Easy Keto Chicken Parmesan Recipe Appetizer Bites
The ultimate comfort food. Crispy, tender chicken topped with delicious marinara sauce and smothered in melted cheese. This keto chicken parmesan recipe whips up quickly in the oven and makes a tasty keto dinner.
A dish that no one can say no to. This keto chicken parmesan recipe is an easier, lighter, and low-carb version of the traditional one.
Made with only a handful of ingredients, the result is a crispy battered chicken that’s then covered in keto marinara sauce and melted cheese.
From start to finish the recipe takes about 35 minutes to come together making it an easy dinner any night of the week.
Indulge in your favorite comfort food while still sticking to your diet goals with this recipe.
If you enjoy this keto recipe, here are a few others to check out.
Ingredients You Need:
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: you’ll want to cut these into bite-sized pieces so that they cook evenly and quickly. This also makes the chicken parmesan much more delicious as each individual bite is covered with sauce and cheese.
Olive oil: you’ll use this for coating the chicken, another neutral-based oil will work just fine.
Pork rind crumbs: if you haven’t tried these before they’ll soon become a staple in your keto pantry. They’re a great way to replace flour in items like meatloaf and burger patties as well as coat chicken.
Almond flour: make sure to grab almond flour and not almond meal. The flour will be less gritty.
Parmesan cheese: one of the tastiest things about this keto chicken parmesan recipe is that it’s both coated in cheese and has cheese melted on top. The ultimate indulgence.
Keto marinara sauce: make sure you get a keto-specific brand so you can keep the carb count in check. Any flavor will work.
Mozzarella: you’ll want to shred the mozzarella so that it blends evenly on top. You can add more cheese as per your preference.
Salt, pepper, and basil: add the salt and pepper to your own specific tastes and use the basil leaves to garnish the dish if you need to.
How To Make This Keto Chicken Parmesan Recipe:
- Combine the pork rinds, almond flour, and parmesan cheese into a plastic baggie.
- Drizzle the chicken bites with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl before adding them to the plastic bag.
- Toss the chicken in the bag until it’s coated evenly.
- Place the coated chicken onto a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and bake for 15 minutes until cooked through.
- At that time, top the chicken with marinara sauce and sprinkle each cluster with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and then serve.
Expert Tips To Make It:
Make sure to chop the chicken into bites that are the same size. This makes it so that they all cook at the same time.
Having bite-sized chicken also means you can use this chicken parmesan recipe as an appetizer and not just a dinner! Great for game days.
If you love your cheese to crisp up a bit, turn the oven to broil once the mozzarella is melted. Only broil for 30 seconds though so that it doesn’t burn. Keep a close eye.
Make sure that you enjoy the flavor of your keto marinara sauce. Since there isn’t much seasoning on the chicken parmesan, the flavor will come through a lot.
If you want to mix it up a bit, try adding in some parsley, Italian seasonings, extra garlic powder, or even red pepper flakes for a new flavor.
How To Serve Keto Chicken Parmesan:
Most people serve chicken parmesan over pasta. However, there are so many low-carb options that it’s not necessary.
Serve this keto chicken parm bites with a side of any of the following to turn it into a full meal:
- Keto Caesar salad
- Roasted cauliflower
- Green beans
- Roasted spaghetti squash if it fits in with your carb goals
These can also just be served as a Hors-d’œuvre or appetizer for parties or on game day.
How To Store It:
If you have leftover chicken parmesan pieces you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure to let them cool first.
Like this, they will stay fresh for 4-5 days.
You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. Make sure that when you store it you don’t layer the chicken, this helps it thaw easier.
To reheat it, first let any frozen chicken parmesan pieces thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, you can reheat them in the air fryer or oven until warmed through and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Keto Chicken Parmesan Recipe:
Q. Is chicken parmesan keto?
A. Traditionally, chicken parmesan is not keto-friendly. However, with a few small tweaks like using almond flour and pork rinds to coat the chicken and keto marinara sauce, your favorite comfort food can easily be part of a low-carb diet.
Q. Can I make this recipe with chicken thighs?
A. Though you can use boneless chicken thighs to make chick parmesan, it will change the texture of the dish. Chicken thighs are naturally very juicy so your breading may not crisp up as much as when you use chicken breasts.
Q. How many carbs are in keto chicken parmesan?
A. This keto chicken parmesan recipe has only 4 net grams of carbohydrates making it easy to fit into any macro goals.
Q. Can I make chicken parmesan in the air fryer?
A. Sure. Air fry the chicken in its coating in a greased pan. Make sure it is almost cooked through (about 80%) before topping it with marinara sauce and cheese. Continue cooking in the air fryer until the cheese is melted.
The Best Keto Chicken Parmesan Recipe Appetizer Bites
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs. Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ Cup Almond flour
- 1 Cup Pork rind crumbs crushed
- 1 Cup Keto marinara sauce
- ⅓ Cup Parmesan cheese grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ Cup Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large Ziploc bag, add the almond flour, pork rind crumbs, and parmesan cheese.
- Put chicken in a large mixing bowl. Then drizzle the chicken with oil and lightly season with pepper and salt to taste.
- Toss the seasoned chicken into the Ziploc bag. Close the bag (make sure it is sealed), and shake to coat the chicken well.
- Remove coated pieces from the bag and place onto a foil lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 12-15 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, and top with the keto marinara sauce and cheese.
- Put back in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted.
- You can garnish it with fresh leaves of basil if you like for a pop of color.
Estimated Nutrition Facts
Know that estimated nutrition facts are just a guideline and will vary depending on any variation you make or brand you use from what we have listed.