I can’t make this recipe without getting that Nationwide jingle with Peyton Manning stuck in my head, so now you have it stuck in your head too. I’m just that kind of person. But all earworms aside, this is one of the most kid-friendly meals I make. Both of my kids love it, which is saying something because they have vastly different tastes. It’s also really versatile. You can serve it over zoodles, Miracle Noodles, hearts of palm noodles, or regular noodles if your family isn’t keto. Last night, I made myself a couple of chaffles and the family ate theirs on sub rolls.
It’s not a tough recipe to make, either. Last night I had to hit the gym, pick up the girl child from school, take a shower, and have it on the table before my husband and the boy child got home from soccer practice. And I got it done early, so I had to put their sandwiches in a warm oven to wait for them.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You’ll get started with 4 chicken thighs or breasts. I’ve done it with both and it turns out well no matter what. Just do what’s better for your macros. You’ll want it to be about a pound of meat total, although if you go over a little that’s no big deal. Too much and you’ll run out of breadcrumbs, so be careful. Pound them to about 1/4 inch thickness and set them aside.
With the chicken prepped, start heating 1/4 cup of oil in an enameled cast iron skillet over medium high heat, so it’s ready by the time you’re finished with the breadcrumbs. Avocado oil is best for frying because of its high smoke point, but I like a little olive oil flavor in this one, so I usually go 3 tablespoons of avocado oil to one tablespoon of olive oil. Once you get that going, start the breadcrumbs. If you’ve read my other recipes, you know how this starts. Mix together 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of pork rind crumbs, then mix in a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a half teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder, and however much black pepper you want. Put that on a large plate, then beat an egg in a small bowl. Set the whole thing up next to your stove.
Take the largest piece of chicken, dip it in the beaten egg to coat, dredge it in the crumbs until it’s well-coated, then gently place it into the hot oil. Repeat with the next largest one, down to the smallest. Fry them for about 4 minutes per side, turning them gently with tongs to avoid knocking off the breading, then remove them from the heat but keep them in the pan. Top each with 1/4 cup of marinara sauce, making sure that the sauce you use does not have sugar listed in the ingredients. I prefer the Rao’s brand. Normally I’d link to it on Amazon but their prices are obscene. Go to Costco or shop the sales at your grocery store and stock up when it’s on sale. After you put on the sauce, top each piece of chicken with a slice of provolone cheese. I usually tear the slices in half so I can get them to cover more of the chicken. Once you put the cheese on, put the whole skillet in the preheated oven until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately.
Since I made sandwiches this time, I decided to whip out the trusty Dash and make the recipe for Wonder Bread chaffles I’ve seen going around. It’s just an egg beaten with a tablespoon of almond flour, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder, and a teaspoon of water. Because there’s no cream cheese, you don’t need a blender for it. It turned out okay, IMO. It reminded me of cloud bread. My main issue with it is that it was a bit softer in texture and had some trouble holding up to this type of sandwich, and that it’s a bit higher in calories than most chaffles because of the mayonnaise. I want to try it again replacing the mayonnaise with a tablespoon of cream cheese, and maybe adding 1/8 teaspoon or so of a liquid sweetener like Sukrin Gold Fiber Syrup in order to replicate that hint of sweetness that’s in Wonder Bread. It would be great with some peanut butter and sugar free jelly, though. But I digress.
To serve these, either slap them on your bread substitute of choice, or put them on your pasta substitute of choice. If you use pasta, you may want to add some extra sauce. Just make sure you add that to your macros!
Keto Chicken Parmesan
Equipment
- Enameled cast-iron skillet
- Dash mini-waffle iron
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 small chicken breasts or thighs about 1 pound
- 1/2 cup pork rind crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- black pepper to taste
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/4 cup cooking oil see notes above
- 1 cup no sugar added marinara sauce see notes above
- 4 slices provolone cheese
For the Chaffles
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp almond flour
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp water
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Pound the chicken to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch using a meat mallet. Set it aside.
- Heat your oil of choice in a large enameled cast-iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Mix together the parmesan, pork rind crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper on a large plate. Beat the egg in a bowl and place it next to the plate near your cooking surface.
- Dip your largest piece of chicken into the egg, then dredge in the breadcrumbs until well-coated. Place it gently in the oil. Repeat with the next largest piece of chicken down to the smallest. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove the skillet from the heat but leave the chicken in it. Top each chicken breast with 1/4 cup of marinara and one slice of provolone. Place in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about ten minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta substitute or between two slices of your favorite bread substitute.
- Macros per serving for the chicken, using thighs: 456 calories, 2 grams net carbs, 34 grams protein, 35 grams fat. As always, calculating macros for fried foods is difficult, but this is my best estimate.
For the Chaffles
- Preheat your Dash. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or ramekin.
- Pour half of the batter onto the Dash. It'll be thick, so you may need to spread it around a bit so it covers the entire iron. Close and cook for 3-5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Macros per serving (2 chaffles): 215 calories, 1 gram net carbs, 8 grams protein, 21 grams fat.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Any embedded link to a product earns me a portion of the purchase price if you click and buy it.
Recent Comments