Easy and extra crunchy air fryer keto popcorn chicken that’s perfect for a snack or a meal! It also happens to be Whole30-friendly and you can make it in the oven if you don’t have an air fryer!
I’ve been in love with my air fryer recently. I use it almost everyday to reheat leftovers, cook veggies, and crisp up meat pieces. I’m just so obsessed with how delicious and crispy the results are at a fraction of the time of the oven or the stovetop!
Air Fryer Keto Popcorn Chicken Recipe
My latest delicious creation in the air fryer is this ultra crispy and flavorful keto popcorn chicken. This is so crunchy and delicious, covered in spices like paprika, garlic, and onion powder. It’s a great snack or meal for both kids and adults!
Best of all, this recipe is Whole30 friendly and paleo as well, and it’s a healthy alternative to a childhood favorite dish!
No Air Fryer?
If you don’t have an air fryer, no worries! You can make these in the oven. They won’t turn out as crispy as an air fryer would make them, but they’ll still be flavorful and yummy. I included both directions under the instructions for the recipe.
Pork Panko for Keto Popcorn Chicken
What makes this recipe keto and low carb is the use of pork panko instead of breadcrumbs or other types of flour. I only recently discovered pork panko, and it’s my new favorite thing. It’s just so perfect to use as breading for fried crispy recipes like this air fryer keto popcorn.
Pork panko is just ground up pork rinds and that’s the only ingredient. No salt or extra oil added! So it’s a delicious high protein, low carb way to add a crunchy texture to a recipe.
Best Sauce for Dipping
You can of course enjoy this air fryer keto popcorn chicken with any sauce you prefer, like ranch, ketchup, tartar sauce, or teriyaki sauce. However, my absolute favorite is with my Whole30 “Honey” Mustard! There’s something so delicious about that tart and slightly sweet flavor with the popcorn chicken.
How to Reheat Leftovers
The best way to eat these keto popcorn chicken is to eat it as soon as it’s cooked for that crispy outer layer with the juicy chicken meat inside. You definitely can reheat them, but the texture won’t be the same because the chicken breast meat will dry out a bit the 2nd time around.
However, I have eaten the leftovers and here’s my favorite way to reheat them so they taste ALMOST as good as the first time around:
- Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- When ready to reheat, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
- Place keto popcorn chicken in the air fryer basket in a SINGLE LAYER (work in batches if you need to) for 4-5 minutes until they are crispy again.
- Enjoy!
I wouldn’t reheat them more than once, because the chicken will dry out too much.
This keto popcorn chicken is my new favorite air fryer recipe, so let me know how they turn out for you in the comments!
Air Fryer Keto Popcorn Chicken (Paleo, Whole30) – Oven Method Included!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups pork panko
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, sea salt, and ground black pepper.
- In another bowl, crack the eggs and whisk them together.
- In the 3rd bowl, mix together pork panko, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the coconut flour mixture over the chicken and toss together gently until all of the chicken is covered evenly.
- Working in batches, dredge the chicken pieces in the egg wash.
- Shake off the excess and press into the pork panko mixture. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Air Fryer Method
- Lightly grease the air fryer basket, then preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken into the air fryer basket in an even layer. If you have a small air fryer, you may need to split it up into 2 batches.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes in the air fryer, shaking halfway through.
- If you’d like, enjoy dipped in Whole30 “honey” mustard!
Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a wire rack.
- Place the chicken pieces on the wire rack without touching each other.
- Bake for 15 minutes until crispy and golden.
- If you’d like, enjoy dipped in Whole30 “honey” mustard!
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