Keto Fried Chicken Burger

 

Needing a delicious burger but low carbing it so a bun is out of the question? 

Not anymore! 

We used a simple fathead dough to make the buns, an even more simple coleslaw and garlic aioli as toppings, and crushed pork rinds to coat the chicken and came up with THE BEST keto friendly chicken burger ever. 

You can make everything ahead of time, if you prefer, so when dinner is being served it comes together in 2 seconds. There are 4 recipes to make for this so it can be a little fussy and you'll want to plan your time out. So worth the effort though! 

Keto Fried Chicken Burger

Buns

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups almond flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

sesame seeds

Coleslaw

3 cups shredded cabbage (purple or green)

1 thick slice onion, shredded (or finely diced)

3/4 cup mayo

1 Tbsp prepared mustard

salt & pepper

Garlic Aioli

1/2 cup mayo

2 cloves garlic, minced

Chicken

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup crushed pork rinds

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tsp garlic powder

oil, for frying

Directions

Prepare buns - Preheat oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and 6 large canning rings. Melt mozzarella and cream cheese in the microwave for about 40 seconds. Stir and microwave again, if needed. Stir until smooth. 

Add in almond flour, baking powder, and eggs. Stir until dough comes together. It will be quite sticky and you may need a little extra almond flour for sprinkling on it to be able to handle it. (Keep in mind every time you add more almond flour you will change the carb count though!)

Divide into 6 pieces. Flatten each piece slightly into a canning ring. Bake at 400 for approx 12 - 15 minutes - until light golden brown. remove from oven and let cool before removing from the rings. NOTE - if you don't have rings that's fine, they are used to help the bun keep its shape and not spread out. Without them your buns will just be flatter. Set buns aside until ready to make burger. (These also freeze very well if you make them in advance.)

Carefully slice the buns in half horizontally. 

Prepare coleslaw - place shredded cabbage and onion in bowl. Add in the mayo and mustard and salt & pepper. Stir well to combine. Chill until ready to use. (This can be made a day in advance but will release liquid. Simply drain it off and serve when ready.)

Prepare garlic aioli - stir together mayo and minced garlic until well combined. Set aside. The longer this sits the more the flavors will blend so make it up at least a couple of hours before you make the burgers, up to a few days in advance. Store, covered, in the fridge.  

Prepare chicken - Blend together the pork rinds, parmesan, garlic powder until it resembles fine crumbs. 

Dip each chicken thigh in the beaten egg to coat. Then toss in the pork rind crumb mixture and coat well. Set aside. Heat oil in a deep pot to 360 degrees. 

Carefully place one or two of the chicken thighs into the hot oil and fry until cooked - about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Use a thermometer to watch your oil temperature! This will help your chicken cook evenly. Do not crowd the pot or the temperature will drop too much. 

Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chicken from the oil and place on paper towel to drain any excess oil. Continue until all chicken is cooked. 

Assemble the burger: 

Spread the garlic aioli on each half of the bun.

Top with a generous spoonful of coleslaw. 

Top with a chicken thigh. 

Enjoy! 

The nutritional counts for 1 burger (1 bun, 1 chicken thigh, 1 tablespoon garlic aioli, 2 - 3 tablespoons coleslaw) are: 520 calories, 11 carbs, 41 fat, 34 protein, 5 fiber. That's 6 net carbs. Of course this amount can vary so if you are tracking macros you should enter the ingredients into your own nutritional calculator! 

You will get 6 burgers out of this recipe with 2 extra chicken thighs and a little extra coleslaw and aioli.

I like to serve it with a green salad as it is quite filling and doesn't need a heavy side. 

You can eat low carb and still have a delicious burger. The buns will work equally as well for a hamburger too, as well as for sandwiches or anything else you would usually use a bun for! They are quite sturdy.