Dreaming of healthy grain-free KFC? Well dream no longer, this is one of the most popular recipes on the website, for a very good reason. It is insanely easy and insanely delicious. There’s even a new cooking video to show you how to make it – with my secret method that saves all the mess and clean up.
Grain-Free KFC
Low carb, Banting, LCHF, Paleo, Gluten free, Grain free, Wheat free.
My children have nick named KFC “Kids Fattening Club” and my daughter has made it her life long ambition to never try KFC. Well now she doesn’t have to. If you used to love the taste of KFC but don’t want the wheat, gluten and carbs, then my grain-free KFC is a great alternative.
Grain-free KFC is so good and so healthy. It is low carb, wheat free, sugar free, trans fat free, and gluten free. It’s so easy and requires no dirty dishes because you make the whole recipe in a clean plastic bag!!! Can this get any better? Ah ha, taste it and see. (P.S. These only cost $6.95 for 6 big chicken drumsticks and were really ‘meaty’. No more shrivelled up chicken wings with minimal protein).
Homemade grain-free KFC. Watch the cooking video to see how it's made in a bag with no mess!To make grain-free KFC you can use any cut of chicken – chicken drumstick, chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins. Serve with some fresh side salads, homemade mayonnaise for a complete meal.
Grain-Free KFC
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 chicken drumsticks skin on
- 100 g almond meal/flour
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- +/- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the ground almonds and all the herbs and spices into a plastic food bag, twist the top and shake to mix.
- Add the chicken drumsticks, twist the top, shake and rub the mixture through the bag onto the chicken.
- In a baking dish, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom well (1-2mm).
- Place the chicken drumsticks on the oil and bake at 180C/350F for 45 minutes.
- Turn 2 or 3 times while they are cooking so all the coating gets covered in the olive oil.
-
- Pat The Chicken Dry
-
- Put All The Herbs In A Bag
-
- Coat The Chicken
-
- Bake In Olive Oil
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Robin says
Sounds like homemade Shake-N-Bake! (Comes in a box with waaay too many unpronounceable ingredients!). Can’t wait to try it!
Kenny Brudnicki says
You can purchase a refillable spray bottle for oil, and put your preferred oil in it. I bet Amazon has one.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes they do, it looks great. You can see it here.
Rebecca says
Hey Libby. Love this recipe however mine don’t crisp up. The coating is quite soft and mushy at times. Could I be using too much olive oil? I only put enough in to coat the bottom of the dish.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I have found mine doesn’t crisp up as much as they used to since I bought a new oven when I did a kitchen remodel. My new oven is so well sealed, no moisture escapes whatsoever so many of my dishes now virtually “steam” when roasting – grrrr. I open the door a few times to allow any moisture built up inside to escape, that certainly helps them go crispy.
Rebecca says
Do you think maybe placing them on a rack over a dripping tray may help? Il give it a go and let you know 🙂 thanx for the reply it’s nice to know it’s my oven and not me lol
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
That might work, I’d love to know.
Michael Deane Githens says
Are you turning the Chicken stew times during cooking?
Vhm1 says
A trick for crispy skin on chicken. Add maybe a tablespoon of baking powder to a bag. Add chicken. Shake well. Bake chicken on a rack in the lower third of the oven at a low temp, say 275F. Bake for about 30 minutes for drumsticks. Then move the chicken to the top third of the oven at 425 and bake another 20 minutes. After you pull it from the oven, and while still warm, use a little olive oil, or cooking spray, or melted butter with the seasoning mix to coat the chicken. This is crispy and easy. You can change up the seasoning blend too.
Lisa says
I do not have Chinese 5 spice. Is there something else I can use
Henrik Thomas-Poulsen says
Can I fry it in a cast Iron pan on the stove, instead of oven??
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes that would work, however the coating may fall off a little too easily. I tend to cook this in the oven so the coating remains in place. Let me know how you get on.
Angela says
Made these tonight but used chicken breasts instead of drumsticks – there was enough crumb mix for 6 breasts.
Only thing, the coating didn’t go very crispy. Should the oil be hot when you put the chicken in it?
The flavour was really good – I’ll definitely make it again.
Griffin says
Yes
Margie says
Hi…. lovely recipes, THANKLS! Will the chook pieces be just as nice if I cover the container with foil or sum such? Live in a senior’s village, Oil spatters and our fire alarm goes off SO easily and in order to turn the meat, one has to open the oven, which is bound to be followed a phone-call from Reception ;-). Also, cleaning an oil spattered oven just aint fun!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes it will still cook lovely covered in foil, although it may not crisp quite as much. If you do want a really crispy coating, perhaps remove the foil for the last few minutes.
Christine says
Before low carb, I made chicken breasts/chicken cutlets by coasting chicken with mayo and dredging in bread crumbs, cook at 425 in ungreased pan. Delish every time, but now that I am low carb, I am definitely going to use your recipe for the coating instead of Bread crumbs. Will try it this week and let you know how it turns out.
Debbie says
Hi, I just recently found your FB support group & am enjoying all your yummy recipes and the great ideas from other members! Only 1 slight complaint: when I click on print, for example this recipe, it requires 3 pages! Everything could be included on 1, maybe your “geek guys” could look into that? I’m making my own LC cookbook and it would be so much easier. Thanks & have a great day!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’ll see what I can do. Thanks for the suggestion.
Laurie says
You SHOULD wash the raw chicken. Afterwards, you SHOULD disinfect and clean your sink. Common sense, people.
sandra_nz says
Washing is unnecessary. Cooking chicken kills any bacteria present. All washing succeeds in doing is spreading germs by splashing.
Kelly says
Awesome recipe! Thank you! But could you recommend a substitute flour to avoid nut allergies?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, I am now experimenting with all new recipes to see where I can offer an alternative to either coconut flour or almond flour. I make these with 1/4 cup coconut flour instead of the almond flour/meal, and the same herbs and spices. It now means I can send my children to school with them (they attend a nut-free school). This article may be of use also.
Lisa says
I am interesting in trying crushed/powdered pork rinds.
I am wondering about baking these – what would be your recommendations for baking?
Lisa says
Sorry I read the directions wrong about frying – I now see that it calls for baking – thanks for posting the recipe!
Charlotte Maxner says
Love it! And have to laugh that the ads on the side of the screen for this recipe are actually for KFC. Not a chance!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Funny! I keep blocking those and they keep sneaking in. Ate least their advertising budget is wasted on us 😉
Yvonne van der Westhuizen says
Just wanted to say–I love all of your recipes!!
My go to page!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Thank you so much Yvonne, how generous and kind 🙂 xxx
Anne says
If I’m going to double the chicken, do I really need to double the coating? Often times there’s a ton leftover .. thought I’d check. Planning on making for Sunday dinner – yum!!! ;D Drumsticks are KING in our house so I’m sure the kids will love these. Want to be sure to have leftovers for lunches on Monday!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I know what you mean about having leftover coating, no-one wants that. I am guessing, but you could probably make 1.5 times the recipe for the coating. I always seem to have a little left over.
Angie says
I made 1.5 times the coating foe 13 good sized drumsticks and had a lot of leftover… fyi
janie62 says
Made this for dinner tonight using chicken breasts cut into strips. It was REALLY good! I added onion & garlic powder, 1/2 tsp each. Very tasty. I will definitely make again. Thanks for a great recipe.
Auds says
Awesome! Made it with 2 chicken breaststock and it tastes just KFC! Hubby (not low carbing) loved it too. Would upload a pic but don’t know how to x
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Awesome! Yes, I wish I could upload photos here in the comments. You can always tag me on Instagram @ditchthecarbs and use the hashtag #ditchthecarbs so we can all see what readers have made. I’m so glad he liked them. They are also amazing using chicken strips. Yummo.
Phoenix says
Hi Libby, do you know if these can be frozen after cooking? I was considering cooking them as food prep and having them other days when I can’t be bothered to cook or to last me a week or something. 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I would think the coating might come off when you defrost them, but if you do try and are successful, come back and let us know. I tend to make a big batch and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
Amanda says
I’ve coated chicken in almond flour for a few years and frozen before baking. The trick is to freeze them for a couple of hours on a cookie sheet not touching and then add them to a freezer bag. Pull them out and bake! Works better than the same day coating imo
Kay Garriott says
You know you could fry the chicken in lard. I buy Tendergrass Farms Organic Lard online. Healthy fat for frying.
Jean says
So just one chicken drumstick is really over 400 calories?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Learn to not count calories (I know it’s such a hard habit to break). It’s where the calories are coming from that’s important. Carbs will just make you hungry and gain weight. Fat will keep you fuller for longer. Repeat after me … 😉
Heather Chase says
wise words!
Kristine says
I just did the calorie count on my fitness pal for 8 chicken legs =2 pounds of chicken and the total was only 239 Cals each. Hope they are tasty making them for dinner ??
Missy says
No, definitely not, one chicken drumstick does not have 400 calories!!! Lol. 🙂
One drumstick has anywhere from 80-100 calories, depending on size.
snottydog says
I keep reading we shouldn’t heat olive oil, only use it cold in things like salad dressings, but it could be substituted for coconut oil, which is stable at high temperatures. There are two types – cold pressed which tastes of coconut (I think that might be quite nice), or expeller pressed, which has no flavour (and is cheaper). I will give it a go and let you know how it works out. Thanks for the recipe!
Garrick Clark says
I just use lard.. Tastes great,can be heated, and is a healthy fat to fry with.
atti m says
Avocado oil has a high smoke point *and* is a healthy fat.
HR says
The research online says if you cook olive oil to 500 degrees it gets toxic. These are articles though I have not found real proof of it. This recipe cooks at 350 the oil should be fine. Olive oil is exstrenely good for you.
Louise says
Great recipe Libby. I accidentally used too much oil as well so didn’t crisp up as much as I would have liked. But still a delicious flavour. I had some of the crumbing mixture left over so cut up a small chicken breast into bite size pieces. I deep fried those & the kids LOVED them. I’ll definitely make nuggets again.
Kelly says
I just love your recipes!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Thanks Kelly. I needed this today 🙂
Mumbro says
Would coating in egg wash first help it stick??
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
You can try that if the coating isn’t sticking for you but as long as the chicken is cold and damp from the fridge, it seems to adhere pretty well. Let me know how it goes if you try it. I am always up for suggestions 🙂
Sean says
Hi Libby,
So I’ve made these before but alas they weren’t crispy. They are meant to be aren’t they?
I’ll make them again tonight and report back.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes mine go crispy. Spray them with oil and they crisp up beautifully, not as much as real KFC because they are deep fried, but still crispy nonetheless. 🙂
Sean says
Hi, I refuse to buy oil from a spray can. Do you have any other tips? Basting them instead?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Hi Sean, you can buy non aerosol pump sprays whereby you fill the bottle yourself and pump the spray which gives enough pressure to form a mist. Otherwise you could baste them by all means, but some coating may be brushed off. Alternatively, you could roll them in some oil in the baking tray too. Let me know how you get on.
Faye says
Could you shallow or deep fry the chicken instead of oven baking? I’m pretty new to the low carb lifestyle, assuming you’re eating low carb is there any reason not to fry?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes you can fry them but the coating is more likely to fall off as you turn them, and I find it hard to cook a drumstick all the way though by frying. It may be easier if you use chicken tenderloins (strips) as they will cook easier. I like just throwing them in the oven and only having to turn them once. Its all about what you find easiest. 🙂
Colleen says
A lot of folk use coconut meal or the finely shredded one for the coating but i find it too sweet and overpowering in taste. I was surprised you do this with dry chicken Libby. How does the spice mixture stick to the chicken? Yours look delicious!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Hi Colleen, I agree about too many recipes using coconut for coating meat, and it is too sweet, unless you are coating say thai prawns etc. As for getting the coating to stick, I drain any juices off first from the meat tray it came in from the supermarket, and because the chicken has come out of the fridge, they are always slightly damp because of the condensation on them. Once you put the chicken pieces in the bag and shake, it sticks on pretty well. The almond herb coating sometimes goes a bit clumpy which helps too because I then sometimes press the herb coating through the bag onto the pieces to really make it stick firmly. Once on the baking tray, I also spray with olive oil so they go crispy.
eatfatandlive says
you should never wash chicken!! I don’t know why people do this, it’s spreads any germs around the kitchen and is just bad bad bad
Betty Alvey says
wash the chicken, then clean up with bleach. I don’t want any chicken that I don’t wash first.
Mike Smith says
Dont wash chicken. All you are doing is contaminating the sink area.
Amber says
Lol…. Ive wprked in the food industry since I was 16. Wash the arn chicken and then sanitize your sink and counter area! Every time! Its funny you dont want to wash the chicken because itll contaminate the sink…. But its okay to eat like that?! Thats why theres bleach! Everytime you work with raw meat, you sanitize EVERYTHING!! Dont be lazy! ??
Marian says
This is the best advice from food hygene experts at present. Washing splashes the area not only of the sink and work surface, but also a large area around the kitchen. Proper cooking will kill any pathogens that might have been on the chicken, but with the UK and EU regulations these are far fewer than there used to be. Hand washing after handling raw chicken will also prvent transfer by oneself. Chlorine (i.e. bleach) was used as a chemical weapon in the First World War and the thought of actually eating that makes me quesy! Nothing to do with lazyness, just being sensible and not ingesting chemicals.
Corr says
I am just wondering if this would work with ground pork rinds, as I am allergic to almonds?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m sure it would. You may have to watch it carefully to make sure the pork rinds don’t burn as they are cooked already, but the taste would be amazing.
KATIE says
I use pork rinds alot for frying chicken and it turns out Great. I actually prefer it to the almond flour. Pork rinds seem to be crispier.
Trudy Cary says
I was wondering that too! If you use pork rinds please post how it turned out!
Kate says
Hi Corr…pork rinds is the only way I coat chicken any more…works for pork chops and fish fillets too! I’ve tried baking them, not as crispy as I like, but frying is amazing…best flavor ever! I don’t add anything but salt & pepper…its freaking delicious! 🙂
Kate says
oops…forgot…I dip whatever in egg first 🙂
amcken3 says
I wish I could pin this recipe.
amcken3 says
I kept trying and was successful.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
All my recipes can be pinned. Just hover or click on any picture and the Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook sharing buttons appear. I have group boards and follower boards if you would like an invite. Take a look then request an invite via my Facebook page.
msaubrey26 says
Could this be done with chicken breasts? I’m not a big “on the bone” chicken fan. If yes, what’s the cooking time difference? I’d guess it would be similar to any other coated chicken breast in the oven. Looking forward to trying this.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, and you can use chicken tenderloins (strips of breast meat) to make chicken fingers.
Chantelle says
I have a severe treenut allergy. What would you recommend I replace the ground almonds with?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
You could maybe try ground linseeds but the taste would be slightly bitter and I couldn’t vouch for the final result. There are some seed flours that may be worth a try if you are not allergic to them such as sunflower flour.
K says
What about ground flax instead of almond flour?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
That might work, although may be slightly bitter. if you are allergic to nuts, you could also give the new seed flours a try such as sunflower, pumpkin etc.
Trudy says
Ditto for me with the tree nut allergy. I would replace the almond with psyllium husks. It has worked before for me when pretend breadcrumbing chicken.
Sandy says
A word of caution to those making these for the first time. Stick to the recommended amount of oil. I accidentally got too much oil in the dish, but figured it wouldn’t make much difference so I left it. By the end of the baking process, all of the beautiful breading was floating around in the oil and none was left on the chicken, plus the chicken was super greasy 🙁 That’s what I get for not sticking to the directions! Hopefully my next attempt will be more successful. Thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Oops!. Also try some spray olive oil. Use just enough to dampen the breadcrumbs and get them crispy once baked.
bekstevensBek says
Yum! Kids and I all loved this. I have a but too much coating left at the end, so I mixed up an egg bath and double coated as many chicken legs as I could 🙂 they were the best ones!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Excellent. Thanks for the tip. x
Wenchypoo says
Around here, chicken is king for take-out, and the local KFC always has a line of cars in the drive-thru. The line usually wraps around the building, and I wonder if these people realize how much gas they’re burning just to satisfy their junk food craving. Gas fumes overpower the food smells as you drive by.
Every day at lunchtime, and every evening at dinnertime, you can go and count the cars–thank god they don’t serve breakfast, or there’d be as line then, too!
People often commit traffic violations just to get in the “chicken” lane (entrance to KFC). Not only does it fatten children, but adults too.
I’d like to tear it down just for the sake of stopping traffic hazards there. The Mickey D’s on the other side of the intersection has the same problem–they recently tore it down to remodel, and put in 2 drive-thru lanes (for twice the traffic hazards). The only time there wasn’t an incident outside or going to a Mickey D’s was when they were demolishing it. I say it should’ve STAYED demolished!
It’s bad enough these restaurants are located on the corners of a 5-point intersection, but when people are putting others in danger while they jockey for the entrance lane is just TOO MUCH!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
That sounds hideous. Maybe print off some flyers with my Grain Free KFC and hand it to each car while they are waiting to be served! Save their health, their wallet, their petrol, car accidents, gas fumes, traffic violations. Or maybe they could play health promotion videos while they wait in the drive through? Now that would be great to see.
It actually takes longer to drive, order, be served then go eat it somewhere (or do they eat it in their car? Gross). And takeaways are just so expensive.
I like your idea that Mickey D’s (cute name, we nick name it maccas here) should have stayed demolished. 🙂
Shannon says
Haha! Why not? They are advertising on your site. You should advertise on their site (drive up).