Chicken is a great source of protein and is perfect for a keto diet. There are many ways to roast chicken to make it keto-friendly. For example, you can use butter, olive oil, or avocado oil. You can also add herbs and spices like garlic, paprika, thyme, rosemary, and sage. The chicken is usually cooked in an oven at a high temperature for a shorter amount of time to get crispy skin and juicy meat.
What You'll Learn
Keto roast chicken recipes
Chicken is an excellent source of protein for those on a keto diet. Here are some keto roast chicken recipes to try:
Keto Peruvian Roasted Chicken & Green Sauce
This recipe is inspired by the Peruvian roasted chicken served at a restaurant in Virginia. The chicken is marinated and then roasted at high heat for a shorter amount of time to achieve crispy skin and juicy meat. The green sauce is tangy and spicy, and the dish is served with pickled red onions.
Keto Roasted Chicken
This recipe is perfect for a Sunday dinner or a holiday meal. The chicken is rubbed with a mixture of avocado oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and other seasonings. It is then stuffed with herbs and lemon and roasted to perfection.
Perfect Roast Chicken
This recipe uses a secret ingredient: tomato paste! Adding tomato paste to the seasoned butter mixture helps keep the chicken juicy. The chicken is also stuffed with vegetables, herbs, and citrus to add extra flavor and moisture.
Rotisserie Chickens
Rotisserie chickens from the grocery store are a convenient option for keto eaters on the go. They are ready to eat immediately and can be paired with a bagged salad for a quick and healthy meal. Leftovers can be used in soups, salads, sandwiches, and more.
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Chicken and keto diet
Chicken is an excellent source of protein for those on a keto diet. It is low in carbs and can be cooked in a variety of ways to keep your taste buds entertained. Here are some tips and tricks for including chicken in your keto diet:
Choosing the Right Chicken
Chicken with the skin on is a great option for keto as the skin contains more fat, making it ideal for a keto diet. Dark meat chicken, such as thigh meat, is considered more keto-friendly due to its higher fat content. However, both dark and white meat can fit well into a keto diet. Opt for chicken with the bone in, as it tends to be more flavourful and juicy.
Cooking Methods
Roasting is a great way to cook chicken for keto. You can use a variety of seasonings and herbs to add flavour, such as garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper, and rosemary, thyme, and sage. Cooking the chicken with the lid off in a preheated oven at a high temperature will give you crispy skin and juicy meat. You can also try air frying or grilling your chicken.
Sides and Accompaniments
Chicken goes well with a variety of keto-friendly sides. You can pair it with roasted vegetables like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or broccoli. For a simple side, roast some keto-friendly vegetables like cauliflower, asparagus, or green beans. If you're feeling adventurous, try making keto-friendly sauces like a green sauce with cilantro, garlic, and jalapeños, or a garlic butter sauce.
Leftovers and Meal Prep
Rotisserie chickens are a great option for keto as they are readily available at grocery stores and can be used in a variety of meals. You can use the leftover chicken for salads, sandwiches, wraps, casseroles, or soups. Stretch your meals by adding frozen vegetables and serving them with chicken.
Sample Keto Chicken Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Season a 3-pound whole chicken with salt and pepper, both inside and out.
- Place the chicken breast-up in a baking dish.
- Combine garlic and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then let it cool for a couple of minutes.
- Pour the garlic butter over and inside the chicken.
- Bake on the lower oven rack for 1-1.5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Baste with the juices from the bottom of the pan every 20 minutes.
- Serve with the juices and a side of your choice.
Chicken is a versatile and tasty option for those on a keto diet. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can include it in your meals in a variety of ways!
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Chicken skin on keto
Chicken skin is a tasty, crispy, and healthy snack for those on a keto diet. It is a good source of protein and has zero carbs.
Chicken skin is much easier to cook than pork skin, as it is thinner, contains less fat, and cooks up quickly. The best skin for making chicken skin chips comes from chicken breasts or thighs.
Ingredients:
- 8 raw chicken skin pieces from thighs or breasts
- Seasoning of your choice (salt and pepper, or an herb blend)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and place an oven rack in the middle position. Line a stainless-steel rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, remove the chicken skin from the thighs or breasts. Trim any large pieces of fat from the edges. Scrape away any extra fat or skin from the underside of the skin.
- Dry the skins completely on paper towels, then stretch them out onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer.
- Season lightly. Go easy on the seasoning because the chicken skin will shrink as it cooks, concentrating the flavour. The chicken skin will fry in its own fat.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until browned and crisp. They should be a deep golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and drain the excess fat on paper towels.
- Let the chicken skins cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Chicken skins should be eaten within three days. If they become stale, place them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to re-crisp.
You can also make chicken skin chips in an air fryer. Here is a recipe:
Ingredients:
- 8 chicken skins (from chicken thighs)
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions:
- Pat the chicken skins dry and sprinkle with salt on both sides.
- Lay three or four chicken skins in a single layer, skin-side down, in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 400°F for 12 minutes.
- After 6 minutes, flip the chicken skins over so they are skin-side up.
- Air fry for the remaining 6 minutes or until crispy. Add a minute or two if the skin is still a little flabby.
- Remove the chicken cracklings from the air fryer and place them on a wire rack to cool.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken skins.
Enjoy your chicken skin chips as a snack, or use them as a topping for salads or dips such as guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.
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Chicken and keto sides
Chicken is a great option for a keto meal as it is zero carbs, high protein, and low or moderate fat depending on the cut. Here are some ideas for keto-friendly sides to accompany roast chicken.
Keto-Friendly Vegetables
- Broccoli: steamed or boiled in a small amount of water.
- Cauliflower: boiled, steamed, fried, mashed, or baked.
- Brussels sprouts: creamed or baked with cheese and bacon.
- Green beans: baked with cheese.
- Asparagus: baked with cheese or wrapped in prosciutto or bacon.
- Spinach: creamed.
- Mushrooms: garlic butter or stuffed.
- Zucchini: pizza boats with goat cheese, or boats with walnut salad.
- Avocado: sliced into 'fries' or made into guacamole.
- Butternut squash: mashed.
- Spaghetti squash: roasted or made into pizza nests.
- Kale: salad with goat cheese and pomegranate, or in a warm salad with blue cheese, Dijon mustard, and garlic.
- Cabbage: creamed or roasted.
Other Keto Sides
- Keto 'mac' and cheese: made with cauliflower instead of pasta.
- Keto biscuits: bacon and cheese biscuits.
- Keto gravy.
- Keto cornbread stuffing.
- Keto dinner rolls.
- Keto pasta: made with just 3 ingredients and 1g net carb.
- Keto cauliflower 'potato' salad.
- Keto coleslaw.
- Keto broccoli salad with cauliflower.
- Keto mashed cauliflower.
- Keto cauliflower couscous.
- Keto cauliflower rice.
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Chicken and keto gravy
Chicken is an excellent option for protein on a keto diet. Dark meat chicken is considered more keto-friendly due to its higher fat content, but both dark and white meat can fit well into a keto diet. Here is a recipe for roast chicken and keto gravy.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2/3 cups mixed herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Method:
First, preheat your oven to 450° F. In a small bowl, mix the avocado oil, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Loosen the skin from the chicken breast and rub some of the seasoned oil between the skin and breast. Rub the remaining oil on the inside and outside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the herbs and lemon. Truss the chicken and set it on a rack on a roasting pan. Roast the chicken for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting with the juices occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the inner thigh registers 160° F. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.
To make the keto gravy, melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add the xanthan gum and garlic powder and whisk to combine. Then, add the chicken broth and whisk to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently, and then serve immediately.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, roast chicken is keto-friendly, especially dark meat chicken, which has a higher fat content.
Use high-heat cooking oil like avocado oil, butter-flavoured coconut oil, or softened butter. Season with salt and pepper, and herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage. You can also add garlic powder or fresh garlic cloves for flavour. Baste the chicken with its juices during cooking to prevent it from drying out.
You can serve roast chicken with keto-friendly vegetables like roasted cauliflower, green beans with Parmesan, or keto roasted vegetables. You can also make keto gravy or keto-friendly sauces like green sauce or garlic butter.
Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. Pull the chicken out of the oven when it reaches 160°F and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise to the recommended 165°F during this time.