Yesterday was #NationalFriedChickenDay so, because I adore southern fried chicken, I tried to make it #KetoFriendly without losing texture or taste. #ThisGirlLovesToEat
Buttermilk Air Fried Chicken
- 1 pkg (4 – 5 lbs) 5 Chicken Leg & Thigh Quarters (or your favorite cut)
- 3 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper
- 3 tsp Salt
- 3 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 4 Cups Buttermilk
Combine all of your spices in a bowl and stir until well mixed.
Place your chicken into a bowl large enough to hold your chicken pieces, with room for the liquid. Wearing disposable gloves, rub each piece of chicken generously with the spice mixture. Moving the pieces around in the bowl as you go, pour your buttermilk over and around the chicken. Make sure you are moving the pieces around so the spices that come off the chicken mix into the buttermilk. Once all pieces are covered, and remain submerged, in the buttermilk, cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 but preferably 6 hours or more. Ideally, if you can, marinate it overnight or all day while you are at work.
When you are ready to fry your chicken stir together your dredging mixture with a fork in a shallow baking pan. TIP: I like to put my dredge mixture together at least an hour ahead of frying, if I have the time, so that my spices have extra time for their flavors to absorb into the flours.
- 2 Cups Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
- 1 Cup Superfine Almond Flour
- 1 TBLS Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
When you’re ready to cook follow these steps for juicy fried chicken without the grease, extra fat and mess that you get when you fry in peanut or vegetable oil.
- Lightly spray the basket of our air fryer with olive oil spray to keep your skin from sticking
- Take one piece of chicken out of the buttermilk marinade and hold it over the bowl until it stops dripping (you don’t want to drop a sopping wet quarter into the dredge mixture)
- Lay your chicken quarter in the pan of dredge mixture and spoon the mixture over the chicken. Lift the chicken up by the drumstick end and lightly shake to release any extra mixture. You want a thin coating so it crisps up perfectly and isn’t soggy between the coating and the chicken.
- Lay your chicken quarter in the basket of your air fryer skin side up. Repeat with as many pieces of chicken as will fit in your basket but don’t crowd the pieces. You want the air to flow around the pieces so they all cook evenly. My quarters were large, so I cooked 3 at a time.
- Set your air fryer to 375° F and set your timer according to what pieces you are cooking (except where noted, all assume your chicken has bones/skin): Leg Quarters 25 – 30 Minutes – Cook to 165° F to 180° F in the thickest part of the thigh. Time will be solely based on the size/thickness of your pieces. Cooking to a higher temp breaks down the fibers of the tougher thigh meat and gives you a more tender result. Breasts: 22 to 25 Minutes – Cook to 165° F in the thickest part of the breast. Boneless Chicken Tenders: 12-16 Minutes – Cook to 165° F in the thickest part.
- Using tongs, turn your chicken pieces over 15 minutes into cooking so that your chicken gets evenly browned. Turn tenders over 1/2 way through your cooking time.
- When your chicken has reached the desired temperature, remove from the air fryer, set on a cooling rack (or your plate if your serving right away) and repeat the steps with your remaining chicken.
Nutrition Information & Comparison to Traditionally Fried Chicken (1 Leg/Thigh Quarter)
- Air Fried: 290 Calories Deep Fried: 1262 Calories (972 Less)
- Air Fried: 5 g Fat Deep Fried: 85 g Fat (80 g Less)
- Air Fried: 7 g Carbs Deep Fried: 56 g Carbs (49 g Less)
- Air Fried: 23 g Protein Deep Fried: 66 g Protein (43 g Less)
What you give up in apples to apples crispiness, you more than make up in the health benefits of converting this to a Keto Air Fried recipe!
This Girl Loves to Eat! 