chicken parmesan on a bed of pasta, but you can’t have that with keto. 

You can, however, enjoy a variety of substitutes that are delicious. Plus, depending upon how strict you are with your macros, you can indulge in some of the lower carbohydrate pasta substitutes on the market. 

• Serve with spiralized zucchini noodles, carrots, or squash
• Cauliflower mashed or turnips in place of potatoes
• Serve with cauliflower gnocchi
• Use low-carb processed pasta like Carba Nada and Shirataki Noodles, or Cauliflower Pasta

You don’t have to go without your favorite options, you just have to learn healthier options. 

If you aren’t sure what your macros are, make sure to check out my keto macro calculator.  

What Can I Use If We Can’t Eat Pork Rinds?

I don’t often see solutions for this mentioned in groups, but I know that there are people following keto diets who don’t eat pork. 

Whether it is a personal preference, health, or religious reasons, we all need options to help us stick to our healthier diet.

So, I researched some options that could work in this recipe without using pork rinds.  Here are my results. 

• Just use Parmesan cheese – but be careful if frying as it can burn easier than other items
• Coconut flour
• Almond flour or almond meal – my favorite of the “flours”
• Psyllium husk powder – I haven’t tried this but have heard great results
• Flax meal
• Sesame seeds 
• Keto bread toasted and crumbled (almond flour bread or biscuits work best for this)

These all also make excellent choices if you are making my keto fried chicken recipe. 

Can I Freeze Keto Parmesan Crusted Chicken to Cook Later?

Making freezer friendly meals is one thing a lot of readers ask me about.  While I tend to cook day to day rather than making large batches for the freezer, I do understand how helpful it can be.  

For this recipe for keto chicken parmesan, I can say it will freeze well, when done appropriately.  There are two options that I find work the best for this. 

Option 1:  Prepare and bread the chicken, then lay flat between sheets of waxed paper and freeze for 2 hours or until firm, then move those wax paper lined chicken breasts into a freezer container or storage bag until ready to bake.  Simple remove from the freezer to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and cook as directed. 

Option 2: Cook as directed and allow them to cool completely.  Wrap individually in plastic wrap or wax paper and store in a labeled and dated freezer bag until ready to eat.  Reheat in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through completely. 

If you are looking for some keto recipes that work great in the freezer, this low carb chicken casserole and turkey meatball recipe are both great for making in advance and freezing. 

PIN TO YOUR LOW CARB, KETO AND CHICKEN BOARDS